Why are all your people sick all the time?
by Claire Stewart on 20/11/08 at 10:31 pm
1 comment
It alarms me how much stress and ill health I’m seeing in my clients’ workforces. It seems times are tough; it’s been a very long year and some people are buckling under the pressure.
Unfortunately 2008 – and I daresay 2009 – are not going to be the years of big bonuses and significant salary increases; so throwing money at the problem is not a viable solution.
So what can you, as an employer, do?
Well, one very positive trend in the US and UK is to create and implement Wellness Policies in the workplace. The aim of Wellness Policies is to improve employees’ health and to reduce stress levels.
Apart from the morale perspective, there are other positive spinoffs for organisations to put a Wellness Policy in place:
- Productivity is stimulated
- Absenteeism rates drop
- Health benefits costs drop
- Production costs drop as your lost man hours are reduced
- You have a more harmonious, happy workplace.
So how do you go about creating a Wellness Policy for your organisation?
1. Decide on your goals and objectives in designing and implementing the policy.
2. Put together a team to create the policy- include a senior manager/director who will drive the process and a range of people from the workforce. Think out the box.
3. Establish what your employees need by asking them!
4. Communicate your programme to all employees, ask for input and suggestions.
5. Trouble-shoot the process and improve where necessary.
Great in theory, how does it work in practice?
I’ve listed some of the most common causes of mental and physical stress and ill health and possible solutions that you could include in your policy.
In these tough times its not a bad idea getting your staff involved in something positive with personal and organisational benefits.
Warm wishes,
Claire
Claire Stewart is the founder of PeopleWise, an HR and Employment consulting service. Like Neo in the Matrix, Claire sees through the convoluted mess of SA employment law and makes sense of it for you, loyal Ideate reader. View more articles by Claire Stewart.
Nicholas McDiarmid
Sep 12th, 2010
I am surprised by these suggestions. I agree that all those policies are vital and staff need to feel safe in their work environment. However shouldn’t a wellness programme also provide staff with a sense of belonging, value and appreciation. I am constantly amazed by how, throughout my working career, companies are loathe to reward staff, even with something as basic as a thank you.
I assume two reasons for this:
1. Employers feel that by paying their employees, they need to simply meet expectations and be grateful for the salary. The error in this thinking is that any good employee contributes much more than simply meeting expectations. Especially in today’s environment, when tough times have seen many companies reducing work force, leaving remaining staff to pick up the slack. Moreover, an agreed salary is not the same as slavery. Money should never dehumanise relationships between employers and employees; and that goes both ways.
2. Employers may feel that acknowledging excellence in their employees makes them liable for expectations from staff about promotions, salary increases, and may also rob them of clout during any disciplinary action. Whilst these assumptions may be based in some reality, what it actually assumes is that your staff are your enemy. Treat them well and they will support you. In good times and in bad. And because labour procedures today are so exacting, and future disciplinary action will not be compromised, provided that it’s based fact, not intended as a manipulation.
I believe whole-heartedly that a humane, professional and encouraging environment actually sees far fewer incidents of problem staff and visits to the CCMA. Obvious perhaps, yet sorely lacking!