Understanding Employee Health
In simple terms, employee health refers to the overall state of health and well-being of individuals working in an organisation. Factors like physical health, mental health and emotional well-being are the three important aspects of employee health.
Physical health
Out of the three, physical health is perhaps the most important aspect. It involves identifying if your employees are under any risk of chronic diseases or workplace injuries. Also taking care if employees receive the proper nutrition, exercise and other preventive health care measures. These are the important aspects an employer considers if they care about the physical health of the employees.
Mental health
Not surprisingly, mental health is the often hidden and overlooked aspect of employee health and welfare. It entails taking into consideration if your employees are under severe work-related stress or there is a prevalence of burnout, anxiety and depression in the workplace. These are important aspects related to mental health that an employer should look out for.
Emotional health
Emotional health, although often conflated with mental health, is its own separate category. It involves fostering positive relationships between employees at the workplace. Employers who take care of the mental health of their employees ensure that the employees are able to manage their emotions effectively at work and if your organisation gives employees enough space to express their feeling and emotions. Emotional health can have a significant impact on the smooth operation of your employees.
What Are The Factors That Can Affect Employee Health?
Numerous factors can affect the health of individuals working for an organisation. Some, like socio-economic status, community resources and environmental factors are not directly under your sphere of influence as an employer. However, on the flip side, there are many other factors that are directly under the control of an employer. They include:
Workplace safety
The enforcement of employee safety protocols and compliance with workplace safety regulations can have a huge impact on employee physical health. This is particularly relevant in sectors like manufacturing and other potentially hazardous operations.
Organisational culture
Work environments characterised by high stress, long working hours, poor work-life balance and lack of support mechanisms can severely impact the physical, mental and emotional health of your employees. Company culture and leadership styles are the common culprits in most organisations.
How Employee Health Can Affect Organisations?
In many organisations, the bottom line and cost savings often get the top priority. However, volumes of research data collected over nearly a century indicate that prioritising employee health can help manifest significant long-term benefits for your organisation. Below are some ways in which employee health (or the lack of it) can affect organisations:
Productivity
The argument here is fairly elementary – if your employees are in good health and high spirits, they are more likely to be present, actively engaged, and committed to their tasks and organisational goals. Conversely, poor health can lead to negative outcomes like high levels of absenteeism, reduced efficiency, lack of focus and impaired work performance.
Employee morale
Physical and mental well-being can increase workplace morale and keep your employees engaged and satisfied with their work and general life conditions. High levels of positive energy in the workplace can improve organisational dynamics, boosting collaboration and coordination among various departments and teams.
Hiring
Negative indicators on employee health is the bane of hiring managers everywhere. Toxic and unsafe workplaces tend to have high levels of attrition. To complicate things even further, your recruiters may find it harder to attract talented candidates if your organisation acquires a reputation for not caring enough about employee wellness.
5 Signs That Your Organisation Is Not Doing Enough For Employee Health
It is often quite easy to determine if an employer cares about the health and welfare of their employees. The tell-tale signs of neglecting employee health include the following:
- Frequent sick leaves: If a high proportion of your employees are taking their full quota of annual sick leaves, you may have a workplace problem at your end. Frequent injuries, chronic diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular issues can all stem from overwork and poor work-life balance.
- High employee turnover: If many of your employees are quitting after just a couple of years (or less), it could be due to concerns related to their physical or mental health.
- Overuse of overtime: If the majority of your employees are working overtime frequently, it is not a good sign. Working long hours continuously can increase your risk of stroke by 35% and increase the chances of depression, anxiety, hypertension and a host of other issues.
- Increased workplace conflict: High levels of anxiety and stress can increase the risk of conflicts and altercations in the workplace. In the absence of a positive workplace culture, employees can end up feeling depressed due to abusive behaviour from their colleagues and bosses.
- Minimal conversation about health: The absence of any discussion on health and wellness issues is probably one of the most reliable indicators of neglect of employee welfare. If your employees do not feel safe enough to voice their health concerns, you may have a serious problem at the workplace.
3 Things You Can Do To Improve Employee Health
The global pandemic raised the profile of topics like employee health and forced both individuals and organisations alike to re-appraise their priorities. Employees in particular have become more assertive and vocal about their health/wellness needs and expectations.
Listed below are some of the most effective steps you can take to proactively improve the health and welfare of your employees:
Rethink your approach towards overtime
In India, overtime is considered the norm, especially for freshers and junior employees. Research indicates that reducing overtime can help improve employee stress levels and reduce the risk of chronic disorders.
According to recent Indeed jobseeker surveys, only 12.7% considered overtime as an acceptable way to ensure job security. Further, a majority (65.3%) are willing to consider it only as a last resort to deal with project deadlines.
Focus on diversity and inclusion
Psychological safety is an essential ingredient for the emotional and mental well-being of employees. Workplace bullying, abusive behaviour and discrimination based on factors like gender, sexuality, disabilities, ethnicity and religion can all make an employee feel psychologically unsafe.
In such toxic, non-inclusive workplaces, many employees can often end up feeling stressed out, depressed and anxious. An extensive overhaul of organisational culture and management practices, combined with a coherent DEIB+ strategy is the way out of this predicament for employers.
Shift towards flexible work
In the post pandemic phase, we are no longer restricted to work from office arrangements. However, more than 66% of Indian jobseekers now consider hybrid and remote work as the route to better work-life balance and job satisfaction.
As an employer, it may not be practical or economical to allow all your employees to work from home, you may consider hybrid work arrangements as an option to provide employees with flexibility.
Final Thoughts
April 7th marks World Health Day, globally recognised under the World Health Organisation (WHO). This occasion serves as an ideal time to reassess your organisation’s strategies regarding employee health and consider improvements to existing policies. Given the intense competition in India’s job market, particularly for skilled positions, placing greater emphasis on employee health and well-being can expedite the recruitment process for essential roles within your company.
