Lucy Pilliner Business Manager at Katherine Harriet looks at Wellbeing in the workplace
What does wellbeing look like to you? Take some time to think about what makes you happy, motivated, and productive.
We know that how people feel about themselves, their role, their relationships, their working environment, and their contribution have a huge impact on our ability to thrive at work.
Wellbeing has a human focus that sits at the heart of how we work and the relationships we build.
Why does wellbeing matter to health?
It matters because it:
- Adds years to life
- Improves recovery from illness
- Is associated with positive health behaviours
- Is associated with broader positive outcomes
- Influences the wellbeing and mental health
- Affects how staff and health care provider’s work
I am sure reading this list you could all think of more.
What is wellbeing?
Wellbeing is about feeling good and functioning well and comprises an individual’s experience of their life, and a comparison of life circumstances with social norms and values.
Wellbeing exists in two dimensions:
Subjective wellbeing (or personal wellbeing) asks people directly how they think and feel about their own wellbeing and includes aspects such as life satisfaction (evaluation), positive emotions (hedonic), and whether their life is meaningful (eudemonic).
Objective wellbeing is based on assumptions about basic human needs and rights, including aspects such as adequate food, physical health, education, safety etc. Objective wellbeing can be measured through self-report (e.g., asking people whether they have a specific health condition), or through more objective measures (e.g., mortality rates and life expectancy).
At Katherine Harriet we strive to encourage and support Wellbeing in many ways such as
Encouraging our Wellbeing Assistants to develop their careers and achieve their goals through their personal development plans, this is a positive way of encouraging mental wellbeing and ensuring that staff feel satisfied with their job.
Fact, 94% of workers say they would stay at their company longer if they invested more in their career.
We try and encourage staff to take control of their own physical, mental, and financial health? Some of our employee benefits range from discounted gym memberships and discounts on everyday retail items.
Healthy relationships with colleagues are incredibly important for wellbeing too.
Fact Women who say they have a ‘best friend’ at work are more than twice as engaged in their work as those who don’t.
We enable and support our employees to build friendships with one another through regular social events such as meals out, bowling and more. It is said that If staff feel comfortable with their colleagues, then they’re more likely to reach out for support from them when needed, as well as just having a more enjoyable workplace experience in general.
Regular breaks are critical to our working day and mental focus, we strive to encourage and support our employees to take regular breaks and supporting them to book holidays, so they do not go long periods without any time off. To be able to relax physically and mentally is very important to everyone whether it be at work or your personnel life.
Recognising and rewarding our employees for hard work increase confidence and make our Wellbeing Assistants feel valued for the contributions they’re making – both important for mental wellbeing. We have many awards such as Star Awards, yearly bonuses, Quarterly events, 5-year awards and much more which show our appreciation for all of our staff.
Katherine Harriet has 3 Mental Health First Aiders on board these are Myself (Lucy, Business Manager), Jessica Dunn (Office Manager) and Jodie Bristow (Staff Liaison Officer) who can also talk to our Wellbeing Assistants ensuring they have full support and resources as and when required.
We maintain an open office for our staff to come in whether it is for a break for a chat or to simply say hello. 90% of our office staff have a background within the care sector and have also cared for clients and know what our Wellbeing Assistants face on a daily basis, so we are able to support them and understand some of the challenges they may face.
Care is very rewarding, but it also does have its challenges. Katherine Harriet strives to support our staff and maintain healthy working relationships as best we can and implement new ways of working and support to ensure or staffs wellbeing.
