Helping employees become mentally healthier and happier: Creating a workplace wellbeing plan
3-minute read
Mixed results in latest wellbeing survey
During this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week, results of a new survey show that companies are more than ever focused on the mental health of their employees.
More than 8 in 10 organisations surveyed had formal policies like paid time off, parental leave, and flexibility to support well-being.
Activities for social wellness and belonging in the workplace, such as team-building events, celebrations, or virtual coffee hours, were the second-most helpful type of support according to employees, yet fewer than 7 in 10 businesses surveyed offered these.
Additionally, most employees (more than 6 in 10) felt that their mental health concerns were not sufficiently addressed by their manager – an increase from a 50:50 split just 4 months earlier.[i]
The key to a happy workforce regarding mental health is by demonstrating that the people they report to and HR care about how they're coping, no matter if it is work-related stress, or personal. The important thing is having the tools to appropriately support colleagues and knowing a clear plan exists to help an individual.
One of those tools can take the form of a workplace wellbeing plan.
What is a workplace wellbeing plan?
A wellbeing plan is an action plan between employer/line manager, and an employee, focusing on maintaining an employee’s positive mental health. It can be as simple, or as detailed, as the employee needs it to be, and should be kept confidential.
The plan should be a reminder to the employee of how they can stay well whilst at work, whilst also letting the employer know what they can do to support this. It could also contain details about how an employee can receive help if they are struggling.
A vital aspect for employers/HR to note is that a workplace wellbeing plan is entirely voluntary. Additionally, the contents need not be shared by an employee if they choose not to disclose. If it is shared, it is not legally binding, and forms more of a mutual understanding between employee and their manager.
A wellbeing plan does not need to focus on the negatives. It is a document that helps create dialogue between an employee and their manager, plus acts as a reminder for the employee to tell their manager what makes them feel good at work, or what the employee needs in order to balance their wellbeing with productivity.
Furthermore, a wellbeing plan can be created at any time. An employee need not wait until they are struggling with their mental health to complete one.
If one exists, it is worth bringing up the employee’s wellbeing plan in one-to-one meetings, or following incidents of sickness. If the wellbeing plan forms part of conversations about staff health, it is much more likely to become embedded into your organisation's culture. The aim is to make it a commonly used tool for all members of staff, should they choose to create a wellbeing plan for themselves.
A template plan
We have created a template to download from our resources section on our website. Feel free to use it as is, or amend it to suit.
It is important to let employees know that their wellbeing plan does not have to be perfect, nor cover every detail, simply having something written down is a great start.
Habitus specialises in providing practical, engaging and lasting solutions for mental health.
Find out more about what we do by clicking the button below.
[i] Mental Health Survey: Businesses Increase Employee Mental Health Support, But Workers Are Still Struggling — prnewswire.com
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mental-health-survey-businesses-increase-employee-mental-health-support-but-workers-are-still-struggling-301542978.html