Employee wellbeing is a critical component of a thriving workplace. In recent years, organisations have increasingly recognised the importance of fostering a supportive environment that prioritises the mental, physical, and social health of their employees.

This month's professional development session delves into an evidence-based conceptual framework for wellbeing at work and explores practical strategies for implementation.

You can read a summary of the session below and watch the video recording. 

What is Employee Wellbeing?

• the overall quality of an employee’s experience of work and performance (Warr, 1987). 10 antecedents to work-related wellbeing:​
  • opportunity for control
  • opportunity for skill use
  • variety at work
  • opportunity for interpersonal contact
  • externally generated goals
  • environmental clarity
  • availability of money
  • physical security and
  • a valued social position​
• low burnout and stress and high levels of work engagement; a function of balancing the demands of work and the resources available to do the work. (Bakker & Demerouti, 2007)

Health, both physical and mental (Orlitzky and Frenkel 2005, Ramsay et al. 2000)​

• Stress, anxiety, work exhaustion, job stressors

Psychosocial Risk Factors and Protective Factors

Psychosocial hazards, such as role ambiguity, high workload, and poor relationships, can negatively impact wellbeing.

Balancing job demands with adequate resources is crucial to mitigating these risks.

Protective factors, such as positive workplace relationships and a supportive organisational culture, play a significant role in enhancing employee wellbeing.

The Responsibility for Wellbeing

Wellbeing at work is a shared responsibility that involves executive leadership, HR & WHS, line managers, and employees. Executive leaders set the tone by leading by example, while HR & WHS professionals as well as managers play crucial roles in implementing and supporting wellbeing initiatives and identifying and mitigating psychosocial risk. Employees also have a responsibility to engage in practices that promote their own wellbeing.

The Practice of Wellbeing at Work

Guiding documents:

When considering your wellbeing strategy and the interventions it might contain, there are some useful documents you can consult. The first two address psychosocial risk management, which, as we saw above plays a crucial role in ensuring employee wellbeing. That last document is template for a wellbeing policy. 

• ISO45003
• Safe Work Australia. Model Code of Practice of Managing Psychosocial Hazards
• Queensland Government. Work Health and Wellbeing Policy Template

Considerations from ISO45003:

Using guidance from ISO45003, interventions to support employee wellbeing can be categorised into three main types: (From left to right, from the most effective being preventative, to the least effective being reactive.)

Secondary interventions: Build resilience

​Increase resources that assist workers to deal with psychosocial risks​

These focus on building employee resilience, such as providing training and promoting a sense of community at work.

Considerations from the Hierarchy of Controls for Psychosocial Risk:​

1. Identify psychosocial hazards and risks: It is imperative to understand what aspects of work are causing chronic stress responses in employees and the duration, frequency and severity of exposure to them. The most effective measures to promote employee wellbeing will focus on eliminating or reducing hazards, psychosocial and physical. 
2. Implement controls mapped on the Hierarchy of Controls: The Hierarchy of Controls adapted for Psychosocial Risk gives you insights into how to best manage psychosocial hazards. Focus on redesigning work to reduce hazards. Prioritising changing the work rather than the worker is more effective. Elimination is always the most effective control, although with psychosocial risk this might be difficult. 

Should companies still offer fruit bowls and yoga classes?

Initiatives like fruit bowls and yoga classes can play a role in promoting resilience and fostering a sense of community at work. These activities are not meant to replace primary interventions. They are aimed at enhancing employee engagement and creating a positive workplace atmosphere. It is important to note that budget and focus should be first allocated to addressing issues in the work environment, management or design of work, or workplace interactions that negatively impact staff. Without these aspects being addressed first, fruit bowls or yoga classes will likely not protect employees or the organisation from negative consequences.

Implementing an evidence-based conceptual framework for wellbeing at work is crucial for fostering a supportive and thriving workplace.

By understanding the key dimensions of wellbeing, leveraging theoretical models, and applying practical interventions, organisations can create a positive and productive work environment.

Prioritising employee wellbeing not only enhances individual satisfaction and engagement but also drives organisational success.