One thing we can all agree on is the importance that our workplaces be healthy and wholesome places to be. Thankfully, we no longer live in a world where workers must accept mistreatment for fear of losing their job. There is still a way to go to perfect, there’s always room for improvement, but basic standards for workplaces are considerably higher than they once were. Now is not the time to become complacent; is your workplace a healthy and safe place for your employees? Do you feel confident that they come to work feeling happy and sufficiently supported and valued? If either of these is not a hard yes, you may want to implement some new practices.
Workplace health and safety can never be a one size fits all. Don’t expect that what your workplace requires to support your staff will replicate another. This can also be true of businesses within the same industry. Your workplace health and safety practices should be personalised and unique to you. Arguably the most important component of a healthy workplace is the culture. A healthy workplace culture will ensure your employees feel valued, safe, comfortable, and with plenty of opportunity for growth. Toxic or dysfunctional cultures in a business will see high levels of turnover, low levels of output and general attitudes of resentment and hostility. None of these will make for a successful business.
There is an abundance of ways you can develop and maintain a healthy workplace culture and promote the work satisfaction of your employees. Take the time to assess the below areas of significance. When in doubt or where possible, include your employees in the process. Their feedback and input will be invaluable and inevitably illuminate issues or areas that need improvement you may not have even considered.
Prioritise Employee Communications
So often, we get caught up in our hectic job schedules or putting out fires that before we know it, months have gone by, and there have been no 1-to-1 staff meetings (or perhaps any staff meetings at all). At the moment, these meetings can feel unimportant or, at the very least, not a priority – this is in no way accurate. By improving and prioritising your direct communication with the people you manage, you will ensure you are ahead of any issue in the loop for any stress or struggles whilst also making your employees feel supported and valued. In times when you are run off your feet, even a 5-minute casual check-in can make all the difference.
Meetings are, of course, important, but many dissatisfied employees that report feelings of stress and discontent will note when asked, that their managers don’t seem to care. Far too often, managers are given more work than they can reasonably juggle alongside supporting and managing their team. When their manager seems stressed and busy themselves, the employee is less likely to approach them in a time of stress for fear of adding more to their plate. Being available to your team members to reach out when they need it will drastically increase their sense of security and support.
Provide Adequate Facilities and Allow for Diversity
Whilst much better than years past, most workplaces are still lacking drastically in appropriate practices to include and support all employees equally. For many of us, when we think of diversity, we think of nationalities or gender. Both are, of course, extremely important, but do not stand alone. Often other inequalities are overlooked or downplayed. We think of disabilities, and we see a person in a wheelchair who needs a different desk or better accessibility. It is ignorant to overlook the high numbers of our population who are managing invisible disabilities and chronic illnesses.
Unfortunately, many employees are reserved when sharing these issues for fear of judgment or indirect penalty as a result of disclosure. For example, terms such as bariatric equipment are thought to be negative and deemed extreme, but it is important to be aware that your employee with a medical condition resulting in obesity may require an alternative to the standard mesh back office chair. Similarly, technology has changed the face of the workplace. Flexibility no longer determines the level of output. Being accommodating to employees that may require a reduced schedule or flexible working hours to accommodate illness will go a long way in making them feel secure and supported. In turn, they will be engaged and produce a higher quality of output.
Promote Social Engagement Between your Employees
We, as humans, are innately social creatures. We thrive best when we are part of a well-established community. You know what they say about the village raising the child and all. Gone are the days when employees are expected to come to work, keep their heads down, get the job done and go home at the end of the day. Many studies have shown that this leads to lower work satisfaction and is directly correlated with a reduction in engagement and a poorer level of output. Chances are your employees have more in common than the fact they’re accountants or aged care equipment suppliers.
The easiest way to promote workplace social interactions is to form an official social club. Encourage the creation of a committee to take charge of workplace social events. Investing a little bit of money to get a kitty going will encourage the process to take off. Many social clubs will charge a small annual fee (around $20) to cover the costs of any events that take place. Ongoing activities and competitions will encourage your staff to interact. Why not invest some time in making the office look more attractive to boost creativity? The are some amazing office fit out ideas that you can find online, and with the help of your staff, design a space that they enjoy working in.
You can start by updating the boardroom chairs. The meeting room chairs don’t always have to be in black, especially when you are working in a creative space. You can go for more colours that are in your brand to make the room look more stylish.
Finally, include all members of a team in the recruitment process, particularly if the team is small. The nature of healthy workplace culture will see members of the team achieving promotions, and this will mean replacing them. Introducing a stage in your process that sees them having an informal meeting with the team will ensure that the dynamic isn’t negatively impacted but will also promote feelings of importance and inclusion by the members of the team. You will also find this practice results in smoother onboarding and well-executed training.