Workplace Wellbeing Hub

Wellbeing is a broad topic, so it’s easy to see why some companies are overwhelmed at the thought of introducing or reviewing a workplace wellbeing strategy.

As a starting point, employers should look at the make-up of their workforce and match their wellbeing plan according to the needs of their employees. With wellbeing encompassing anything and everything from the right culture, good leadership, staff having a good relationship with their line manager and feeling empowered, to a comprehensive benefits package, it takes a lot of thought to get it right.

Here are some tools that may help:

This toolkit is based on research and insights from respected business leaders. It contains modules designed to help boost employee wellbeing, including:

• 5 ways to improve workplace wellbeing
• Top tips to attract and retain the best people
• Communicating your wellbeing strategy
• 5 ways to improve motivation and trust
• Developing an effective wellbeing strategy
• 10 ways to win over your finance director and managing mental health in the workplace (developed in collaboration with the Mental Health Foundation)

Part of any wellbeing strategy is making your staff feel cared for and that goes hand-in-hand with spotting the signs of employees who aren’t well, supporting them through illness and, where relevant, helping them to return to work.

If you don’t do it very often, dealing with ill or absent employees isn’t easy - what to say, when to say it, if and when to intervene, how much to communicate, interpreting Fit Notes, staying on the right side of the law - there’s so much to think about.

Unum's rehab experts deal with ill and absent employees (and their employers) all the time, so we’re well versed in how to spot the signs of various medical conditions and how best to act in certain situations. The resources that we have created in this section should help you to be a bit more confident dealing with ill or absent staff.

Our online workshops are designed to help HR and line managers spot the signs of an employee who is struggling with a physical or mental illness or bereavement, and understand how best to support them.

Line managers are on the front line when it comes to a company's employees. They're the ones who know their team, their team's workload and usually their individual situations. It's important for a business to empower their line managers so they're confident in spotting the signs of a struggling employee. While not every manager is going to be comfortable discussing certain issues, knowing what resources are available and how best to support their employee could make the world of difference and may even prevent a situation from getting worse.

Providing staff with employee benefits as part of a wider wellbeing strategy doesn’t have to mean forking out for expensive Private Medical Insurance (although we’re sure most employees would appreciate that!).

In this section, we look at the softer perks as well as traditional health and wellbeing employee benefits that can help show your staff that you care.

It sounds obvious, but having a wellbeing strategy in place and not telling staff about it is as effective - and valuable to staff - as not having one!

In this section we look at:

• the impact of not communicating your employee benefits effectively
• the benefits of a good communication strategy on factors such as employee morale and staff retention
• how to create a communication strategy that works for your business

It’s no secret that the workplace is changing. Where only a handful of companies used to offer flexible working, a large number are now realising this, along with flexible hours, is one of many ways to attract and, perhaps more importantly, retain key staff trying to juggle eldercare and childcare.

But what will the future of workplace wellbeing look like over the next 5 years with the well-publicised ageing workforce? We commissioned reports on the future workplace and the future of employee benefits to find out.