Prioritizing Employee Wellness and Psychological Safety

In today’s fast-paced and competitive world, the success of any organization hinges not just on its bottom line, but also on the well-being and satisfaction of its employees. A company’s greatest asset is its workforce, and nurturing their holistic health and wellbeing goes beyond simply providing perks or benefits—it’s about fostering a culture that prioritizes employee wellness and psychological safety.

Company culture serves as the cornerstone of employee well-being due to its impact on both individual and organizational success, and scientific research shows that when employees feel supported and valued, they become more creative, productive, and resilient, ultimately making better business decisions. Encouraging a culture of health and wellness within an organization involves a multifaceted approach that addresses the holistic well-being of employees. To effectively grow such a culture, it’s important for employers to consider all aspects of employee health, encompassing physical, mental, and emotional wellness. Prioritizing these dimensions aid in maintaining high morale, raise engagement levels, and mitigate the risk of burnout.

Nearly 500,000 Canadians in any given week are unable to work due to mental health problems or illnesses. The National Standard of Canada has defined a psychologically healthy and safe workplace as “a workplace that promotes workers’ psychological well-being and actively works to prevent harm to worker psychological health, including neglect, reckless, or intentional ways”. The National Standard provides a set of voluntary guidelines and resources designed to guide organizations in promoting mental health and preventing psychological harm in the workplace. Fostering the Standard supports organizations with employee retention, financial performance, organizational recruitment, productivity, and risk management.

Through implementing the below strategies, organizations can ensure continuous improvement and sustained commitment to employee well-being.

Implement an Employee Wellness Program

Wellness programs are policies that support employee’s well-being. Policy examples may include flexible or hybrid working arrangements, implementing a passion or philanthropy day, team building activities, or adapting employee assistance programs (EAP).

Comprehensive Training from the Top Down

Leadership plays an essential role in shaping organizational behavior. Training from the top down allows leaders to lead by positive example when prioritizing employee wellness.

Welcome Feedback

Often there is a disconnect between what managers believe their employees need versus what employees actually need. To close this gap, feedback from employees is necessary. Whether feedback mechanisms include regular check-ins, pulse surveys, or sending an email, all forms of positive and negative feedback should be supported.

Through these combined efforts, employers can create environments where employees thrive, resulting in a healthier, happier, and more productive workforce. In essence, employee well-being and psychological safety isn’t just a workplace perk; it’s a competitive advantage.

To find out more about the wide variety of services RLB People can provide you with contact the team at people@rlb.ca or visit their website at people.rlb.ca.