Enhance the benefits and wellness perks at your business
Ways to build a culture of caring for your employees.
If you own a small business, you understand the importance of attracting and retaining skilled and reliable workers. A good wage is essential in keeping employees happy, but that’s only one part of the relationship. Building a culture of caring – taking actions to show your employees that you care about their individual wellbeing – can help your employees and your business thrive.
Employees who participated in a study said that fair pay, flexibility, manageable stress and overall feelings of happiness were the main drivers of job satisfaction. 77 per cent said that when considering working for a company, exploring more information about the benefits program employees would have access to was important.[1]
Core benefits like health and dental care, retirement plans and life insurance are highly valued perks. In fact, a recent survey found that more than 60 per cent of workers said that having benefits increases job satisfaction, and 80 per cent said they would prefer additional benefits over a raise.[2]
By including workplace benefits and wellness programs as part of your overall compensation, you can build a culture of caring. These programs can add tremendous value for your employees and directly impact their engagement and productivity. And you might be pleasantly surprised at the variety of options now available.
Of course, each business has its own unique needs, but mental wellness, musculoskeletal conditions, and workplace health clinics are three areas where you could positively impact employee well-being.
Mental wellness
Mental health has become a major focus in recent years. It’s estimated that about 1 in 5 Canadians will experience a mental health disorder in their lifetime, with depression and anxiety the most common.[3]
46 per cent of employees reported at least one work-related mental health risk according to Manulife’s 2022 Wellness Report. What’s more, participants said that work-related stress is the number one reason they aren’t getting enough sleep. Meanwhile, 40 per cent said they aren’t getting the recommended level of physical activity (150 minutes per week). Statistics like these are concerning since poor sleep habits and physical health have a direct effect on mental health and workplace productivity.[4]
What can an employer do?
By building a positive workplace environment and promoting good mental health, employers can help reduce the stigma around mental wellbeing and increase their employee’s job satisfaction. In addition to educating employees about the importance of mental wellbeing, there are several ways employers can support mental health in the workplace:
- Include sufficient coverage for mental health services, including therapy and counselling. Studies indicate that most people need 8-20 sessions a year to get adequate treatment.
- Offer an Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) which provides confidential, short-term counselling for employees facing difficulties that can affect their work performance and personal wellbeing.
- Recognize employee achievements and show appreciation for work performance.
- Support work-life balance by keeping reasonable workloads, offering flexible hours or work from home options where it makes sense.
- Offering opportunities outside of an employee’s current role can help develop their professional skills and help them feel they’re making a meaningful contribution.
Research shows that companies with mental health programs in place for one year had an average return on investment (ROI) of $1.62 for every dollar invested. Those with programs in place for 3 or more years had an average ROI of $2.18.[5]
Musculoskeletal conditions
Musculoskeletal conditions refer to disorders that can affect muscles, bones, nerves, and joints. They are one of the most common health issues affecting all types of workers – from those who perform physical labour or repetitive motions, to workers who sit or stand for long periods of time.
Some of the most common musculoskeletal conditions include back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, arthritis, as well as strains and sprains. All these conditions can lead to lower productivity and even absenteeism since employees might need time off to recover. Chronic pain and discomfort can affect worker morale and might even cause people to leave their jobs or choose early retirement.
What can an employer do?
The good news is that employers can support musculoskeletal health by providing tools and resources to help their employees avoid injury and manage pain, promoting a healthy and safe work environment.
- Offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes therapies like physiotherapy, registered massage therapy, chiropractic, manual osteopathic treatments, as well as acupuncture. It might also provide coverage for assistive devices, like braces or splints – which can help treat and improve symptoms and reduce the risk of re-injury.
- Provide ergonomic education and assessments to help employees understand the importance of good posture and properly set up workstations to avoid injury or pain.
- Provide ergonomic equipment, such as chairs, desks and keyboards.
- Encourage wellness breaks and stretching exercises throughout the day.
- Adjust work tasks or schedules to improve the variety of work and to avoid repetitive injuries.
- Assess and modify an employee’s duties to better accommodate their symptoms.
Workplace health clinics
On any given day, you’ll likely see a news story about healthcare back logs, crowded emergency rooms and the shortage of family doctors in Canada. Thankfully, employers have the unique opportunity to be able to connect their employees to some of the care they need.
Hosting workplace health clinics can help employees take a more proactive approach to their own health. By giving them easy access to certain medical screenings, they can also decrease the number of off-site health appointments and reduce work absences.
What can an employer do?
Depending on your needs as an employer and the demographics of your employees, workplace clinics can include different types of screenings and assessments such as:
- Measuring heart rate, blood pressure, height, and weight. This can be useful for checking for any abnormalities (for example, high blood pressure).
- Blood tests can screen for cholesterol and blood sugar, which can indicate risks for conditions like cardiovascular disease or diabetes.
- Lifestyle questionnaires can give insights on habits such as sleep, stress levels, activity, nutrition, smoking and alcohol use. They can help show where employees might benefit from further resources or support.
- Mental health assessments can check in on people’s emotional wellbeing. They can highlight mental health-related symptoms and provide opportunities to connect with the proper type of support.
- Cancer screening reviews can recommend further tests based on individual factors, such as risk level or age.
- Vaccine assessments can review which vaccines can be beneficial for individual employees, depending on their age or health status. Vaccination clinics can offer easy access to some vaccines (for example, the flu vaccine).
Speak with your advisor
Employers who support the health and wellbeing of their employees are in essence, creating a culture of caring that welcomes and retains happy and satisfied employees who are proud to be a part of a company that takes their wellness to heart.
Talk to your advisor about some of the innovative ways you can build a culture of caring. If it’s good for your employees, it’s going to be good for business.
[4] https://www.manulife.ca/business/group-benefits/wellness-report/wellness-report-in-2022.html
[5] https://www2.deloitte.com/ca/en/pages/press-releases/articles/significant-roi-for-workplace-mental-health-programs.html