Wellbeing Without “Washing” – How to Achieve It in a Modern Organisation?

The word “wellbeing” is being used in every possible way in an increasing number of companies.

Wellbeing Without “Washing” – How to Achieve It in a Modern Organisation?

The word “wellbeing” is being used in every possible way in an increasing number of companies. However, we can only achieve real success in implementing wellbeing solutions based on sound knowledge and concrete principles. What are they? This question was answered by participants in the webinar SWPS University Management Zone initiated by SWPS University and Benefit Systems.

Let’s get back to the basics

The participants in the meeting – Tomasz Grzyb, PhD, a professor at SWPS University, and Ewa Bartniczuk of Benefit Systems – first advise looking at the very characteristics of wellbeing. You will quickly see that, unlike, for example, a sense of happiness, it is possible to operationalise it and reduce it to measurable indicators. This is not easy, of course. After all, we are talking about a highly individualised issue, involving different spheres and elements of life. So why, despite everything, is it worth the effort?

Wellbeing as an investment

As Ewa Bartniczuk notes, the rapidly growing awareness of wellbeing is, in a sense, owed to the pandemic. It was during this period that the drastically deteriorating mental health of employees became of particular concern to employers. This is because it has resulted in an increasing number of sick leaves [1], as well as so-called presenteeism [2] (i.e. showing up for work despite illness, which negatively affects productivity and concentration). Of course, we cannot look at wellbeing only from the perspective of mental health, but it was nevertheless an issue that definitely influenced interest in wellbeing and recognition of its importance. Gradually, we also began to see that wellbeing correlates with the expectations of employees, especially representatives of younger generations. They are the ones who take up this issue already at the recruitment stage.

Companies that genuinely care about employee wellbeing can therefore expect to reduce absenteeism (by improving employee health) and attract talent more easily (by meeting social expectations from the recruitment stage), but that’s still not all. A high level of wellbeing also means lower turnover, improved image, more efficient work, greater creativity and commitment, and better relationships and team atmosphere. So in this context, it is difficult to say that spending on wellbeing is a cost, while in fact we are talking about an investment, and one with long-term positive effects.

Competence of the future

Experts participating in the webinar agreed that wellbeing is even becoming one of the key competencies of the future, but it is necessary to acquire it today. For we are living in a time of polycrisis, i.e. a moment in which a variety of threats (economic, military, social) overlap, constantly affecting our wellbeing. In this situation, it is crucial not only to take care of wellbeing in a multi-faceted way, but also to build resilience, a kind of mental toughness. However, Tomasz Grzyb, PhD, a professor at SWPS University, stresses that, like wellbeing itself, resilience is a complex issue. We are talking about elements such as:

  • stress management – stress factors are an integral element of life, but a large part of our fears and anxieties are not about real threats – it is merely “letting your fears run wild”, and resilience teaches us to avoid this type of thinking;

  • emotional self-regulation – sensing in which situations emotions support us, and in which we should control them;

  • interpersonal communication – the ability to talk about what is important to us, how we feel;

  • adaptability – the ability to adjust to changing surroundings.

There are more such elements of resilience, by the way. It is worth remembering that how easily we build it is always a subjective issue, and personality factors are key here. Conditions ideal for one person will reduce the productivity of another – because we have different characters, experiences and sensitivities. An employer addressing the topic of wellbeing should therefore take this issue into account. The key is to know individual needs, to listen to each employee, but at the same time to allow the exchange of experiences within the team.

Measuring wellbeing

Getting down to the “individual level” is crucial, but to implement effective solutions we also need a broader perspective. This is why reliable and multi-faceted measurement of wellbeing is so important for organisations.

A good example of a solution that addresses this need is the Wellbeing Score, a proprietary tool created by Benefit Systems and Natalia Hatalska’s infuture.institute. Importantly, we start with an individual measurement – each employee can take a simple test on their own and receive the results for their own review. We move from individual data to generalised one – the employer receives aggregated data on wellbeing across the company. It covers as many as six different areas of wellbeing and capture wellbeing comprehensively, against nationwide results. Such comprehensiveness and the multitude of data allow the organisation to:

  • precisely direct its wellbeing efforts,

  • learn about the needs of employees and compare them with the general Polish population,

  • get a concrete basis for creating a wellbeing strategy,

  • verify the effectiveness of activities and modify the strategy, if necessary,

  • determine where errors and trouble spots occur,

  • identify some seasonality in wellbeing and determine when employees are most stressed and need support.

Experts emphasise that with this approach, the organisation’s activities will not become so-called wellbeing washing (i.e. sham care for wellbeing). The reason? Because they are well thought out from start to finish. They have specific goals, KPIs. This stands in opposition to a reactionary approach, which is ineffective in the long run, in which actions to ensure wellbeing are implemented ad hoc when a problem arises.

Solid foundation

It is not enough to say that the above issue is important. It has become fundamental to the organisation and its employees. Why is that? We mentioned that wellbeing is an investment for the company. In the case of wellbeing washing, however, it is difficult to expect any return on the money invested. This is because employees are extremely sensitive to the sincerity of intentions – so if we try to fix a real problem with a sham, it will be counterproductive, cause frustration and ultimately... worsen the level of wellbeing that the organisation presented at the starting point.

We already know that washing can be avoided with solid measurements and a concrete strategy. Experts point out that it is also important to provide a kind of foundation. Ewa Bartniczuk explains that this includes fair pay, matching competencies, clarity of goals and roles in the organisation, or equal promotion opportunities. Tomasz Grzyb, PhD, a professor at SWPS University, completes the list with even such mundane issues as appropriate work tools or office furniture. Another issue is real action. If a company offers employees time management training, for example, but this is not followed by process improvements, then we are also dealing with a form of wellbeing washing.

Win-win situation

Of course, it is true to say that each individual employee is responsible for their own wellbeing. However, we see that the organisation also has a huge role to play in this regard. Because only the synergy of both elements will bring the desired results. And – according to experts – we are definitely talking about a win-win situation.

Learn more about effective efforts for organisational wellbeing at the webinar organiser’s website:

https://web.swps.pl/strefa-zarzadzania/artykuly/25689-znaczenie-dobrostanu-w-pracy-czyli-jak-budowac-zdrowe-srodowisko-pracy-w-nowoczesnej-organizacji-podcast

References:

[1] https://www.medexpress.pl/wydarzenia-kampanie/zdrowie-psychiczne-polakow-aktualne-wyzwania-i-kierunki-reformy/

[2] Raport Deloitte „Mental Health and Employers. The Case for Investment – Pandemic and Beyond”, 2022, str. 18.