Wellbeing in the workplace now has a robust voice and proposition. We are now luckily far from the days of employees smoking at their desks or being subjected to inefficient practices resulting in mind-numbing menial tasks. What though, is the next rung in the progression of the Wellbeing ladder? Here we focus on wellbeing in the workplace and how we have had to navigate, reshape and recalibrate our practices into a whole new – and still evolving – office and work climate and culture.

For several years I have been advising directors and managers on how to implement successful Wellbeing initiatives and policies in the workplace which enhance employee productivity and collective connectivity.

We now see employee engagement and mental health of staff sitting at the top of all leading business’s agendas, taking the conversation from HR to the boardroom and uncovering ambassadors in varying departments. This has led to the workplace being a very different space, which will continue to evolve as the new norm of office working unfolds – which still may have unique elements relating to the company’s own aims and ethos.

What is certain is that there will be a period of flux – which may in itself be ongoing. It is almost certain that in the majority of industries we have seen the end of the 5- day, 9-5 commuter week. Most that I have spoken to will operate split time policies between the office and at home.

Working from home is now likely to look very different from what it once used to be. I believe there is much more faith in people not lounging on the sofa with one eye on the laptop, skimping on their responsibilities as a bit of respite from the boss’ eye!

So, what does working-from-home now look like for workers across the spectrum of a company and in general? There are many factors to be considered including the individual’s unique circumstances, the team or teams within which they work, their modes of communication and the work they are doing.

For the majority, it is the latter that (ironically) will be the least changed. All factors depend heavily on how the individual feels, how they perceive their scenarios, how they conduct themselves and how they perform. These are the fundamentals of wellbeing: feeling good and secure to operate at your optimum to achieve the best results you possibly can.

Even now that companies and flexible working spaces are again operating to a certain degree, there are many people still working from their kitchen or dining room table or with their laptop perched on their knees in their bedroom. Surely that is not conducive to productive working.

My programmes and courses have always centred around individuals looking after themselves because it was always a given that they would be in an office environment where a collective could be easily defined. Now that the landscape varies so much from person to person, where does the individual’s and the company’s responsibility lie?

Who should be responsible for infrastructure such as electricity, Wi-Fi, heating and more importantly the physical workstation? What provisions should be made for these by a company who decides to shed their offices altogether?

Then the social responsibility needs to be taken into account. Companies know the value of creating an environment conducive to people connecting on more than just a work level. The social element we derived from our formal office environment is yet to find its footing – particularly whilst we are in for another stretch of lockdown. But it is emerging!

There are ingenious ways and methods in which we can connect with our employees to boost morale, to inspire and motivate and to fuel that social interaction we crave and was previously taken for granted. This doesn’t all have to be screen based. Our whole lives cannot be.

Previously it was imperative that companies considered break out areas and communal spaces in which workers could congregate and interact - although I know of several who had meagre and pitiful ‘staff areas’ that also (unsurprisingly) had very poor company culture, what can be done now? I certainly know of some forward thinking companies sending out gift boxes and interactive experiences. This is highly important for morale and connectivity.

One client of mine very much echoed my thoughts this week when describing that his wellbeing is found in the absence of a screen – it always has been and always will. The last thing he (or I) want to do is exercise from a screen. Nor, we agreed, do we want to see our friends on a zoom call. We are able to meet outside so that is what we do.

My friends and I walk and talk around beautiful parks and along the river whilst we discuss recipes, our progression and evolution of our tasks and what we would like to see from our future.

I hope you share or at least marginally concur with my main learning from all of this – what is done is done and it is no-one’s ‘fault’. We are given a set of circumstances and it is imperative – for us to evolve as a society – to understand what the best is that we can take from every scenario, to build a beautiful positive future of our own creation.

Get in touch : anna@truewellbeing.life