The impact of employees’ well-being on performance in the workplace
| Published date | 09 April 2018 |
| Date | 09 April 2018 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/SHR-01-2018-0009 |
| Pages | 72-75 |
| Author | Janice Haddon |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour,Employee behaviour |
The impact of employees’well-being on
performance in the workplace
Janice Haddon
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paperis to look at the link between employee well-being in the workplace
and its effect on productivity.Specifically, it looks at the different typesof well-being (physical, nutritional
and mental) and how organisationsshould be putting the welfare of staff at the heart of their workplace
culture,to ensure their well-being and productivity.
Design/methodology/approach –Written as a viewpoint, the paper outlines the ways in which
organisations traditionally offer employees incentives to look after their physical and nutritional well-
being, such as gym memberships and healthy food options. It goes on to look at the impactof mental
healthon productivity and the symptoms employeesmay display if they are sufferingwith mental illness.
Findings –Mental healthis one of the key contributorsto productivity, and employers should do moreto
ensure the mental well-beingof their staff. In addition, it outlines the impact a person’s mental well-being
can have notonly on themselves, but also on thosearound them, affecting, therefore,the productivity of a
team/organisationas a whole, not just the individual.
Originality/value –The findings in the paper are based on personal experience, as well as recent
statistics whichare used to highlight the importance of the arguments made in the paper aboutthe effect
of mental health on and individual’s well-being and productivity. It is designed to advise HR managers
and employers of the stepsthey can take to ensure the well-being of their employees and the benefitsto
themselvesin doing so.
Keywords Performance, Employee engagement, Human resource management, Productivity,
Wellness
Paper type Viewpoint
Aperson’s performance and productivity in the workplace are strongly linked to their
overall health and well-being, so investing in and taking care of the welfare of its
staff should be at the heart of an organisation’sculture and values.
“The world of work has evolved past just looking after the ‘traditional’ health and safety of
employees to one where total well-being is fundamental”. Employmentlaw not only protects
employees from harassment and unfair dismissal, but also covers stress and unfair
treatment. A mental health condition whichhas a long-term effect on a person’s normal day-
to-day activity is considered a disability. Crucially for businesses, under employment law,
there is no upper compensation limit for employees under disability discrimination law, so
organisations do need to take it seriously.
Many organisations pay attention to their employees’ physical health, with offers of gym
memberships, cycle to work and car sharingschemes encouraging them to get active, and
healthy food and drink options in their cafes or canteens offering better nutritionally
balanced choices.
We are all well versed with the benefits of physical exercise. Yet, with an ever-increasing
number of career demands, more and more of us are spending a larger majority of our
working day sedentary. Figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show that, on
Janice Haddon is Founder
and MD at Morgan
Redwood, Marlow, UK.
PAGE 72 jSTRATEGIC HR REVIEW jVOL. 17 NO. 2 2018, pp. 72-75, ©Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1475-4398 DOI 10.1108/SHR-01-2018-0009
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