Health and wellness in the workplace and the role of the HR department
Health and wellness in the workplace and the role of the HR department
Health and well-being in the workplace is an imperative today. For most companies, the need to redesign their workplace emerges, in order to respond to the modern business environment, which is characterized by increasing pressure and increasing staff demands. This is a difficult task for the HR department of a company. As explained, on average we spend 40 hours in our workplace each week. With that in mind, it’s important to feel comfortable and be able to be productive at work. Therefore, companies are asked to constantly investigate whether the design of their space and the HR practices they implement are aligned with the organizational requirements for the future results of a company.
Although the physical workplace is no longer considered the center of an organization, it still plays a critical role in creating and supporting corporate culture. A culture that in turn enables the implementation of corporate strategy and enhances business efficiency, which expresses the opinion that in order to achieve this, the physical space, combined with human-centered services and practices, must offer a total experience where employees they will be able to be productive. People – focused is now a necessity. That is why the workplace and HR actions must focus on human well-being: physical, emotional and spiritual”. Physical assets, including workplaces, represent the second largest – after human resources – capital expenditure of a company.
Human Resources Management is called upon to align these two critical cost centers: human resources and workplaces in order to better serve and realize the company’s goals and aspirations. If a facility effectively supports an organization’s human resources, it will help control operating costs, enhance employee productivity and satisfaction, and contribute to the organization’s long-term success. This transformation requires companies to strategically use their workplace to support employee activities while shaping HR experiences and practices that enhance employee productivity, engagement and well-being. The properly designed workplace and the appropriate practices and actions of the Human Resources department create pleasant working conditions, in which employees can be creative and innovative, with new ideas.
Companies around the world are increasingly focusing on the wellness and health of their workforce. However, for the efforts to be successful and for the significant investments involved to pay off, employers are called upon to leave behind the individual approaches of the past and design integrated programs that connect the multiple aspects of an employee’s life. Achieving this goal will play a key role in creating an experience that will attract the best talent and maintain employee engagement. HR departments that find reliable and holistic practices and solutions that can help keep employees feeling safe, healthy and happy, also help to increase productivity in the work environment and by extension productivity and revenue of the business. A key success factor is for the leadership to embrace this culture and integrate the principles of “wellbeing” into the daily practice of business management and throughout the organization and not just fund it. Finally, because the term “wellbeing” includes the subjective element, it is necessary to know well the needs of each of our people and to provide services that have meaning and value for them, so that they gain their commitment and the change takes their way of thinking and life attitude.
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