Owner Health: The Healthy Workplace

Over the last four articles, we’ve been talking about how we, as business owners can get healthy and stay healthy. We’ve talked about physical, mental and emotional health, as well as decision fatigue. For this article, we’re turning the attention to our staff and how we can promote a healthy work environment for them. Perhaps we can use some of the information we’ve gained over the last few articles to create a work environment and mentality that promotes the well-being of our greatest asset…our staff.

We are heading into darker and colder months, months that are generally harder for people. It is my desire, as I’m sure it’s yours, to provide an environment that acknowledges and actively seeks to provide for the needs of staff in order for them to be healthy and effective, as well as ensure they’re with us for the long haul.

A safe workplace

In my experience, the best thing we can do for our staff is to make sure they know it’s safe to talk to us. To share when they’re stressed, overwhelmed, anxious, depressed, or on the verge of burnout. This is the greatest gift we can give to our staff – a safe place. Without judgement. Without threat of losing their job. But how do we create such an environment? It starts with you – the owner. Your staff will follow your lead. So if you’re open about your own struggles, if you talk regularly and respectfully about health and wellness, they are far more likely to open up to you about their own issues, because they’ll know it’s safe.

We’ve taken some tips from an article from the Mental Health Commission of Canada and shared them below. The full article can be found at https://mentalhealthcommission.ca/resource/mini-guide-to-help-employees-mental-health-through-winter/.

Demonstrate empathy

When your staff communicate struggles or concerns with you, it’s important that you demonstrate empathy in your communication with them, because how you communicate is as important as what you communicate. Empathy is the ability to recognize, understand and share the thoughts and feelings of another person. To communicate with empathy requires listening with the intent to understand. Doing so enables you to make an informed and considerate response, which increases the likelihood of a positive outcome for both you and your employee.

Manage stress

While many people can operate under high stress for some time, they are not likely to be operating at peak performance. Since stress is a physiological response and is cumulative, our body does not distinguish its source (whether related to work, home, or an emergency). It’s all just stress. No matter where stress comes from, it can affect how well people function in various aspects of their lives, including work. Stigma tends to hold many individuals back from reaching out for help till they are so ill they have difficulty functioning, especially when they’re in roles where mental toughness is expected or they feel that others depend on them. Providing psychological and social supports can help workers overcome stigma and cope with the stresses of life during a difficult time.

Be flexible

While it’s possibly one of the most commonly used phrases, being a flexible employer will go a long way during difficult times. Understanding that employees may occasionally need an afternoon off or need the freedom to choose their working hours can help them find greater balance. Focus more on productivity, than on time. The key is that workers need to balance their energy for optimal psychological and physical functioning in their professional and personal lives.

Check in

During the darker, colder months people who were active tend to hibernate more, and social contact often becomes less frequent. So being aware of isolation and loneliness among your employees is important. When everyone is in the workplace, we can look out for it in our daily interactions. We need to be aware of the signs and be watching for them among our employee interactions. If we are working in a virtual world, a more proactive approach is needed. One such approach is to establish a daily check-in. This could take the form of one-on-one calls if employees work more independently, or team calls if their work is more collaborative. Depending on schedules, both types of calls can be used. Most important is ensuring that check-ins are regular and predictable, and that they let employees know they can consult with you and have their concerns and questions heard.

Show kindness

What may seem like small gestures to you may be big gestures to your staff. Many times, expenses that you can write-off or which come at a minimal cost can go a long way toward maintaining employee morale and showing them that your company cares about them. Find ways to show your appreciation to your employees – perhaps provide lunch for them, give gift cards, send them box of treats and a thank-you card. The options are endless. The point is to look for ways to show kindness and appreciation to your staff.

We want to be business owners who care for our people. The information we’ve shared in the last four articles has been provided to make sure you’re leading your company from a place of health and wellness. Now you can take that same information and share it with your staff to help them be healthy – physically, mentally and emotionally.  As Richard Branson, CEO and founder of Virgin Group says, “Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.” Here’s to healthy people leading healthy companies!