Wellbeing in the workplace: a post-pandemic non-negotiable
This year marks the fourth anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in many ways its effects on the workplace are still with us.
Working from home, which has softened into the hybrid work model, and new expectations from team members when returning to the office are strongly shaping the design and management of companies around the world.
Growth and profitability may have been the most important things on everyone’s mind before the pandemic, but this has shifted dramatically with wellbeing becoming the new goal organisations are aiming for. At a time when environmental, social and governable factors (ESGs) count as much as the traditional bottom line, staff members are insisting on a new work-life balance.
Every business wants to foster a happy and motivated team environment, but the question for many managers and owners is: how can we create a company that promotes, creates and inspires, wellbeing while remaining competitive in a tight economy?
Let’s take a look at the modern requirements of happiness and wellbeing that employees are bringing to the negotiating table with management and how these can be satisfied while boosting productivity and profitability.
What wellbeing means today
Recent research by the global management think tank Steelcase indicates that only 59% of employees are satisfied with their work-life balance. This figure has dropped successively since 2021 when it was 71%.
For many employees, wellbeing is the antidote to stress and burnout – and it’s essential to understand what this concept is really about.
While health is the maintenance of a good physical condition, wellbeing encompasses mental, emotional, and also physical aspects. An employee who enjoys high levels of wellbeing will typically be well rested, manage stress effectively, a
nd feel intrinsic motivation to come to work every day and do their best.
Some companies have traditionally been a little slow to adopt a wellbeing approach, with only 28% of managers surveyed by Steelcase rating their own work-life balance poorly in contrast to almost 50% of workers. But there are signs that the traditional approach is changing.
Companies embrace privacy design for better well-being
One of the fundamental features of wellbeing that distinguishes it from “destressing” or scheduled breaks is that it’s not a way to recover from stress but rather a strategy to reduce it in the first place.
- A well balanced physical and emotional life is hard to achieve when your office environment triggers anxiety and stressful responses.
Companies are starting to acknowledge this and are providing workers with spaces that emphasise comfort, quiet, and privacy while also allowing collaboration to take place.
Studies have shown that privacy, which is one thing we all got used to during the work from home era, is a major productivity booster for workers around the world.
This is not only a feature of introverted employees who tend to value quiet time, but is true of team members across-the-board.
The ability to focus and organise their own space and thoughts without constant distractions can give workers a familiar feeling that doesn’t clash with their work from home experience. This is essential if your company is working on a hybrid attendance model.
While maintaining wellbeing, quiet spaces are also likely to boost productivity since team members will be able to approach their tasks with maximum focus.
In line with this new approach to adapt a work-from-home environment companies are re-designing offices to include soft lighting, plants and art, relaxation areas, fully equipped kitchens and even work-out areas. This consideration to a residential/commercial concept is more likely to inspire wellbeing and productivity while still retaining talent.
From ableism to “enableism”
Workers with disabilities have traditionally faced a number of difficulties, both securing employment and carrying out their work responsibilities to their full potential. One of the major reasons for this is a lack of willingness or understanding on the part of management – but this trend is changing for the better.
- As the term “disabled” becomes a thing of the past, otherwise abled or differently abled workers are proving that they can be highly valuable assets to every business.
- This is especially true of team members who are involved in creative and knowledge-based tasks, where the ability to do physical work is of limited use.
- Data analysis, accounting, design, and customer support are just some areas where differently abled staff members are making a huge impact at companies across the country.
Capetonian businesspeople may have already encountered several prominent senior managers and leaders – including activist and Artscape CEO Marlene le Roux who overcame the lasting effects of Polio to become a renowned performer and artistic director.
In order to set the stage for the success of all workers, companies are starting to envisage the workplace from the point of view of everyone who contributes to it.
When it comes to team members with special physical needs, managers are putting themselves in the employees position and asking themselves whether they would be able to do a great job while remaining happy and healthy.
If the answer is no, immediate action should be taken to turn the workplace into a kinder and more facilitating environment for all employees. Some strategies that contribute to this include:
- Ramp access in all areas of the building for wheelchair users.
- Comfortable, adjustable, and ergonomic furnishings that allow building users with various body types to thrive in the working environment.
- Kitchen and catering facilities as well as bathrooms that are designed with the needs of differently-abled to workers in mind.
- An inclusive HR policy that places workers on the same level of respect regardless of ethnicity, gender, or ability status
Valuing employees, regardless of their backgrounds, is a further step that businesses can take to boost the sense of wellness and productivity in the workplace.
Embracing diverse cultures for shared success
South Africa’s multi ethnic society provides a diverse pallet with which we can paint the future of our country, but cultural misunderstandings will inevitably arise from time to time.
For managers, accepting workers of all cultures is an essential step that can contribute to everyone’s sense of wellbeing.
The emotional impact of a sense of belonging cannot be overemphasised. Harvard researchers have pointed out that team members who feel accepted and valued are more engaged at work.
For diverse teams, the challenge of making all members feel welcome and valued, regardless of language, nationality, or cultural background, remains an important challenge.
While overt discrimination is thankfully long over in most workplaces, the subtle issue of cultural values and approaches still remains.
Managers who come from different cultural backgrounds and take the time to understand the mindset, concerns, and value systems at play in the minds of their members, are more likely to craft a team that performs at its best.
Companies can translate this accepting approach into a collaborative physical office space that:
- Provides for different communication styles and workspace layouts
- Offers a balance of quiet spaces and communal areas
- Features on site catering that includes the dietary tastes of all members with particular attention paid to vegan, Halal, and kosher food restrictions
Find an office space that fosters wellbeing with us
As wellbeing becomes the new currency of success, forward thinking companies are snapping up Cape Town office spaces that offer modern facilities geared to the needs of all employees.
If it’s time to upgrade your current office rental in Cape town to a modern commercial unit that will set the scene for employee happiness and productivity in the years to come, our team would love to consult with you.
To find your ideal space, contact us today to view our extensive portfolio of premier office buildings in the Cape peninsula.
