What is employee wellbeing?

Employee wellbeing relates to the holistic health and wellness of employees within the workplace, encompassing aspects ranging from physical to social welfare. It is a paramount responsibility of employers to ensure that their employees are in a state of sound health, safety, and contentment with their job.

The cultivation of a positive work culture and improved job performance requires the provision of resources and support that enable employees to maintain optimal health, manage stress, and navigate challenges encountered in the workplace. Staff wellbeing can be looked at in four distinct welfare areas; physical, mental, emotional, and social, all of which can be better understood through the use of workplace wellbeing surveys. But first, let's define these 4 areas of wellbeing:

Physical wellbeing

Physical wellbeing is concerned with the promotion of sound health practices, which may include advocating for nutritious eating habits, access to healthcare services, and encouraging physical activity. Employers can also enhance physical wellbeing by providing ergonomic workstations, fostering workplace safety, and making resources available for the prevention of illness and injury.

Mental wellbeing

Mental wellbeing entails creating a conducive work environment that addresses the mental health needs of employees. This involves providing access to mental health resources, promoting work-life balance, and alleviating job stressors. Employers can also provide training and education to equip employees with coping mechanisms to manage their mental health and handle workplace challenges.

Emotional wellbeing

Emotional wellbeing is centred on an employee’s ability to regulate emotions and manage stressors. Employers can foster emotional wellbeing by promoting a supportive workplace culture, encouraging transparent communication, and providing access to counselling services.

Social wellbeing

Social wellbeing deals with an employee’s sense of community and connectedness in the workplace. Employers can promote social wellbeing by cultivating a positive work culture that encourages collaboration, teamwork, and social interaction. They can also provide opportunities for community involvement and volunteerism.

For any organisation, employee wellbeing is a crucial factor in maintaining a healthy and productive workplace. Employers who prioritise employee wellbeing can enhance job satisfaction, reduce absenteeism, lower staff turnover rates, and create a more conducive work environment.

Why is employee wellbeing important?

Staff wellbeing is crucially important for a variety of reasons, and matters to both the individuals themselves and to the organisations employing them. Here are a few key reasons why:

Improved health outcomes

When staff members are physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially healthy, they are less likely to suffer from chronic illnesses, work-related injuries, and mental health disorders. Reduced absenteeism and presenteeism result, which in turn helps to boost employee productivity and job contentment.

Increased job satisfaction and engagement

When employees feel supported and valued by their employers, they are more likely to be happy in and committed to their work. This can lead to increased motivation, higher levels of creativity and innovation in the job itself, and a stronger allegiance to the organisation’s goals and values.

Improved workplace culture

A workplace culture that prioritises employee wellbeing is more likely to foster positive relationships, collaboration, and trust among employees. This can lead to a more cohesive and supportive work environment, which can ultimately help to improve organisational performance and outcomes.

Enhanced employer reputation

Companies that prioritise employee wellbeing are more likely to be viewed as ethical, responsible, and empathetic by both employees and the broader community. This can help to enhance the organisation’s reputation, attract top talent, and increase customer loyalty. Consider using employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) to measure this.

Employee wellbeing survey questions

Your employee wellbeing questionnaire should capture enough information to highlight any areas of concern, and could comprise a mix of satisfaction questions, Likert scale questions, the employee Net Promoter Score, and open text fields to capture feedback in the individuals’ own words.

To get you started building your own workplace survey, here is a selection of wellbeing survey questions to use or adapt:

Physical wellbeing question examples:

How often do you engage in physical activity during work hours?

How comfortable do you feel at your workstation in terms of posture and ergonomics?

Do you feel that you have access to healthy food options at work?

Have you taken advantage of any healthcare resources offered by the company, such as health check-ups or flu shots?

How satisfied are you with the company’s efforts to promote physical wellbeing in the workplace?

Mental wellbeing question examples:

Do you feel that you have a good work-life balance?

Have you ever utilised the company’s employee assistance program (EAP) for mental health support?

How often do you feel stressed or overwhelmed at work?

Do you feel that you have adequate opportunities for professional development and career advancement?

How satisfied are you with the company’s efforts to promote mental wellbeing in the workplace?

Emotional wellbeing question examples:

Do you feel that your work environment is positive and supportive?

Have you ever taken a mental health day off from work?

How often do you feel that your workload is too high?

Do you feel that you have a good sense of purpose and fulfilment in your job?

How satisfied are you with the company’s efforts to promote emotional wellbeing in the workplace?

Social wellbeing question examples:

How often do you interact with co-workers outside of work hours?

Do you feel that you have opportunities for mentorship and career guidance within the company?

How valued do you feel as a member of the company’s team?

Have you ever participated in any team-building activities organised by the company?

How satisfied are you with the company’s efforts to promote social wellbeing in the workplace?

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Create a workplace wellbeing survey with SmartSurvey

Create

SmartSurvey offers a rich array of survey design features to get you up and running quickly. A wide range of question types let you build questionnaires that capture any aspect of staff wellbeing.

Collect

Employ flexible survey distribution options to get your questionnaire in front of your employees. All plans allow unique links for easy sharing and tracking of your surveys, or you can embed onto your company intranet or website.

Analyse

Get the tools you need to draw out the most important employee feedback. All our survey plans let you see employee responses in real-time, with a visual summary to quickly make sense of the data.