How SME’s Can Invest In Employee Wellbeing

Although they may lack large HR departments and corporate occupational health programmes, plenty of SMEs (small to medium size enterprises) are leading the workplace revolution when it comes to better mental and physical health. From finding more meaning and purpose through work, to fostering community and adjusting workspace practices, we cover how co-working spaces help to boost the triple bottom line.

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The Circular Economy

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People are at the heart of networks, businesses and societies, meaning that they are central to creation, expansion and progress. It can be all too easy to forget the faces behind the figures. However, focusing on the intangible elements of human relationships and connection, is as vital to sustainability and longevity, as the latest financial report.

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With almost two-thirds of our lives spent at work, harnessing the workplace for better health and wellbeing is a fundamental way to have a positive impact on the overall health of society. This generates a positive feedback loop on the health businesses. Including fewer sick days, enhanced commitment and performance.

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Over a third of SME employees experience a mental health difficulty such as anxiety and depression during their working life. But many companies and individuals often feel as though they lack the resources and strategies to cope. Preventive mechanisms are a long-term investment, and they don’t require a big budget to make a difference.

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Curating Community

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The backbone to a great workplace environment is a sense of community. Spaces that are connected by common values such as authenticity, creativity and integrity foster better workplace cultures. At x+why our mission is to unite, inspire and amplify purpose-driven businesses. We house a variety of B-corps focused on benefitting people and planet, alongside profit. This unites start-ups with a common mission - to make the world a better place.

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In the modern era, urban areas have seen an erosion in their community, leading to a limited sense of purpose within neighbourhoods, and lower social responsibility. When communities no longer see themselves as groups of people concerned with others, this propagates the growing number of isolated individuals struggling to relate to the demands of industrialisation.

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It also contributes to imbalances in awareness and opportunities, socio-cultural degradation, a breakdown in security, disengagement, and environmental concerns. With most of the population now in lockdown and increasingly virtual, there have been growing concerns of social breakdown.

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However, in the long-term it could also see a regeneration of our local communities, especially as an increasing number of people move away from large cities and into smaller commuter belts. There are plenty of advantages for both employees and companies to having a more distributed workforce. It enables freedom between convening centrally, and working locally and flexibly.

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Promising Partnerships

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There’s no need to go it alone. Leveraging partnerships can deliver the expertise you need to take your wellbeing strategy to the next level. If you’re struggling to find the facilities to bring everything in-house, outsourcing and securing offers with popular organisations such as Headspace, Classpass or Cycle To Work schemes can extend your offerings. This efficiently caters to the realms of health, fitness and lifestyle modifications.

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At X+Why we’ve partnered with members such as BetterSpace, an employee wellbeing platform that provides hundreds of free resources to empower employees with holistic education and support. It only charges for what’s being used. This is a great way to provide more personalised strategies to businesses and employees, as there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to great work and health.

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The six pillars of fundamental wellbeing include sleep, exercise, stress, meaningful activity, social connection and helping others. Becoming more informed about each of these elements, while having increased access to resources that can effectively create behaviour change through increased engagement, provides an effective solution to prevention, over reactive short-term solutions.

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Within the workplace itself, this can transpire into activities such as lunch time classes and workshops, healthier foods instead of sugary snacks and vice-ridden vending machines, or placing an emphasis on access to natural lighting, outdoor areas and greenery.

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Purpose-driven Work

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At the heart of fulfilment lies meaning and purpose. Dystopian believers sense that the increasing level of automation in society may lead to increased job losses and homelessness. However many proponents believe that automation creates as many new jobs as it replaces. It also has the potential to help open up more meaning in human-driven work.

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There are facets of human behaviour and creativity that technology cannot yet replicate, the desire to be altruistic and create meaningful change is one of them. Having a sense of purpose is key not only to employee commitment and wellbeing, but also to resilience and tenacity in the face of challenges and hardship.

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An increasing sense of fulfilment helps to build employee self-esteem, while restoring faith and positivity in our perspective and approach to life. This has a trickle down effect on our home life, relationships and attitude towards the greater environment.

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Finding meaning through work means uncovering authentic intrinsic motivators and values. Leveraging these fosters a greater sense of purpose, which doesn’t come at the cost of external financial incentives. Many believe that COVID has accelerated the move towards a more purpose-focused era of socially responsible Capitalism.

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Only this way will we be able to create enterprise and societies that are focused on advancing more than just the bottom line. Becoming a certified B Corp has come to signal the gold-standard of regulated accountability, incorporating all of community, employees, environment, customers and governance into the integrative mix.

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Finding Flexibility

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The silver lining of a shift to a remote world has brought with it an increase in freedom and flexibility. As a flexible workspace provider, x+why have been one of the first to step up to the plate when it comes to accommodating the increasing demand in personalised workspace provision.

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For employers, a more flexible approach to work means no need for long-term leases that result in poor use of space, lengthy legal agreements, furnishings and rigid contracts. Having a flexible workspace allows businesses of all sizes to expand and contract in accordance with an uncertain and rapidly changing environment.

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This reduces overheads and supplies everything you could need in one tidy, monthly rolling package - including front desk concierge, smart offices, personalised wellbeing programmes, community and access to multiple locations up and down the country. For employees, the move towards a more flexible workspace means not only increased accessibility closer to home, but also an improvement in flexible work hours.

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Allowing flexible lifestyle adjustments indirectly improves productivity and output through enhanced employee wellbeing and autonomy. People don’t want freedom from work, but they do desire freedom within work. Allowing employees to take initiative in their work hours and location fosters independence, trust, creative thinking and responsibility long-term.

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Adopting an effective approach to employee and workplace wellbeing doesn’t have to be revolutionary or costly, but it does require a deeper understanding of the human side of enterprise. Individual internal drivers and personalised processes, when viewed under an integrative lens, marry together all of environment, work and people into a united and holistic whole.

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