Why workplace wellness needs to be a priority, even for startups
By: Tracy Tsang
Tags: Growth Mindset, Mindfulness, Workplace Wellness, Team Building, Purpose Driven Business

We spend over 90,000 hours (1/3 of our lives) at work and yet most of us treat our health and wellbeing as a second thought during our working life. This may be due to cultural beliefs that hard work leads to success — taking a break or time out for self care is seen as an indulgence, or worse, laziness.

No wonder why, according to Neurum’s recent white paper on ‘Designing an Effective Workplace Mental Wellbeing Strategy’, 1 in 3 employees in APAC experience mental ill health at work. A Cigna survey in 2018 reported 92% of workforce suffer from daily stress and 87% receive inadequate support from their company.

Burnout and stress cases on the increase globally

The problem extends beyond Asia since the start of Covid-19, when social distancing led the majority of entrepreneurs and their teams to work from home. What was once desirable for many, is causing them to lose a sense of work/life balance particularly if boundaries for working hours and accessibility are not actively encouraged and put into practice by leaders. In July 2020, 69% US employees surveyed by Monster experience burnout symptoms while working from home.

Covid-19, social distancing and working from home are all contributing factors to global increase in stress and burnout. Photo by Charles Deluvio on Unsplash

Stress hormones are experienced when we see circumstances as a threat to our survival. For a workplace, the longer stress levels are sustained, the more it engenders the ‘flight or fight’ mechanism which hinders communication, cooperation and problem solving. Doesn’t that ring true when navigating through the changing landscape of the world with Coronavirus?

The immune system, especially crucial during this time, is also known to weaken as a result of ongoing stress and lack of rest and proper self care. This leads to a decrease in productivity and increased risk to your team’s health, as employees become more vulnerable to Covid-19 and other forms of illness.

Cost of neglecting employees’ wellbeing, happiness and fulfilment

“If you don’t take time for your wellness, you will be forced to take time for your illness.” — Unknown

Business leaders often underestimate the cost of neglecting their team as well as their own wellbeing until too late. Photo by Craig Ren on Unsplash

Burnout, stress and anxiety leads to a series of business problems including a decrease in productivity in the long run, poor communication, apathy, disengaged employees, insomnia, low energy and team morale, depression, increased medical leave, and the inability to have the mental clarity required for good decision making, ultimately negatively impacting your team’s performance, client satisfaction and business results.

This translates to dollar values — employees who are present at work but are unproductive (presenteeism) cost organisations 1.3B USD, while those who take sick leave (absenteeism) and quitting their jobs (churn) cost 23M USD and 284M USD respectively. This is not including the detriment of employees’ health and team motivation to contribute and perform at their best, which is priceless.

The cost of unwellness is estimated by Whole Business Wellness to reduce profitability by up to 20%, this includes staff turnover and re-training costs (6.3%), absenteeism and medical costs (1.7%), and productivity costs (12.6%). These numbers are rising with the global pandemic, as people constantly fear for their health, finances, future, families.

Wellbeing and team development are critical components to increasing team resilience and protect the continuity of business operations. Rather than waiting until it turns into a mental health issue, what if we consider the ideal scenario and optimal results for your team wellbeing, culture and performance and take action towards that? With over one third of our lives spent at work, we believe work can and should be something to look forward to when wellbeing, growth and fulfilment are prioritised.

Benefits and ROI of Wellness Initiatives

CEOs, executives and business leaders must role model healthy habits, bejaviours and work/life boundaries to foster a caring team culture that prioritises wellbeing. Photo by KrakenImages on Unsplash

Companies have reported a return of $5 for every $1 spent on mental wellbeing initiatives on average, while 89% employees said they are more likely to recommend their company as a great place to work if there is an effective mental wellbeing strategy*. Management consultants have found that the surest way to keep your customers happy is by having a team that is happy to work and serve to the business objectives.

The good news is that it doesn’t have to cost a fortune to create and implement your own startup wellness program and best practices. What it does require is a commitment to prioritise wellbeing and self care, and for a company’s CEO, executive team and leaders to role model and encourage healthy habits, behaviours and work/life boundaries for all employees.

*‘Designing an Effective Workplace Mental Wellbeing Strategy’ — Neurum White Paper 2020

Empowering your team to thrive with purpose

Thriving as a team means better business results, happy clients, and a more joyful and productive working environment. Your team constantly grow into the best version of themselves with incredible synergy, reducing the need for taking sick leave (absenteeism), increased employee engagement & retention. Your business attract high quality employees who are motivated to work for your company because of the strong team culture and a sense of purpose. Regular and proper self care practice for individuals in turn lead to better mood, increase in energy level and performance overall for the team.

Thriving as a team means better business results. Photo by Mimi Thian on Unsplash

For Startups, you can start by making simple yet transformational interventions that are impactful but does not require a massive budget. Here are some examples:

Setting clear boundaries for when work start and finish and expectation for availability

Have a regular morning routine in place which enables you to perform at your best, e.g. meditation, yoga/exercise, healthy breakfast, read/learn for at least an hour that can be done as a team

Stocking a selection of delicious healthy snacks and fresh fruits that requires a walk away from your desks to refuel

Set up a wellness accountability buddy system for your team members and check in regularly on each other’s wellbeing

Set a good example of self care for your team by leading with a sense of balance and awareness of your own emotional and physical energy level

Plan regular wellness workshops, meaningful team experiences and retreats regularly that help individuals and the team to grow and bond