How Employee Wellness Contributes to a Positive Team Culture

You might have heard a lot about “employee wellness” recently. From the past couple of years, it’s not hard to understand why. From a storm of factors impacting the global economy to new generations joining the workforce, the topic has never been more relevant.  

However, you might be wondering, what does employee wellness actually look like? How much do programs focusing on employee wellbeing affect the overall organization? And how do you go about kickstarting such an initiative within your own company?

3 Ways A solid Employee Wellness Program Contributes to a Positive Team Culture

While, at first glance, the term might seem like a nebulous concept that’s easy to talk about but tough to implement, that notion couldn’t be further from the truth.  

After all, when considering how important employee wellness is to the health of an overall organization, most companies can’t afford not to have an employee wellness program.  

Here are some ways in which a solid employee wellness program can contribute to a positive team culture.  

1. Engagement and Commitment 

Two of the chief ways in which an employee wellness program can be a boon to your company culture is the reinvigoration of everyone's engagement and commitment.  

When employee’s well-being feels invested in the work, they perform every day, their own goals and the goals of the company often align. This sort of genuine engagement can lead to major wins for the entire organization.  

And yes, these wins include positive effects on the bottom line, but that’s not all. The engagement resulting from an employee wellness program can produce an overall morale boost from which a straight line can be drawn to deeper commitment. 

Think of it like a positive feedback loop. The more opportunities for well-being offered to employees, the greater the engagement. The greater the engagement, the deeper the commitment. 

So, what does this look like?  

Here are a few ideas: 

• Recognize Great Work Regularly: When team members deliver amazing performance, let them know! Data shows that 70% of employees feel more “emotionally connected” to their team members when recognized for their hard work. Create a system for regularly recognizing anyone who is “delivering the goods.”  
• Encourage Everyone to Be Thankful: When peers display gratitude to one another for their help or great behavior, it not only boosts morale on an individual basis but also demonstrates to the rest of the organization what should be expected of everyone. Create a Facebook group where employees can “high-five” one another for being awesome team members. 
• Break Up Screentime: This idea is as simple as encouraging employees to take a break. It’s easy to become so consumed with work that we often eschew break time and continue grinding away. Suggest that everyone set reminders on their devices to take a 5-minute walk outside or a meditation break. Letting employees know that it’s okay to take a breather can go a long way toward boosting their sense of well-being.  

2. Mental Health 

Demonstrating that you care about the mental health of your employees is important. Actually, offering opportunities for team members to tend to their own mental health in a positive way is even more vital.  

Consider this, 80% of employees say that the “root cause” of their stress stems from work.  

That’s a staggering number. And while it might seem like an enormous responsibility at times, it’s the duty of employers to reduce that figure as much as possible.  

After all, it’s in each organization’s best interests to ensure that their employees are in a good mental space. The better the mental health of each team member, the stronger the team becomes. 

So, what does this look like? 

Here are a few ideas: 

• Start a Fitness Challenge: Encourage everyone to get up and move a bit! With all our smart devices, it’s never been easier to start a fitness challenge. This could be as easy as a simple “step challenge” over the course of a month. Not only will the exercise be a boon to everyone’s mental health, but the challenge itself can spike morale in a fun way. 
• Organize Monthly Virtual Wellness Meetings: Whether you’re in-office, totally remote, or somewhere in between, it’s easy to set up monthly meetings with a sole focus on wellness. This could look like a guided meditation, a yoga session, or a book club. The options are endless! 
• Take Time to Laugh: This last idea is the simplest. On a work social media group, brighten each other’s day with a funny gif or meme. A good laugh can go a long way.  

3. Relationship Building 

No company culture became strong and vibrant without the development of genuine relationships.  

While it may seem like everything mentioned above can contribute to solid relationship building (and they can), it’s also important to create spaces and opportunities for friendships at work to flourish. 

Because, as you already know, while the work we do makes up a huge part of our lives and identities, it doesn’t define us. We are all living, breathing individuals with full lives worth sharing.  

Getting to know your peers on a deeper level can be invaluable when it comes to strengthening the bonds that create a team.  

And however “heady” all of this might sound, creating time for relationship building can be some of the simplest and most fun ways to invigorate a team. 

So, what does this look like?  

Here are some ideas:  

• Host Company “Happy Hours”: Whether virtual or in person, creating some time where everyone can relax (and have a beverage if they so choose) can be a great way for teams to become that much closer. It’s in these laid-back environments that people begin to feel more comfortable being themselves around those they spend so much time with every week.  
• Have Themed Attire Days: This is one of the oldest ideas in the book, but it’s also one of the most reliable. Planning certain days for people to show up to work in some fun clothes can really foster a fun environment and make it easier to share a laugh or engage in light conversation.  
• Get to Know Everyone’s Pets: One of the best ways to get to know someone better is to meet their pets. And who doesn’t love seeing pictures of cats and dogs? Plan a monthly check-in in your company’s Facebook group asking how each other’s pets are doing.  

Ensuring the health, well-being, and engagement of your employees is a fundamental part of maintaining a positive team culture. And with just a little planning and diligence, you’ll find that establishing an employee wellness program isn’t nearly as hard as it might sometimes seem. Odds are, once you’re on the other side of creating an employee wellness program of your very own, you’ll find it was well worth the effort.