How Employee Wellbeing Affects Productivity in the Workplace

How Employee Wellbeing Affects Productivity in the Workplace 

Over 60% of working people in Ireland spend the majority of their waking hours each day working or engaging in stressful work-related activities. As a result, exhaustion, fatigue, and stress from the workplace are so widespread in Ireland. Many people believe that putting in more effort leads to greater accomplishments, which leads to tired mental health, poor work-life balance, and an increased risk of illness. 

Based on these issues, this blog addresses the value of employee wellness for company performance as well as contemporary strategies that Irish businesses are adopting to improve the workplace culture and sustainability of happy, healthy employees.

The Pillars of a Healthy Workplace: Proposed by HSE and WHO and Endorsed by Irish Employers 

One advantage of the COVID-19 epidemic months is a shift in Irish workplace culture toward a greater emphasis on workers' and employees' well-being and mental health. Worker well-being awareness is higher than ever in Ireland. 

What has been popularised as a "good idea" since the early 2000s was never really a necessity as it is now? According to the WHO Healthy Workplace Model, there are four main pillars or channels for the development of healthy workplaces.

➔ Developing Healthy Psychological Environment through participatory events for staff, social clubs, workplace sports, events, and recreational activities 

➔ Developing a Healthy Physical Work Environment by installing ergonomic seating, standing desks, food counters, pleasant office decor, walking spaces and outdoor gardens, and so on. 

➔ Organising Health & Wellness Programs at Workplace: Organising health checkups for employees and accepting online health certificates in Ireland for sick leaves, breaking down tasks, and allowing more break times are some of the ways employers can make it easy for employees to stay productive while feeling under the weather. 

➔ Promote Healthy Working Habits: from promoting smoking cessation to introducing mindfulness training, and having employee bereavement leaves to allow employees to mentally recover from any personal loss, there are several steps employers can take to promote healthy and mindful working habits. 

From encouraging more breaks and recreations in the workplace to upgrading workplace decor, finding more ways to remunerate and reward employees, and allowing sick leave for minor illnesses, there are many ways employers can maintain employee well-being and keep them productive and happy. 

More and more Irish employers realize that wellness may have a significant impact on morale and productivity. So many Irish companies are now actively participating in making their employees want to come back to the office and adopting modern workplace cultures to better support the physical and emotional health of their employees. 

Introduction of Statutory Sick Pay in Ireland 

The Irish Government has now introduced the Sick Leave Act 2022, which is entitled to start on January 1, 2023. Employers are required by law to provide employees with up to three days of sick leave per year. The term for this is "statutory sick pay," meaning that as the legal minimum, organizations must pay up to €110 per day in sick leave at a rate of 70% of their regular salary. 

Getting An Online Health Certificate for Work 

Employees' mental and physical well-being has a big impact on their productivity and works morale. If you are feeling stressed out, it is recommended that you take a day or two off and unwind. A good thing is that online sick certificates for work are becoming more widely available in Ireland, allowing workers to obtain them from the comfort of their homes. 

This eliminates the hassle of spending sick leave waiting at the doctor's office. Employees can receive the rest they require. Online sick notes are permitted for relatively minor ailments like fever, colds, upset stomachs, and mental stress, and Irish companies often accept them because they are a state-approved technology.