A person’s mental, emotional, and physical health is all impacted by their social wellness. In addition to feeling satisfied in their professions and relationships, people with high levels of social well-being also tend to learn useful skills like aggression and conflict resolution. Effective Employee Wellness Programs emphasize techniques to gauge and improve social well-being at work because of this.
The requirement for social interaction and a sense of being connected to people is so significant that it may impact both mental and physical health. Because of this, social wellness is playing greater prominence in corporate wellness programs.
Here is a brief detail about what employers may do to improve the social wellness of their workforce and how it might benefit employees’ mental health and overall well-being.
What is Social Wellbeing?
Social well-being is a metric for how well someone can establish and maintain healthy relationships with others. According to the conventional definition of social well-being, psychologists quantify social well-being by examining a person’s connections to their family, acquaintances, colleagues, and larger community members.
Achieving a balance between feeling connected to a larger social context and having a positive impact on the people and environment around is necessary for social wellness.
People depend on the safety nets they have created to deal with these difficulties when they encounter social threats like a breakup, a death, or a blow to their reputation. The quality of one’s life is enhanced and communities are strengthened when people form bonds and interactions with others.
Importance of Social Well-being at the Workplace
As members of communities, societies, and places of employment, people make an effort to feel encouraged and acknowledged. One of the strongest “antidotes” for when tough circumstances hit is support from others. Assuming that people spend one-third of their life at work, the interactions and conversations they have with coworkers can have a big impact on how happy and enthusiastic they are about their employment.
Long-term social well-being helps organizations and employees because it promotes a sense of community. Employees are more likely to go further and above, be more productive, and be more engaged overall when they feel like they belong somewhere.
Even though maintaining professionalism at work is imperative, research indicates that having a few “work companions” is preferable. As per research and stats mentioned by Wildgoose, up to 57% of employees claim that having their best buddy at work improves their job more pleasurable, 22% feel more productive while with friends, and 21% claim that friendships stimulate creativity.
Measuring Social Well-being at the Workplace
What could be the secret to workplace happiness, the state of employees’ well-being, the success of wellness programs, and any troubling trends can all be seen through evaluating well-being at work. Some important variables to monitor are:
- Involvement in a wellness program
- Awareness and Employee Engagement
- Satisfaction among employees
- Rates of staff resignations
- Variations in absence
- Improvements in the cost of healthcare
Social Support at Workplace
According to research, social support is essential for professional health and well-being. To enhance employee health and well-being, researchers and practitioners should look into the mechanisms underpinning this support and incorporate them into workplace policies, practices, and modifications.
Social support can be categorized either on its source or on the kind of help it provides, here are a few kinds of Social supports that are needed by the employee
- Instrumental or Practical Support:
It is normal and commonplace for people to rely on their social ties to provide them with material assistance, such as money and other resources. This is an example of instrumentally demonstrating and offering social assistance.
- Emotional Support:
Social connections are essential to daily lives because they provide an individual with emotional stability, especially in difficult circumstances. One of the three ways we receive social support from our social ties during difficult times is through emotional support.
- Informational Support:
The third type of social support you can provide and receive from your friends and family is known as “informational” social support. This area includes providing information and knowledge to your social contemporaries.
Promoting Social Wellness in Corporate Wellness Programs
Employees may find it intimidating to make friends at work, but employers should develop a culture that nurtures connections and social interaction. Employee comfort and connection can be increased by placing a strong emphasis on social and emotional well-being in workplace wellness initiatives. Following are some suggestions for encouraging social ties at your Workplace that could be a part of Corporate Wellness Programs:
- Celebrating a professional anniversary:
Celebrating each employee’s work anniversary is one of the easiest ways to promote greater social well-being at work. Send out invitations or plan a lunchtime gathering to acknowledge staff while establishing a sociable atmosphere.
- Challenges for fitness levels:
Workplace fitness competitions are an enjoyable and successful approach to improving both individual and group wellness. Workplace challenges might take the form of cycling to work competitions, water challenges, or step challenges. To ensure that as many employees as possible have access to social wellness activities, employers may regularly run several various challenges.
- Upholding a sense of connection among Employees:
One aspect of Social well-being is a strong sense of belonging. Employees must experience a sense of belonging and worth within the workplace. Employers may start by ensuring employees feel like they have a voice in the organization, offering them chances for career advancement, and rewarding them for their contributions which result in Employee productivity. For all employees to experience this sense of belonging, there must be a strong commitment to equality, diversity, and participation.
- Building Connections between Departments:
Because of the way the workplace is set up or the lack of interaction across departments, it can be challenging for employees to socialize at work. Employers can create a chance for social interaction by simply taking the time to introduce coworkers from various areas. Employees will gain from going on team trips with colleagues from other departments with whom they don’t frequently interact, such as volunteering or scheduling lunch.
These are a few impactful examples; many other Initiatives can be implemented to improvise Social well-being in the Workplace.
Facilitating employees the time and space to network and encouraging them to take advantage of it are two ways to support social wellness at work. Both at work and in their personal lives, all individuals have a part to play in promoting social well-being. Businesses with employee assistance programs should monitor social wellness and take action to improve it as part of their commitment to the mental health and well-being of their workforce. Employees will become happier, healthier, and more productive as a result of this endeavor, which will also naturally advance social well-being programs and Workplace wellness culture.