The glib answer – the glass is always full, half water and half air – is useful. The symbolism of half air strikes a chord when talking about the workplace. If your workplace has a large number of people who are not fully well but not unwell – you may have a half well workplace. Superficially you have a full staff complement, practically you don’t have full productivity and it will hurt.
A half well workplace is more common than you may think. Your business may be underperforming against its competition, or producing suboptimal results which are eating into profit margins. But it looks like people are working, so the first reaction might be to cut costs to restore profit margins, including perhaps cutting back on staff hours, flexibility or add-ons like EAP. The balance of staff may feel overloaded and the half well place becomes less well. At this point businesses often choose to ‘refresh’ the staff and bring in new energy and enthusiasm, which is a new additional cost.
It is cheaper and more effective to consider assessing employee wellness much earlier in the equation. Tools for wellness in the workplace are not something every employee assistance provider offers. At ACT Curious, we offer a one hour free group session for all staff on appointment as your EAP provider. The session enables all staff to do a self-care plan in response to a personal self assessment.
The self assessment asks staff to identify the early warning signs when they are not coping and to develop a written plan and strategies to keep themselves running on positive energy or to prevent the early signs of not coping from progressing. This can include contacting ACT Curious for a private confidential counselling session.
It can be profitable to take stock of the workplace wellness – your employees’ commitment, energy and focus. If they are thriving its very likely your business is thriving and vice versa. Make sure you have the tools and services to focus on wellness, not just the problem incidents.
CONTACT US If you want additional support, ACT Curious can connect you to a behavioral therapist that meets your needs. You can get started today if ACT Curious EAP is offered by your employer.
DISCLAIMER: The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR, Michelle Trudgen Clinical Director, ACT Curious.
copyright: 31 October 2017
