Creating a healthy, supportive workplace culture isn’t just good for employee wellbeing, it’s good for business. It helps reduce stress, boost engagement, and improve overall performance. For smaller organisations and business, implementing meaningful health and wellbeing strategies can sometimes feel overwhelming or difficult to maintain.
At Hive HR Solutions, we work in partnership with our clients to design tailored HR and training solutions that work in practice, not just on paper. There’s no such thing as a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach, especially when it comes to workplace culture. What’s right for one organisation may be completely inappropriate for another. That’s why we support our clients in creating strategies that reflect their specific people, industry, and values.
Here are the key pillars to consider when reviewing or refreshing your health and wellbeing approach:
HEALTH
- Physical health – support employees through proactive practices, such as:
- Regular DSE (Display Screen Equipment) assessments from day one and when workstations change
- Promoting safe driving and working practices
- Providing appropriate safety training
- Offering access to Occupational Health services and Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs)
- Mental health – organisations should address mental wellbeing with the same rigour as physical health:
- Conduct stress risk assessments
- Provide training for line managers on managing mental ill health and having difficult conversations
- Encourage regular check-ins and open communication
- Tackle workplace conflict early
- Ensure clear routes for accessing mental health support.
WORK
- Physical environment – create safe, warm and inclusive environments, with appropriate lighting, ventilation and space. Ensure reasonable adjustments are made for those who need them.
- Virtual environment – for hybrid and remote teams, it’s important to agree ways of working that:
- Protect employee privacy when working from home
- Foster connection while respecting boundaries.
CULTURE
- Leadership and Management – your leaders set the tone. Invest in training to help managers support their teams effectively, handle sensitive issues with confidence and model healthy behaviours.
- Communication – promote transparency, psychological safety and active listening. Encourage regular feedback loops and ensure concerns can be raised safely and constructively.
- Recognition and reward – appreciation matters. Recognise contributions, maintain fair pay structures, and offer benefits that genuinely support employee wellbeing.
WORK/LIFE BALANCE
- Flexible working – where feasible, offer remote, hybrid or adjusted work schedules that support individual circumstances.
- Encouraging downtime/switching off – remind teams to take their breaks, use annual leave and discourage an ‘always on’ culture.
Your health and wellbeing strategy shouldn’t be static; it should grow with your business and your people. Setting regular reviews is good practice to ensure your approach remains relevant and effective. By embedding wellbeing into day-to-day practice, not just policy, you will foster a workplace where people feel supported, valued and motivated to perform at their best.
At Hive HR Solutions, we help clients in all industries build resilient, people-focused workplaces through bespoke HR advice and training programmes. If you’d like to discuss how we can support your team, we’d love to hear from you.
Sources:
*CIPD, The Times and Financial Times