Here we have just some statistics that came out of a Health Work and Wellness Conference entitled “Transforming the Organisation” held in Vancouver British Columbia in late 2004, and similar effects can be seen today in the Australian workforce, job stress is now a global phenomenon common to first-world societies. The economic forecast for 2008/09 draws a similarly unappetising picture.

The question is, how do we reduce stress in the work place?

One approach is to adopt workplace culture, health and wellbeing initiatives. As such, these initiatives are becoming tangible economic necessities and essential factors of economic production. It is essential for business leaders to take culture and workplace wellbeing as seriously as we take research and development, investment in technology and customer relationship management.

Health and wellbeing is not simply about physical health, it also includes psychological and overall wellbeing. Michael Marmot’s and colleagues Status Syndrome study suggests the intrinsic quality of jobs we ask people to perform, and the amount of control they have in their jobs could impact their long term health more than smoking or diet. Research by Coates in An Agenda for Work: The Work Foundation's Challenge to policy 2005 suggests “a bad job is boring, characterised by a command and control, or a ‘do as I say’ managerial style. It’s either low paid or inadequately rewarded; a place where employers fail to treat workers with respect and unfair treatment is the norm rather than the exception.”

The need to gain an understanding of these and other cultural, health and wellbeing drivers is now more crucial than ever if businesses are to survive current predictions on the economic horizon.

However, there is good news. Organisations and leaders are responding to the reality of the staff attraction, retention and development challenge. They are also beginning to understand the most effective response to this challenge is a refined and well-managed organisational culture, which incorporates tangible health and wellbeing initiatives.   People management is a sophisticated art that is becoming more complex as employees become more aware and conscious of their environment and themselves. The psychological aspects of human resources and people management are essential.

Healthy work environments and healthy employees - in all respects of the term ‘healthy’ - require a well-defined and managed corporate culture as a foundation. Whether they are on the factory floor or in an executive office, employees need to understand their role and behavioural expectations in any given situation. For employees to engage in the ‘ways of doing things around here,’ which incorporate practices around wellbeing, the organisation’s leadership must develop and provide pragmatic systems and structures as a start.

Systems development is a key cultural lever for creating a 'one team' engagement approach in the context of your organisation’s reach. Fundamentally, systems drive people’s behaviour and therefore systems aligned to culture and strategy drive a more congruent culture. In the end, this translates into a positive employee and customer experience. Critically, any culture, workplace or health and wellbeing initiatives must align with business priorities and strategy. It is essential we translate culture, health, and wellbeing data into dollars and cents.

Culture, health, and wellbeing work hand in glove - they cannot achieve in isolation. To get a grasp of where your organisation is at in the culture, health and wellbeing space, an assessment of your current situation is essential. There are various measurement tools to start you on your journey, however not all tools are right for every organisation. Ensure your tool has the capability to measure results against the business strategy. Culture and engagement measurement tools must connect into the end goal of any business, which is to deliver on its strategy and for many, to deliver shareholder dividends.

Always remember, needs may be determined by facts and data, but factual knowledge and shifts in human behaviour are required to make improvements. Health and wellbeing in organisations is not simply about policies, it is also about the environment and the work culture. Culture is an important predictor for employees and if other initiatives are to work, it needs to be established as the solid foundation of the organisation. Such a change will do more to benefit all employees than any other intervention.

The bottom line is this: we spend an incredible amount of time and energy in our workplaces. It is our role as leaders, human resources practitioners, and employees in general to live by the mantra of ‘making people happy at work.’

Source:  Australian Corporate Wellness magazine