Before the Industrial Revolution, most work was manual labour and labourers worked largely under varying degrees of servitude, the worst of which was slavery. The employer was all-powerful, the workers were simply glad to earn their daily bread. In the knowledge economy of today, the modern worker can transfer his/her skills & expertise to any business that recognises the value of his/her ‘work’ and provides them an environment to thrive. In the workplace of the future, this power of choice will strongly reside with the workers – they will choose ‘where to’, ‘how-to’, ‘how much to’, and also the ‘why’ of their work. It is imperative for businesses of all shapes and sizes to recognise this shift, and to cater to it. It will help businesses of all sizes to attract, retain top talent, and get the most productivity out of them.
According to a study conducted by the World Economic Forum[1], wellbeing at work has a direct positive correlation to a business’s profitability, employee productivity and customer satisfaction, while having a negative correlation to staff turnover. HR theory states that higher employee wellbeing is associated with higher morale. As per the Journal of Labour Economics study by the University of Chicago[2], wellbeing leads to 12% higher productivity at work. According to another study, this time from the University of Pennsylvania[3] – a happy workplace also delivers better profitability to the tune of an average of 2.1% above industry benchmarks in the respective sectors.
So, what is this wellbeing at work, and how do businesses deliver this to their teams?
Wellbeing @ Work can mean many things. This could include:
- Social relationships: Friendly employees work better together.
- Make work more interesting: Providing uniquely designed workspaces, learning/ development programs, community events and networking or even just recreation or recharge areas to allow employees to work their way.
- Improve work-life balance: Community engagement, Remote/flexible working, good health cover for families and other benefits, access to coworking spaces near home.
- Sense of purpose: The ‘why’ has always been important to millennials, and now is also important to all generations of top talent. Work needs a higher purpose, someway it serves society or solves a problem. A strong brand, mission and vision, and living by those statements help to achieve this.
- Strong Leadership: Accessibility to top management is key, and a well-managed business with strong, ethical leadership always attracts & keeps top talent motivated.
- Mind, Body and Soul: Many workspaces provide gymnasiums, fitness and meditation classes and other activities to help their teams be well both physically and mentally.
- Counselling: Workplace bullying, stress, anxiety and pressures are inevitable. A good counselling/support program for such problems helps teams to address the issues, be more productive and also promotes loyalty by showing that the business cares.
At Redbrick Offices, we take wellness at work very seriously. Right from choosing the building for our shared workspace, to the design and operation of every coworking space we run.
- Location: Redbrick always chooses prominent business hubs, which are conveniently located and close to public transport (easy commute).
- Grade A Inventory: Redbrick Offices are always Grade A buildings compliant with all health and safety norms. Peace of mind for the employers and their teams.
- Quality of product: We use high-quality fixtures and fittings for the comfort of our members, which are ergonomic, fit for purpose and pleasing to see, touch and use.
- Design: We create beautiful spaces to motivate, inspire and allow different styles of working within a shared environment, while taking privacy and confidentiality seriously.
- Community: At Redbrick, we host several events & activities to cater to the needs of mind, body, soul and work of our members. We host learning sessions, personal and professional development workshops, community and networking events, physical and mental wellbeing activities and even music and comedy nights. All of this helps our members to connect, and make work more social, engaging, interesting and help to make your employees happier. Happier employees equals higher productivity.
- Amenities: With all-inclusive amenities like artisan coffee, F&B options, all utility, maintenance, housekeeping etc taken care of, and a host of shared services and exceptional hospitality, we take really good care of your team. Now, all you need to do is make sure you have a great leadership team, steering the ship in the right direction!
At the end of the day, how you approach wellbeing at work, depends on the nature of your work. A manufacturing company, a financial services firm, an offshore development centre in India and the head office in San Francisco will all define wellbeing differently.
However, you choose to do it, just remember – wellbeing adds up to 12% higher productivity. At Redbrick Offices, we take care of everything so you and your teams can focus just on working better – so a coworking space like ours could help your teams achieve even better results.
