Defining Wellbeing

When we hear about “workplace wellbeing”, we often think of employer wellness programs such as lunch-and-learns about nutrition, yoga classes or employee and family assistance programs. We don’t always equate the term with the workplace environment itself.

Workplace wellbeing takes the idea of physical wellness and expands it to include the fact that workplace environment and culture also impact an employee’s overall wellbeing, including mental health, whether positively or negatively.

Five Aspects of Wellbeing¹

Beginning in the 1930s, Gallup has done extensive research on wellbeing. In 2005, in partnership with leading psychologists, economists and other acclaimed scientists, Gallup conducted an extensive study of 160 countries, surveying more than 98% of the world’s population. Five distinct aspects emerged as essential to overall wellbeing:

1. Career Wellbeing: You like what you do in your day-to-day work.
2. Social Wellbeing: You have meaningful friendships in your life.
3. Financial Wellbeing: You manage money well.
4. Physical Wellbeing: You have energy to get things done.
5. Community Wellbeing: You like where you live.

Gallup’s research shows that of the five aspects, career wellbeing is not only the most important; it also lays the foundation for the other four. For overall wellbeing, a person should focus on all aspects of wellbeing. But for the purposes of this tool, let’s explore career wellbeing and the role played by leaders and managers.

Wellbeing and Organizational Performance

A Gallup study² of approximately 29,000 employees across 10 industries and 15 countries found a connection between organizations that prioritize employee wellbeing and organizational performance. When employees believed that wellbeing was not only prioritized but also well managed, organizational performance was more than 2.5 times higher than it was in organizations where employees rated health and wellbeing as poorly managed.

The message is clear: when organizations focus on the human (not just the worker), both the organization and the person are healthier.

Leadership’s Role

We have all heard this saying: “A person doesn’t quit their job, they quit their boss.” Research shows that inattentive, ineffective or abusive supervisors can contribute to increased levels of stress, sleep disorders, substance use/abuse, mood disorders, anxiety disorders and more among employees.

Canada’s National Standard on Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace³ lists 13 psychosocial factors that have been identified as directly impacting employee mental health and wellbeing. Let’s focus on one of them: “Clear Leadership and Expectations”.

Employers that focus on supporting employees’ professional development and providing an inclusive, equitable and positive environment can offset potential negative impacts to mental health, such as stress and burnout.

Four Ways Leaders Can Support Employee Wellbeing:⁴

1. Help employees to discover their strengths. Create a professional development approach that emphasizes employees’ strengths.
2. Don’t tolerate abusive managers. Managers who endanger employees’ mental and physical health – their overall wellbeing – must be dealt with. Provide coaching or performance management as needed to change their behaviour.
3. Develop managers to be coaches. Shift the mindset from manager to coach. A manager oversees employees, whereas a coach helps employees to learn, develop and grow. Regular coaching conversations are an essential part of this.
4. Include wellbeing conversations about career development. Normalizing the conversation about overall wellbeing and mental health helps employees to understand that they, as a whole person, matter.

Learn more about Creating a Safe and Healthy Workplace
Learn more about How to Support an Employee with Mental Illness
Learn more about Selfcare and the Workplace