Caring about the well-being of your employees is nothing more and nothing less than worrying about the well-being of your own company. If workers work in a harmful environment, they are less productive, more often absent, and the overall health of the organization is at risk. Beyond its impact on performance and efficiency, well-being at work is also an attractive asset and a driver of employee loyalty.
In addition, the employer has a legal obligation to ensure the safety and the health of its employees in all aspects related to work.
Unfortunately, we note that over a period of 10 years, in Luxembourg, general well-being at work has declined (-10.6%). In any case, this is one of the conclusions of the “Quality of Work Index” survey conducted by the Chamber of Employees (CSL), in collaboration with the University of Luxembourg. It reveals that the level of risk of burnout and physical health problems are constantly increasing.
What can we do to improve well-being at work?
In concrete terms, there are several initiatives to be put in place to ensure a good balance between private and professional life for its employees. These arrangements must be made with respect for everyone, and according to what is possible in terms of the company's activity. Here are a few options to consider.
1. Be flexible when it comes to the organization of working time
How? By providing employees with:
- more flexibility in arrival and departure times
- the possibility of organizing their working time according to their private life
- The benefits of a time savings account (CET)
2. Ensuring the comfort of employees and the safety of infrastructures
How? By choosing suitable equipment, ensuring its proper functioning and by replacing it if necessary. By offering places dedicated to rest and relaxation, in which employees can take short breaks.
3. Enabling training and skills development
How? By regularly offering internal or external training courses to the company and by being open to proposals and requests from employees in this area.
4. Improving mobility conditions
How? By implementing a teleworking policy, by offering satellite offices, or by promoting carpooling through specific advantages such as the provision of company vehicles.
5. Respect the right to disconnect
How? By respecting the law on the subject: employees are protected against the obligation to be constantly available outside of their working hours. They are never required to answer an email or a call outside of their normal hours. The employer must respect this right to disconnect.
6. Promote team cohesion
How? By organizing informal events such as team lunches or team buildings, by promoting exchanges and cooperation between departments.
7. Trust
How? By allowing employees a certain freedom in the way they work, by avoiding constantly monitoring them.
8. Establishing a culture of transparency and communication
How? By allowing employees to express themselves on topics that concern the company, and by sharing figures, fears and advances with them.
What if we were inspired by the foreign?
To find inspiration for improving working conditions, let's conclude this article by looking at other countries. Unsurprisingly, it is the Nordic countries that serve as an example. Finland would be the country where people are the happiest at work, followed by Denmark and Iceland.
In Norway, it is customary to adapt working time to family requirements. The hours are very flexible.
In Finland and Denmark, the secret to happiness at work is based on two pillars: transparency and trust. Values that are also found at all levels of society. To create a climate of trust in a company, the researcher Meik Wiking, president and founder of the Happiness Research Institute located in Copenhagen, suggests betting on 5 values: honesty, empathetic listening, patience, patience, honoring commitments and building long term relationships.
