The concept of wellbeing has intrigued researchers for decades. In fact, the very first mention of wellbeing can be traced back to the times of the Greek philosopher, Aristotle. The meaning of wellbeing has shifted several times since then. We will discuss the meaning of well-being and why employee well-being is so important.
What is wellbeing?
Defining well-being is a complex task. Some philosophers argue that well-being is the balance of positive and negative emotions. Others differ and take a more value-laden view of well-being. We will explore the two conceptualizations in detail.
Subjective Well-being
Subjective well-being refers to a balance of emotions and feeling satisfaction in life. It takes a hedonic view of well-being and claims that the pursuit of our life goals, attaining material possessions, and experiencing positive emotions are the key aspects of well-being. Indeed, these factors are important. We need to have well-paid jobs, material possessions, such as houses, clothes, food in order to lead a fulfilling life. However, many philosophers refute this idea of considering material possessions important. Instead, they focus on the importance of relationships, meaning, and purpose in life.
Psychological Well-being
Psychological well-being is a value-laden version of well-being. Researchers of psychological well-being claim that human beings must strive to attain meaning and purpose in life. Therefore, the importance of material possessions in well-being is undermined here. The main focus is on intrinsic motivation and relationships. Several researchers and empirical data agree with this fact. If material possessions were really so important, the happiest countries in the world would be the richest country. However, recent reports claim that Finland is the happiest country in the world.
What does employee well-being mean?
Employee well-being simply refers to the well-being of individuals in the workplace. It is a crucial aspect of one’s life because we spend a vast quantity of our time at or thinking about work. A positive work environment sets the stage for well-being. In addition, individuals with excellent personal life but poor job life end up being sad most of the time. Furthermore, the negativity of one’s work crosses the boundary of the office and leaks into one’s personal family life. Therefore, employee well-being is at the core of individual well-being.
A recent review of research articles on employee well-being point out that the most significant aspects of employee well-being are life satisfaction, psychological well-being at work, and job satisfaction. Life satisfaction refers to one’s level of happiness with one’s overall life. It means how contended we are in our life. Since work is an important part of our life, workplace events impact our life satisfaction. Psychological well-being at work refers to finding meaning in work and having cordial relationships with one’s co-workers. Job satisfaction refers to being contended with one’s job characteristics.
Why is employee well-being important?
The happy worker hypothesis states that happy workers are more productive. A satisfied and engaged employee is more likely to perform better. Therefore, well-being in the workplace is important fo organizations. At an individual level, employee well-being helps each individual achieve more in their lives and be at peace with themselves. Some of the benefits of well-being are:
- Performance: There is a strong association between employee well-being and performance. Reserach shows that employees with higher well-being are more creative and productive in the workplace.
- Physical Health: Well-being is directly related to one’s physical health. Individuals with low well-being are more likely to complain of sleep ailments, like insomnia, cardio-vascular problems, like high blood pressure and several other.
- Burnout and turnover: Happy employees are less likely to reach a stage of burnout. They are able to work in a motivated manner and also help boost the morale of the team. Happy workers are also more likely to stay with the organization longer. Therefore, the organization also benefits from having happy employees.
Steps to increase employee well-being
- Leadership: One of the prominent reasons of turnover and unhappiness with work is poor supervision. Leaders are often too punitive and output-oriented. They fail to value and respect the employees. Therefore, many employees become reluctant to work and often quit. Leaders need to be trained to value employees and motivate them.
- Interventions to develop positive resources: Negative events are bound to happen in the workplace. Employees who have good coping resources are likely to deal with such events in a positive way. Therefore, positive interventions like mindfulness training, resilience training and proactivity training may be useful.
- Social Support: Support from co-workers, supervisors, family and friends are helpful in enhancing wellbeing. Employees must be encouraged to seek social support and cultivate positive relationships with each other.