Introduction
Looking after people’s health and well-being is central to the CIPD’s purpose of championing better work and working lives. If employees are healthy and happy, this can lead to better outcomes for themselves, organisations and wider society. An effective health and well-being programme is not a ‘nice to have’ but a core driver of organisational effectiveness: as well as improving the resilience and engagement of individuals, there is growing evidence that enhanced well-being levels can lead to more innovation and better productivity. It is also the right thing to do.
The CIPD is setting a more aspirational agenda for health and well-being at work – it’s not enough to support people when they are ill; employers should be putting in place the right preventative framework to promote the health and well-being of their workforce. This means developing an holistic approach to optimise people’s physical and mental well-being that is linked to corporate goals and at the forefront of how managers manage their people. It should be based on the fundamental pillars of a supportive working culture, strong and inclusive leadership, and good people management.
HR professionals have a vital role to play in championing the health and well-being agenda in organisations. As well as understanding the links between good well-being and higher engagement, they can convince senior leaders to prioritise health and well-being. They are also in the best position to train and guide line managers in implementing people management policies and developing an open management style.
