Employers are thinking more about environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues all the time. ESG concern is valued by many customers, expected by a growing number of employees and frequently advocated by business leaders. It’s become ever clearer that a serious consideration of ESG isn’t just good for society, it’s good for business too. And some ESG considerations can start particularly close to home for employers – especially the social aspect of those three ubiquitous letters.
In essence, the social aspect of ESG looks at the way an organisation’s activities impact society and communities – this could be anything from human rights to health and
safety, the way it handles privacy and data, or the working conditions applying to its
own people. Advisers can help their clients to address growing expectations in this direction by helping them to consider workplace benefits packages that help preserve the social wellbeing of their employees.
Keeping employees engaged with social wellbeing
There’s a real need to look closely at this aspect of wellbeing right now. The isolating effect of lockdown and uncertain, often alien working environment took a toll on the mental health of many people and, although restrictions are now eased, remote working remains more prevalent than before the pandemic. While this can be good for mental wellbeing, it can also cause some people to feel less connected both with the workplace and society in general.
Aviva’s Thriving in the Age of Ambiguity report draws on research which shows a concerning number of employees (39 per cent) are experiencing a negative impact on their mental health. And almost half (47 per cent) say they have become less career focused as a result of the pandemic, up from 36 per cent in August 2020. As a result, employees will be more concerned about finding a workplace with a working style that fits them.
Findings such as these demonstrate a disconnect between employees and the workplace – and open the door to discussions about the value of wellbeing benefits in general, both to businesses and individuals.
Social wellbeing is an important facet of this. Social activities can help promote an open, communicative and inclusive company culture which benefits the business as a whole, as well as the mental health of individuals within it.
By forming shared interest groups – or just giving employees more opportunities to get together – employers can give their people the chance to connect common ground that goes beyond work itself. This isn’t just a case of providing a little budget for the odd social event. Helping them to choose the right workplace benefits package can make a difference here.
Some packages may offer access to a range of smartphone-based wellbeing apps which take much of the hard work out of organising socially beneficial activities such as employee team challenges, including the measurement of results, such as the number of steps each team might take in a walking challenge. Crucially, this digitised approach can also make it easier to bring together employees who may be working from home, or who are based at different physical locations. Remote or multi-site working doesn’t have to mean social exclusion.
The value of regular interaction
Neither should we underestimate the value of frequent catch-up meetings and one-to-one conversations. Beyond promoting a sense of belonging, this type of interaction also gives managers greater scope to check on the continued mental health of team members. Workplace benefits providers can offer training packages that enable them to recognise potential warning signs and hold conversations to address them with greater confidence.
Identifying, and talking about, potential issues within the workplace itself will sometimes be enough to resolve them. But not always. That’s why it’s an advantage for your client’s benefits package to ease the means by which affected employees can contact health professionals and other external sources of support. Apps which offer digital access to GP appointments, or expert mental health guidance, can be a major help here, as can the availability of confidential helplines.
But as always, that hoary old adage ‘prevention is better than cure’ still holds true. And guiding your clients towards social wellbeing support can certainly play its part in helping their employees to rebuild a sense of belonging and consequently help preserve mental health.
So, clients who are looking to improve their ESG credentials – and stand out amid the ‘Great Reshuffle’ we’re hearing so much about – need to keep the ‘S’ aspect in mind just as much as the ‘E’ or the ‘G’. The good news is that you can introduce them to cost-effective packages which embrace social wellbeing in a way that can bring clear benefits to the business itself, as well as to the people it relies on.
