Margaret is 49 years old. She has a bad back and takes pain killers to work and knows they make her feel drowsy but doesn’t know what else to do. Paul is 37 and is getting divorced and feels like he is losing his family and is not sure how long he can keep things together. He is depressed but glad of the distraction of work. Sarah-Jean’s 3 year old daughter is sick and wakes up several times each night. Sarah-Jean is exhausted and worried but she drags herself to the office each day.

These are real snapshots of people’s lives and what can you as an employer do about this? How do you promote health and happiness? How do you provide an understanding environment while still getting the job done?

These are big questions that every employer needs to ask themselves at some point. Your business is a direct reflection of the people who work there and the bottom line is that your staff will go the extra mile for you if they know you care. They will perform their best despite what’s going on at home because they value what you give them. The real question is, how does an employer do all this while still protecting their dollars and cents?

The first step in creating a happy, healthy workplace is understanding your current culture – the ideas, attitudes and environment that you and your staff contribute to and gain from. Workplace culture affects everyone from part-time casual staff through to the very top and is often one of the first things your customer becomes aware of about your business.

To understand your workplace culture have a look at the following questions:

1.   How do you view your employees? Are they a necessary evil? An overhead you don’t really want? Or, are they worthy individuals who form an essential part of your team? Are they happy to give a little extra at times or do you feel they take advantage of what you provide? Is your business better because of the people who work in it?

2.   How do your employees view you? Are they just after the money and do the bare minimum to get by or do they respect your vision and want to be part of it?

Find out. Ask questions. Get feedback. Once you have a clear picture of the culture you exist in, you’ll know exactly what needs to change and can begin addressing issues.

We work with small to medium business in Brisbane and the Gold Coast to help them promote the health and wellbeing of their staff at work with inspirational education, health events, workshops, personal consultations and more. Healthy people = happy business and we understand the importance of keeping expenses down so we provide low-cost corporate health and wellness strategies for your people in Brisbane and the Gold Coast.