Many organisations across industries are embracing the role of Wellbeing Champions. In this guide we explore what exactly a wellbeing champion is, why this role is becoming so important in the workplace, and how to make the most of wellbeing champions in your organisation.
What is a Wellbeing Champion?
A Wellbeing Champion is an individual within an organisation who is passionate about promoting physical, mental, emotional and financial health among their colleagues. Often acting as an ambassador for workplace wellbeing, the Wellbeing Champion helps to encourage a positive and supportive environment where employees feel valued, respected, and encouraged to look after their overall health.
Why are Wellbeing Champions needed in the workplace?
The workplace is a prime area where stress, mental health concerns, and burnout can thrive. This is where Wellbeing Champions in the workplace come into play. Their primary role is to create awareness and drive initiatives that promote health and wellbeing. They act as a bridge between employees and management, ensuring that wellness strategies are effectively communicated and implemented.
By introducing Wellbeing Champions in the workplace, companies can:
Improve employee morale
Enhance productivity
Reduce absenteeism and presenteeism (where employees are physically present but unproductive)
Potentially reduce turnover
Cultivate a positive working culture
What does a Wellbeing Champion do?
While the specifics can vary depending on the organisation, their general responsibilities include:
Promoting health initiatives: This can range from organising workshops on mental health, physical activity, finances and nutrition, to encouraging participation in wellness challenges.
Supporting colleagues: Wellbeing Champions offer support and guidance to their peers, creating a safe space for conversations about mental, physical and financial health issues.
Identifying areas of improvement: They may gather feedback from employees to identify gaps in current wellbeing programmes and suggest improvements to management.
Raising awareness: Wellbeing Champions play a key role in raising awareness about resources available to staff, such as employee assistance programmes (EAPs), mental health helplines, or counselling services.
Encouraging open dialogue: Champions advocate for a culture where discussing wellbeing is normalised, helping to reduce the stigma around mental health issues.
What is the role of a Wellbeing Champion?
Understanding what is the role of a wellbeing champion goes beyond their day-to-day tasks. The role is ultimately about supporting a culture of care and empathy within the organisation. They help in promoting healthier lifestyles and attitudes, and their work is integral in encouraging employees to maintain a balance between work and life.
Some of the core characteristics of a Wellbeing Champion include:
Empathy: The ability to listen and offer understanding without judgement
Proactivity: Taking initiative in suggesting and implementing wellness activities
Communication: Being able to communicate effectively with both colleagues and management
Discretion: Employees need to feel confident that they can talk to their Wellbeing Champions in confidence, especially around sensitive matters
Who can be a Wellbeing Champion?
Anyone in the organisation can be a Wellbeing Champion, at various levels and positions within the organisation. The most important factor is that the individuals in this role have a genuine interest in employee wellbeing and are willing to proactively advocate for it.
Some potential candidates could include:
HR professionals: they have a deep understanding of the needs and concerns of employees and are well–positioned to influence meaningful change in the organisation. There may however be wellbeing concerns that employees have that they might not want to share with people in the HR team.
Managers and Team Leaders: they are already in a position to advocate for their teams, and can act as effective role models. Again, however, there may be wellbeing concerns employees have that they might not feel comfortable sharing with their manager.
Employee representatives: some organisations have staff councils or committees where employees who sit in these groups already have a forum by which to raise wellbeing concerns and requests.
Health & Safety officers: they can support the wellbeing of colleagues through advocating for a safe and supportive working environment
Senior leaders and execs: they have the power to influence the organisation’s priorities and culture. When they actively support and promote employee wellbeing, it sends a strong message to the entire organisation.
Colleagues across roles, departments and locations: Coworkers who are passionate about employee wellbeing, and want to contribute to their organisation beyond their job description, can be the most effective Wellbeing Champions. They can be trusted as peers and may be more approachable than those in senior positions.
What training is required for Wellbeing Champions?
Training for Wellbeing Champions varies depending on the organisation, and the goals of the wellbeing programme at the organisation.
We have listed some typical areas of training an organisation might want to consider for their own Wellbeing Champions.
Understanding wellbeing: Wellbeing Champions need a solid understanding of what wellbeing encompasses, including physical, mental, emotional, social and financial wellbeing. This may also cover the importance of wellbeing in the workplace, the impact of poor wellbeing on performance and engagement, and strategies for promoting wellbeing in the workplace.
Communication skills: this may include skills like active listening, empathy, effective feedback delivery, and conflict resolution techniques.
Mental Health awareness: this may be delivered through external Mental Health First Aid courses and equips Wellbeing Champions with the skills to recognise the signs of mental health struggles, signpost colleagues to appropriate resources and support, and destigmatise mental health conversations in the workplace.
Resilience and stress management: this would allow Wellbeing Champions to support their colleagues with stress-related challenges and may include mindfulness practices, relaxation techniques, and time management skills.
Project implementation: Wellbeing Champions may be responsible for implementing wellbeing initiatives in the workplace, which could require skills like event planning, budget management, marketing, communication, collaboration and impact analysis.
Financial first aid: Financial stress can affect our mental, physical, emotional and social wellbeing. Many of the challenges that colleagues bring to their Wellbeing Champions may have a financial component. Our 3-hour online, self-paced Money First AiderTM training course can give your Wellbeing Champions the skills, resources and confidence they need to support their colleagues facing financial difficulties.
Wellbeing Champions should also be experts in the wellbeing benefits offered by your organisation, so they are able to promote these to those that need them most, and walk them through how to access them.
Finally, it’s important to highlight that Wellbeing Champions must be aware of the limitations of their role. For example, they cannot give advice that requires a trained professional, like nurses and doctors, therapists and counsellors, or financial coaches and advisers. They should receive training to understand where the boundaries are and at what point they should signpost people to appropriate support.
Wellbeing initiatives for your Wellbeing Champions
If you're looking to implement or improve the wellbeing champion programme in your workplace, here are a few Wellbeing Champion ideas to consider:
Monthly wellness challenges: Whether it’s a step-count challenge, a mindfulness activity or a savings challenge, regular wellness challenges can keep employees engaged.
Mental health workshops: Organising sessions on stress management, anxiety, and coping strategies can offer employees the tools they need to maintain good mental health. Wellbeing Champions may invite experts to speak at these. They can also share resources to mark events like Mental Health Awareness Week or World Suicide Prevention Day.
On-site yoga or fitness sessions: Physical activity is a great way to promote overall wellbeing. Wellbeing champions can coordinate fitness sessions or promote discounted gym memberships.
Financial resilience sessions: Host sessions focusing on building financial resilience, particularly relevant during times of economic uncertainty. Topics could include managing financial shocks, recovering from financial setbacks, or planning for future uncertainties. There are opportune times in the year to host these, like Talk Money Week, Debt Awareness Week or UK Savings Week.
Healthy eating initiatives: This could include introducing healthier options in the workplace canteen or organising cooking workshops that focus on nutrition.
Create a wellbeing newsletter: A regular newsletter with tips, resources, and success stories related to health and wellbeing can help maintain engagement.
Mindfulness and relaxation spaces: Wellbeing champions can advocate for spaces in the office dedicated to relaxation, where employees can take short breaks to recharge.
Workplace benefit education sessions: Wellbeing Champions can organise awareness sessions with your wellbeing providers to raise awareness of the workplace support available to them.
Why do Wellbeing Champions matter?
The role of a Wellbeing Champion is becoming increasingly important as companies recognise the value of a healthy workforce. Wellbeing Champions contribute significantly to both individual and organisational success by reducing stress, promoting positive mental health, and fostering a culture where wellbeing is a priority.
By understanding what a Wellbeing Champion is, and implementing effective Wellbeing Champions in the workplace, businesses can create environments where employees thrive, both professionally and personally. With these ideas and strategies, it's possible to improve both workplace morale and productivity while supporting the overall health of employees.
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