Managers are on the front-line of employee wellbeing, and effective policies can support them in this role. However, with each employee having their own unique needs, HR teams must create clear guidance that helps managers provide this support.
No two workers are the same, so policies need to flex to meet these nuances, while giving managers the confidence to start the conversation and signpost to health and wellbeing resources. So how can HR leaders build policies that encourage managers to proactively support their people?
1. Avoid using cookie-cutter templates
Wellbeing policy templates can often be restrictive, not allowing for the nuance required to provide proper support.
For example, workers in the construction industry are going to have very different needs to those working in an office, on the road or in retail. It’s also important to think about working patterns, such as daytime office hours, shift or night workers. These factors affect what goes into your wellbeing policy and the type of support that managers might be expected to provide.
The demographics of your workforce will be another big factor in how your wellbeing policy is structured. It’s good practice to tailor your policies to best support the people who work for you. Male-dominated industries, for example, are likely to face their own unique wellbeing challenges. Younger workers might require different support to working parents or those further on in their careers.
These things should all be considered in HR policies, and regular reviews can help ensure your wellbeing strategy serves the needs of the individuals in your workforce.
2. Provide clear guidance for managers
With such varied needs across the workplace, leadership teams need to put strategies in place to help line managers support their people. For an HR team, this can prevent managers defaulting to them for all employee wellbeing needs, when managers themselves are often better-placed to provide first-line support.
Similarly, a manager without clear guidance might turn to their occupational health provider before exploring ways to support wellbeing themselves. Often, a simple conversation is the first step to help employees access the right type of support, so this is an important role that line managers should be trained in.
The focus for HR teams should be equipping managers with the knowledge, skills and confidence to support their team. This should be at the heart of the organisation’s health and wellbeing policy, but it can’t be a one-size-fits-all solution.
3. Flex policies where needed
Managers should also be empowered to work with their teams to adapt their approach where needed. For example, one area where HR teams might flex their approach is their return-to-work policy.
When returning from a long-term absence, some employees might find a phased return to work to be crucial for their mental health, whereas others might consider it detrimental.
The best way for managers to provide effective support is to ask their people what they need, and HR policies should encourage this approach. Often, company procedures are set in stone but they do not suit the requirements of the whole workforce, so building nuance into your policies can help managers to handle these differences in a way that best suits the individuals in their team.
This will result in a much more practical approach, where managers can take action without involving your HR or occupational health teams at every step.
4. Remember culture change takes time
When introducing a new policy — especially one that impacts health and wellbeing — remember that your workplace culture might take a while to catch up.
New initiatives are likely to take a drip feed approach, and it takes time to realise their impact. Sometimes uptake might be disappointing, or feedback might tell you that engagement is lower than expected. These are opportunities to improve your policy further — to work with your managers to provide the most effective wellbeing support.
This also applies to managers themselves, who are often squeezed with high workloads and multiple responsibilities outside of their role as a people manager. Make sure any new wellbeing policy supports managers by providing clear pathways for them to access support. Whether they manage a team of one or a whole department, they must have the tools to look after their own wellbeing to set a good example for those in their team.
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