TLDR: Improving well-being at work involves initiatives that promote health, reduce stress, and strengthen cohesion. By incorporating good posture practices, active breaks, and calming spaces, companies create an environment where employees feel better, more engaged, and more creative.
As remote work and the pursuit of well-being redefine the corporate world, rethinking solutions for Quality of Work Life (QWL) is becoming essential to optimize office days (if it’s not already in place).
According to a study published by Mediavenir, only 26% of French workers feel fully fulfilled in their jobs, a telling statistic that highlights the need to rethink our professional environments.
No worries, this article offers practical solutions to enhance your daily work life and that of your teams. These are ideas to start adding to your resolutions for 2025 right now.
1.Train your employees in proper workplace posture
In many professions, employees spend long hours sitting, often in positions that are detrimental to their physical health. These habitual postures can lead to muscle tension and chronic pain if not corrected. Poor posture or improper repetitive movements can quickly have harmful effects on the back, neck, and even the joints.
To address this, you can offer training sessions through specialized organizations like Yogist, which trains teams on the risks of musculoskeletal disorders caused by stress and sedentary behavior in the workplace.
Also, consider ergonomic furniture, proper adjustments for office chairs and screens, and self-massage workshops to ensure your employees work in optimal conditions.
2. Raise employee awareness about healthy eating
Often, a lack of time or rather, the time we don’t make prevents us from taking a proper lunch break, leading to unbalanced eating habits. Issues like sedentary lifestyles, obesity, and associated illnesses have direct consequences not only on the general population’s well-being but also on that of workers.
A balanced meal reduces feelings of heaviness and fatigue after eating. It is therefore essential to encourage your employees to adopt healthy eating habits at work and in their daily lives. One idea could be to bring in a nutritionist to help them establish a balanced and tailored diet.
To complement this positive initiative, you could also consider implementing digital cafeterias offering healthy products, such as TOTEM. The added bonus of this solution: the company adheres to a quality product charter and strict environmental commitments, which are significant advantages in the context of a CSR approach.
3. Bring your four-legged companions!
The trend of allowing pets in the workplace is steadily growing. Once limited to startups and tech companies, this practice is now spreading across various industries, and for good reason: the benefits are numerous!
According to a French study conducted by the website Wamiz, 60% of employees feel less stressed with a pet in the office, 39% believe team communication improves, and 17% find themselves more productive and efficient.
Having pets at the office can therefore be a natural stress reliever and a source of positivity, benefiting both pet owners and their colleagues!
4.Meditation to reduce stress
Mindfulness meditation is an excellent way to manage stress and anxiety. So why not introduce it into your workplace?
This practice is easy to implement, all you need is a quiet space where your employees won’t be disturbed. To get started, you can bring in a sophrologist or partner with a specialized company like Yotime, which makes it easy to organize workplace yoga and meditation sessions.
Meditation helps employees improve stress management while also enhancing their concentration and attention skills!
5. Create a shared garden in your green spaces
A shared garden is a collaborative space that brings your team together. If you have a small outdoor area, it’s the perfect opportunity to create a mini vegetable garden! This initiative fosters a relaxing work atmosphere and strengthens team cohesion. Major companies like Google, Carrefour, and BHV have already adopted this idea.
Before diving headfirst into the project, discuss with your team what they’d like to plant in this shared garden, it’s a collective endeavor, after all. Beyond the fun aspect, having a workplace garden is also an excellent way to engage your company in a CSR approach. The french company Ciel Mon Radis offers support for such projects.
6. Practice sports!
Sports are an important aspect of development for the well-being of your employees. 94% of employees who engage in physical activity say they are satisfied to do so at work.
As we know, regularly engaging in physical activity effectively reduces stress!
There are several ways to incorporate this activity into your company:
1.Group classes
A coach can come to your office to lead yoga or boxing classes during lunch breaks, for example. TrainMe offers many alternatives that you can implement. According to the website Culture RH, in addition to improving health, sports also enhance workplace life for 62% of employees.
2. Employer-financed sports
GymLib supports companies that are committed to improving employee well-being by providing access to over 5,000 partner gyms. The employer can cover part of the subscription cost to offer employees a wide range of activities, which can be adapted to their schedules. This innovation brings numerous benefits for physical and mental health, while also enhancing productivity, team cohesion, and stress management.
7.Take into account the challenges of parenthood
Becoming a parent profoundly transforms personal and professional life, and companies have a crucial role to play in supporting this transition. Between mental load, returning from maternity or paternity leave, and issues of equality, it is essential to support young parents so they can balance their parental responsibilities and well-being.
This can be done through tailored solutions, such as Pachamama, which offers a breastfeeding chair designed for pumping milk comfortably and privately, allowing young mothers to return to the office under optimal conditions.
It is important to note that for a real impact, the engagement of everyone is essential: HR, management, leaders, and employees must all come together to create an inclusive environment that fosters the growth and well-being of each individual.
8. Encourage the adoption of eco-friendly transportation methods
In recent years, sustainable mobility has become a major societal issue. There are many solutions available to encourage this approach within your company. For example, startups like Dance provide electric bikes and scooters to make commuting easier. Don’t hesitate to encourage your employees to choose biking for their commute when possible!
To go further, you could also implement secure bike parking or a storage room to ensure that their equipment is kept in a protected space.
9. Create green spaces in your office
Indoor plants bring many benefits to your workplace, enhancing employee comfort. By adding low-maintenance plants to your offices, you not only improve the aesthetics of your space but also the comfort of your employees. Greenery helps reduce ambient noise and creates a calming atmosphere conducive to concentration. Additionally, plant arrangements play a key role in air purification, reducing pollutants and providing a healthier environment.
Discover how to integrate greenery into your company with Cadre Vert for both aesthetic and functional impact!
10.Create a rest area in your company
The break room is a dedicated space where employees can take a break during the day. More and more companies are investing in these spaces for the well-being of their employees. They provide a true break from work, with the option to take a refreshing nap in a quiet environment.
So why not set one up in your company? How about a cozy nap room?
Today, being happy at work is one of the most important criteria for future employees. This factor will not only help you recruit new staff but also effectively engage your existing employees within your company. If you implement these tips, you will have already made significant progress in improving well-being at work in your organization. However, be careful not to fall into well-washing!
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