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Employee wellbeing is a subject of great interest at the moment, and many business owners are implementing additional measures to look after their teams. If you run a company or an organization, and you’re keen to protect your employees as best you can, here are some tips to consider.

Health and safety

Every employer assumes responsibility for their employees when offering contracts and encouraging teams to go out and tackle tasks. If you own or rent premises, or you operate remote teams, you have a duty to make sure that workplaces are safe and that your team has access to the relevant safety equipment. Provide training, check equipment frequently and carry out regular risk assessments. Ensure that you follow rules and regulations, and make sure that you record every incident and respond to complaints or reports of issues. 

Mental health and wellbeing

Stress is more common than ever. As an employer, it’s not possible to prevent every illness or mental health disorder, but it is beneficial to try and be proactive in protecting your workforce. There are steps business owners can take to try and lower risks and create a healthy working environment for staff. Encourage employees to manage their schedules to allow for downtime and breaks, avoid putting too much pressure on your team, include wellbeing perks in employee benefits packages and communicate openly with your employees. Try to be flexible to enable your team to enjoy a healthy work-life balance and consider measures, such as condensing hours or investing in technology, to increase efficiency and productivity. 

Abuse and violence

Reports of abuse in the workplace have become more commonplace, especially in sectors such as healthcare, the emergency services and retail. There are several ways you can try to enhance protection, including providing physical barriers to deter people from coming too close in stores or practices and clinics, providing training for staff to help them resolve conflicts and using technology such as Motorola police car radios. Cameras can record footage that is useful for professional purposes, as well as for pursuing action if employees sustain injuries or suffer verbal abuse. It is also beneficial to invest in security and to use signs and posters to alert customers to zero-tolerance policies. 

Making mistakes

Making mistakes is human nature, but the implications for employees can be devastating. Employers cannot always prevent errors, but it is possible to reduce risks. Ensure that your employees have the relevant training to attempt tasks or enter scenarios that may be challenging, and use technology to simplify jobs and minimize the risk of human error and record calls, footage and camera images. It is also essential to make sure that you have comprehensive business insurance. If there is an incident involving a customer, for example, review the footage and listen to accounts from both parties before you decide what action to take. It’s important to support your team as best you can.

Employers have a duty to protect their staff and comply with regulations and legislation that are designed to reduce risks in the workplace. Ensure that your business is fully compliant, prioritize health and wellbeing, take action to prevent employee abuse and be proactive in trying to eliminate mistakes.