The number of long-term sick people doubled from 2008 to 2022 to more than 500,000. For 37% of these people, the cause was in the psychosocial sphere, and 2/3 of this 37% was due to burnout or depression. Although in the past, causes were often sought in the personal sphere, it turns out that only 20-30% of dropouts are exclusively in the personal sphere. So this also means that 70-80% of the possible causes of dropout are to some extent work-related. It is therefore important to also look at the work context of these people.Companies can focus more strongly on these work-related factors to support their employees and prevent dropout. This can be done by focusing on two pillars: the organisation's well-being policy and the role of managers.

The IGLO model by Karina Nielssen et al (2018) is a useful tool for looking at wellbeing in the workplace. This model looks at four levels that impact wellbeing:
- I = Individual (i.e. the individual) - G = Group (i.e. the team) - L = Leadership (i.e. the managers) - O = Organisation. In the past, the focus was often purely on the individual, but paying attention to the other three pillars has a better effect because it means working on different levels.

Broader and more holistic work on well-being can also be done outside the IGLO model. The four pillars are: physical well-being, mental well-being, financial well-being, and social well-being. 'Mental' well-being looks at both the impact of job satisfaction, as well as that of self-actualisation and development.

Managers play a crucial role in promoting well-being in the workplace, but they encounter several barriers that hamper their efforts. One of the biggest challenges is a lack of knowledge about wellbeing-related topics such as burnout, which makes it difficult for them to provide effective support. In addition, managers may feel insecure about their competence to deal with these issues and support their team. They need not only practical support from the organisation, but also emotional support to better handle these responsibilities themselves. Their own well-being is an important factor here; stress and personal challenges can limit their capacity to care for others.

Moreover, well-being topics are often hampered by the stigma surrounding them, both in society and within the organisation, making open communication difficult. Corporate culture plays a crucial role here. A psychologically unsafe climate can cause policies to exist only on paper without actual application in practice. It is essential that the organisation creates a culture in which psychological safety is guaranteed, so that welfare policies can be effectively implemented and managers get the support they need to properly guide their teams.

If we follow the IGLO model above, we see that BloomUp is extremely strong around the 'Individual' pillar. This, on the one hand, by offering self-help and online therapy to employees who need it and, on the other, to those who are interested in these topics and are open to personal development.

Furthermore, BloomUp's Customer Success team is strongly committed to both the 'Team' and 'Organisation' pillars. This both by involving a wider group of stakeholders in the roll-out of BloomUp within the organisation (union representatives, management, confidential advisers, prevention advisers, executives,...). But also by communicating with the organisation on a regular basis (e.g. via newsletters), with the aim of sharing knowledge around the topic of mental well-being. BloomUp can also help to organise events (workshops, etc.), in order to make mental well-being (more) discussable.
 

Finally, looking at the 'Managers' pillar, specific e-learning modules offer support. For instance, the new module on 'Supportive leadership' teaches them to focus on the team and how to support it as well as possible to achieve their objectives as well and efficiently as possible. Other e-learning modules can also be viewed from the point of view of executives, for instance the module 'Burnout', or 'Dealing with stress', which executives can not only benefit from themselves, but can also follow 'preventively' to better understand how their team members end up in this situation, what impact it makes on them, and how they can better support their employees.

Ultimately, workplace wellbeing can only be promoted if all levels of the organisation are addressed. By taking a holistic approach, organisations can create an environment where employees feel supported and understood, leading to a more productive and healthier work environment.

Want to set up your own holistic wellbeing policy within your organisation? We at BloomUp have the necessary experience in supporting the implementation of (part of) such policies.

Feel free to speak to someone from our team without obligation and discover together how we can support your organisation in promoting well-being in the workplace.