Leading the Way for Well-Being
Document Type
Book Chapter
Publication Date
2023
Abstract
A typical employee spends at least one-third of their waking day at work, with some even exceeding normal working hours or going beyond the required number of working days just to achieve their organizational goals. Viewed this way, the dyadic relationship between organizations and employees becomes clear: you as an employee contribute to the overall performance of the organization, and at the same time, organizations impact how employees work. With organizations focusing on effectiveness and efficiency, employees contribute to these goals by showing that they are performing well. However, as an employee you cannot perform at par with organizational standards if your workplace health and well-being are jeopardized or remain unconsidered in day-to-day functions. With situations that could place their employee health and welfare at risk, companies also open up the possibility of losing profit, margins, and other resources that would impact their bottom-line, besides legal repercussions or coming in conflict with the law. Thus, workplace health and well-being are critical determinants of organizational effectiveness and efficiency—they are adequate measures of whether an organization is running its business well and is productive enough to reach its goals.
The World Health Organization already echoed this when it categorically declared that workplaces, in fact, impact employee health and well-being, clearly stating that “creating a healthy workplace that does not harm the mental or physical health, safety or well-being of workers is a moral imperative.” Despite this imperative, organizations sometimes fail to place a premium on the creation of healthy workplaces. One reason is that workplace wellness is perceived as a cost center for the organization. Rather than produce any form of immediate profit, focusing on the creation of a healthy work environment becomes capital expenditure—time spent away from doing productive work, or a system that might not translate into immediate profit. Therefore, as expected, organizational leaders would prefer to invest funds into money-making endeavors for the business rather than in expenses that do not immediately translate into income, punctuated further if they lack awareness of the intrinsic value of employee workplace health.
Organizational leaders must be at the helm of prioritizing workplace health and well-being. They should be the ones guiding the organization and emphasizing the value of employee well-being that will, in the long term, translate into improved brand image, corporate culture, and long-term investment. These, in turn, will lead to increased employee productivity and financial returns. Leaders have the capability and authority to instruct the organization in prioritizing activities that will improve mental health and well-being. Top management also has the clout in budgeting and realigning finances critical in realizing projects meant to improve the workplace. Leaders should see and envision how a better and healthier workplace can result in a more robust industry and an improved financial margin.
We invite you now to think about your own organizational leaders. Are they paving the way toward well-being? What actions are they undertaking in ensuring the promotion and protection of workplace health and well-being in their organizations? The focus of this chapter is exploring organizational leaders’ helpful behaviors in supporting and managing workplace health. It aims to understand, not only what helps, but also what hinders organizational leaders in understanding and promoting employee well-being. This chapter also looks at the fundamental role of the leader in building a culture of workplace health and well-being and suggests ways on how leaders can bring forward this mindset. If your leaders are already doing this, then this chapter can aid you in looking at other ways leaders can promote well-being.
Recommended Citation
Ilac, E.D., & Bulilan, E.J. (2023). Leading the way for well-being. In M.T. Mactal, E.D. Ilac, & J.F. Caringal-Go (Eds.), Workplace Wellbeing in the Philippines: A guidebook (pp. 26-41). Ateneo Bluebooks.
