Boosting employee wellbeing with Wellness Action Plans (WAPs)

Ensuring employees feel safe, supported, listened to and valued, is not just a nice to have, but a necessity. When these needs are met, employees thrive, and so does your organisation. Wellness Action Plans (WAPs) are a powerful tool to achieve this goal, strengthening your workforce one team member at a time.

The power of Wellness Action Plans

So, what exactly are Wellness Action Plans? These personal documents, crafted by employees and shared with their managers, detail the factors that influence their wellbeing at work. They include information on what helps them stay well and what might trigger feelings of being unwell. While not legally binding, these plans promote ongoing discussion to create a safe space where people can thrive.  

Overall, WAPs offer a straightforward and practical approach to supporting individual mental health in the workplace. They are beneficial for everyone, whether they have specific mental health concerns or simply want to enhance their overall wellbeing. Managers, too, can use WAPs as a valuable resource to better support their team’s mental health. With WAPs in place, employees have practical measures ready for times when they need them most, whether recovering from an illness or injury or seeking general wellbeing improvement.

What should a Wellness Action Plan include? 

A well-structured Wellness Action Plan should include guiding questions and suggestions to help employees fill it in. It’s crucial to communicate that this document is confidential between the employee and their line manager, unless the employee agrees to share it further. Here are some prompt questions to include in your WAP:

• What supports your mental health at work?
• What factors make you feel unwell at work?
• What strategies can help you maintain your wellbeing?
• What support do you need for specific mental health concerns?
• How can we regularly review and adjust the support to ensure it remains effective?

These prompts encourage employees to reflect on their mental health needs and communicate them effectively. Regular reviews of the WAP ensure that the support provided is always aligned with the employee’s current needs, empowering them to feel in control of their wellbeing.
 

How do Wellness Action Plans help managers? 

 By fulfilling their duties as a line manager a WAP can: 

• Help you structure and start conversations about mental health with your employees. 
• Help you understand your employees’ experiences and needs. 
• Help with identifying and considering reasonable adjustments. 

• Help ensure employees returning to work after absence are appropriately supported show new starters that you are committed to their wellbeing. 

Benefits of WAPs for managers

For managers, WAPs are more than just a tool; they are a pathway to fulfilling their responsibilities in a supportive and empathetic manner. Here’s how WAPs can help managers:

1.  WAPs provide a structured way to initiate and navigate conversations about mental health with employees, breaking down the stigma and promoting openness.
2. By understanding an employee’s experiences and needs, managers can provide tailored support, leading to a healthier work environment.
3. WAPs help in identifying reasonable adjustments that can be made to accommodate employees’ mental health needs, ensuring a supportive workplace.
4. For employees returning after an absence, WAPs ensure they receive the necessary support to reintegrate smoothly and comfortably.
5. For new starters, having a WAP in place shows that the business is genuinely committed to their wellbeing from day one.

Implementing WAPS in your organisation

To successfully implement WAPs, it’s important to create a culture that values mental health and wellbeing. Here are some steps to get started:

• Provide training and resources to both employees and managers about the benefits of WAPs and how to use them effectively.
• Make WAPs voluntary but encourage all employees to participate, emphasising the benefits for everyone, not just those with specific mental health issues.
• Schedule regular check-ins to review and update WAPs, ensuring they remain relevant and effective.
• Assure employees that their WAPs are confidential and will only be shared with their consent, fostering trust and openness.
• Managers should lead by example, creating and sharing their own WAPs to demonstrate commitment to the process.

By integrating WAPs into your organisational culture, you can create a workplace where everyone feels valued, supported, and empowered to thrive. The benefits are clear: a healthier, more engaged, and productive workforce that drives the success of your business.