Staff wellbeing has, understandably, been an extremely important consideration for businesses as workplace stress levels continue to rise, which can create a variety of problems for businesses and individuals alike.

Particularly as many businesses are likely to make the permanent shift to hybrid, or even fully remote, working, it has arguably never been more crucial for companies to be able to monitor, measure and manage their staff wellbeing, in order to ensure morale stays high and employee recognition remains a priority even outside the traditional office environment. On this note, it is also critically important that staff are provided with the tools and support they need to take charge of their own wellbeing, particularly if working remotely.

It is for this reason that we have launched our brand-new and improved POWR dashboard, [TO1] which has been built from the ground up to help employees manage their wellbeing, as well as allow companies and HR departments achieve a far higher degree of insight into how their staff fare over time in the various areas of wellbeing – specifically work, sleep, activity, mind, food and life.

At its core, POWR is an online resource which replicates a professional health consultancy experience, which can provide employees with immediate guidance and support in a number of areas such as emotional wellbeing, psychological health and even personal development.

From data gathered via intuitive staff questionnaires, POWR is able to measure an employee’s health and wellbeing, and from there create a personalised health plan using the 400+ plans already on file, as well as provide support over time including instant access to external clinical support if needed. This support comes at a significantly lower cost-per-head, and higher engagement rate, compared with other Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP).

Of course, staff needs do not remain static, but rather change over time in line with the makeup of the workforce. Crucially, the dashboard also accommodates for this, allowing companies to monitor wellness data in real time and continually update their benefits provision accordingly.

Specifically, the POWR dashboard provides organisations with aggregated data at both an individual and team level, including comprehensive stats on both engagement and impact. Through this, business leaders and HR departments are able to identify real-time trends and specific issues, to help enhance wellness programmes to the benefit of employee and employer alike.

By making use of POWR, businesses can significantly reduce the cost of absenteeism – which cost UK businesses £14 billion in 2020 alone – and improve staff resilience, morale and overall performance. Furthermore, investing in tools such as this, which have the needs of employees front of mind, demonstrates a commitment to a healthy workplace, improving employer brand and increasing both employee attraction and retention rates. As employee expectations, and the world of work more widely, continues to evolve following the seismic events of the past year, it is crucial that businesses keep up with these changes if they are to attract and retain the top industry talent and, more importantly, keep their staff happy, productive and healthy in the months to come.