What do we mean by “Wellbeing”?

The phrase Wellbeing has many meanings which in turn means lots of different approaches. For some organisations its about topics such as mindfulness, opportunity for a massage to destress, it can be fitness such as walking a set numbers of paces per day or eating 5 pieces of fruit per day. Things very much around lifestyle and personal habit. In some cases it is about supporting people with mental health conditions into work. Although this is laudable and welcome from a societal and individual basis these approaches and models forget one element that of work itself. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) give support to the view that you cannot ignore both the work and the employer in any wellbeing strategy.  They suggest that there are 5 key factors, Health, Work, Values or Principles, Collective or Social and Personal growth. A number of these are in the realm of the Health and Safety Profession, such as work related stress, working time, ill heath arising out of work. I would go further and suggest that the Health and Safety Professional is in the best position to champion wellbeing with the Human Resource Professional focused on organisational development, efficiencies and employers operate legally.
 
This paper refocus on Workplace Wellbeing by comparing the CIPD elements with management theory and the HSEs Management Standards for delegates to influence organisational culture in their organisations.