Wednesday, 4 December 2019
As a small business owner, time and resources can be tight. Self-care, health and wellbeing are commonly considered a luxury, rather than a necessity. Trying to work out where to start when implementing wellbeing programs, what is cost effective and achievable can also be difficult.
To help guide business operators and managers in their efforts to create healthier workplaces, the South Australian Business Chamber’s healthy workers adviser has teamed with the small business commissioner to publish the workplace wellbeing guide for small businesses, highlighting how to integrate health, safety and wellbeing into daily operations.
Healthy Workers Adviser Kylie Cocks has designed the guide in two parts, with the first section dedicated to the SME owners and offering advice on how they can meet their self-care needs as part of their business strategy.
The second part of the guide demonstrates how workplace wellbeing is essential for businesses to thrive and provides easy and inexpensive tips on how to build a healthy and safe working culture.
“If you want to increase productivity and retain your employees, the best way to do this is to have a positive workplace that places a high value on staff health and wellbeing,” Ms Cocks said.
“Knowing where to start, what is realistic, what is cost effective and what is achievable, along with everything else that needs to be done, is important. This guide is developed to highlight how as a small business owner it is possible and achievable for you to integrate health, safety and wellbeing into your business practices.”
Small Business Commissioner John Chapman was pleased to collaborate with the South Australian Business Chamber and hoped it would provide some much-needed support to SME owners and their team.
“We have tried to make it as easy as possible for small business owners to implement practical activities into their day to day lives,” Mr Chapman said. “Using the seven personal steps to wellbeing is a great way for small business people to think about and improve their mental health.
“The key message here is that small business owners need to take care of themselves first, then they can focus on helping their teams.”
Funding for the Healthy Workers Across Industry program is provided by SA Health.
