Promoting wellbeing in the workplace benefits both employers and employees. A healthy employee is likely to take fewer sick days and be more productive, loyal and committed, knowing that their wellbeing is important to their employer. In short, investing in wellbeing pays back through better productivity and retention, and lower sickness absence costs.

Here are five simple ways of improving staff wellbeing that you can start today.

Be a jargon buster

Better informed employees are happier employees. Think about holding drop-in sessions for staff so they can ask questions about things like their pension, how to read their pay slip and what different employee benefits entitle them to.

Stand up more

According to experts, standing up in the workplace for at least three hours a day has the same benefits as competing in 10 marathons each year. One way to do this could be installing chest-level high tables in an area of the office for working and meetings

Get maximum value

Many employee wellbeing products like Group Income Protection and Sick Pay Insurance give customers access to additional services at no extra cost. For example, you may get free access to dedicated professionals trained to provide guidance on issues like absence management, or even additional services which directly benefit employee wellbeing such as an Employee Assistance Programme or free legal advice. Make sure you’re making the most of your current employee benefits.

Promote a healthy workplace

Wellbeing doesn’t need to cost a lot. Good, cheap ideas include free fruit – as often as you can afford it – and a blender in the kitchen so your staff can make smoothies. If you can’t afford to offer an in-house gym, why not set up a lunchtime or after-work running or walking club? Even something as simple as encouraging employees to take their lunch breaks together can have a positive effect on staff motivation and productivity. The phrase 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away' has never resonated more when considering the staggering cost of absenteeism to businesses.

Kitchen gardens

If you have an outside area, why not introduce this? Get workers out into the fresh air and produce could be taken home or used in the staff canteen.

Linda Levesque is Vice President, Corporate Benefits at Unum. Find out more ways to improve your workplace wellbeing with The Ultimate Wellbeing Toolkit, a practical learning hub brought to you by financial protection specialists Unum, designed to equip HR professionals with the skills and knowledge they need to show employees that they are valued.