Definitions of social wellbeing vary depending on the research or theory that people ascribe to.
Keyes and Lopez in their 2002 research paper argued that social wellbeing is made up of five social dimensions which are:
- Social acceptance (accepting others as they are)
- Social actualisation (positive comfort level with society)
- Social contribution (a feeling that one has a contribution to make to society)
- Social coherence (understanding the social world as predictable comprehensible)
- Social integration (feeling as a part of the community)
The University of Boston on their website have a much simpler definition which says, “Social wellbeing is building and maintaining healthy relationships and having meaningful, authentic interactions with others”.
Essentially these and other definitions of the term centre around the ability to create, develop and sustain meaningful relationships and connections with other people in order to generate a network of care and support which gives someone a sense of belonging and prevents loneliness and isolation.
Social wellbeing at work
Although you may have not considered it before, work has a big part to play in the social wellbeing of employees. People spend a large chunk of time at work each week and the connections they make at and via work are crucial for their social wellbeing. The five social dimensions as detailed above can clearly be linked to how employees establish themselves socially at work and the dynamics of social and working relationships with colleagues. Being part of a team of people at work provides employees with a sense of community and regardless of the role of employees everyone has a positive contribution which can be made to give them social fulfilment.
Improving social wellbeing at work
Employers can help to facilitate opportunities to improve social wellbeing with some easy steps. Having a space to relax away from a desk, workstation or shop floor is important as it gives staff a chance to get a drink, chat and connect, staff might also get to meet colleagues who they ordinarily wouldn’t interact with as well so that they can build connections beyond their own team. This diversity of social connections is important and again referring back to Keyes and Lopez’s research by interacting with a range of people social coherence and social integration can be achieved. Team days, team building and team socials are also great ways for staff to interact and form relationships in a setting which is often more relaxed and informal than the normal workplace. It is important in these instances to be aware that what may be considered fun by some people may not be to the taste of others. Likewise, social norms such as alcohol consumption are likely to be different across a team so it is important that employers give thought to the type of activities and events that they offer. By making these considerations in advance it will mean that employers do not exclude people or put them in uncomfortable positions as this would be detrimental to social wellbeing. Some employers have also improved social wellbeing by creating groups where staff with shared interests can come together either at lunchtime or after work. This could be anything from running to knitting, or a staff choir to a staff netball team, if it helps to bring people together then it’s a big step in the right direction.
What are the benefits of social wellbeing at work?
On a personal level when social wellbeing at work is achieved, employees are happy, they look forward to coming to work and their stress and absence is lower. When effective social wellbeing at work is established, it also helps to lay the foundations for improved collaboration between colleagues and for more positive mental wellbeing overall. High levels of social wellbeing are also beneficial for employers as when staff are happy they are more engaged and more motivated. In real terms this also impacts on the success of a business as Gallup research shows that when an employer has a workforce who are happy and highly engaged, then productivity is 17% higher and profitability is 21% than a typical business. It really is win-win.
Do you have any questions about today’s blog, need help in becoming legally compliant with contracts/policies or can we support you in taking away any people pains to give you peace of mind?
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Why not also check out our blog on a similar topic Workplace Wellbeing.
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