Fun Ways to Improve Employee Well Being
Improving staff morale and creating a healthy workspace for your employees shouldn’t just be seen as a means to improve performance for the company but as an end in itself.
In a world where the word “corporate” has more negative connotations attached to it than positive ones, there are very few companies that truly care for their employees’ well being and overall happiness. But what’s an exception now needs to become the norm.
Employee well being initiatives don’t always have to take the form of serious workshops or hushed one-on-one conversations. Well being can simply be a result of a fun environment, and it’s no different for workplaces.
Why is it Important to Create a Fun Workplace?
Companies have everything to gain from incorporating fun initiatives into the workplace culture:
- Increased productivity
- Higher retention rates
- Decreased healthcare
Anyone who’s ever been a part of the workforce knows how important yet challenging it can be to juggle work and well being. Most of us seem stuck in a loop of wanting to rest and have fun but feeling guilty about not getting work done when we take a break. It’s either this loop or workplaces that barely leave any space to consider taking a break. This feeling results from a system that believes in working around the clock to be called productive and worthy.
But all of us in general, and office management in particular, need to understand that such a practice will only lead to collective burnout. And collective burnout can have far more dire consequences than we think.
Coming together for fun activities can look very different for teams that work together in a physical office and for teams that work remotely or in a hybrid setup.
Fun Ways to Improve Employee Well Being: Offline Teams
1. Team Dinners and Drinks
Make it a culture to go out as a team and relax every once in a while. Most people don’t have a chance to know or warm up to colleagues beyond the formal setting of the office space. Moving out of that space and spending some time together as just peers can make a lot of difference in how co-workers collaborate on projects.
2. Creative Time Together
The management or human resource executives can come up with activities that the team can come together and do. These don’t have to be complicated activities. Things as simple as putting together a puzzle, potting a few plants, or even going back to some elementary-level arts and crafts can do the job.
It’s just another way of collaboration that is not particularly work related. These activities can help the team ease up to each other and also work as relaxation in the middle of their hectic schedules.
3. Peer Groups
Find colleagues who share the same hobbies and interests as you and spend time with them discussing or engaging in those activities. This is a great way to generate a sense of collectiveness or sameness among colleagues. When you learn that your peers share your interests or even troubles, you tend to empathize and connect with them better.
Fun Ways to Improve Employee Well Being: Remote Teams
1. Celebrate Employee Accomplishments
Celebrating employee contributions and achievements in a remote set up may be challenging, but here are some great ways you can acknowledge and appreciate their contributions:
- Conducting employee of the month programs and giving the winner incentives like dinner coupons, gift vouchers, etc.
- Thanking workers during team meetings and catch-ups.
- Celebrating personal events and milestones such as birthdays and anniversaries.
- Sending out notes or signed cards from managers and peers
2. Online Team Games
1. Test your drawing skills with Pictionary
Online team games don’t have to be fancy or complicated. Something as classic as Pictionary can do the job. Most people know Pictionary from playing it with family or friends in their living rooms, but it’s also perfect for playing online with colleagues.
If you’re not already familiar with the game, it requires one player to draw a picture while the others try and guess what they’re drawing. It’s perfect for those who love word games, guessing games, or drawing games.
All you need to do is start a virtual meeting, share the Pictionary game link with the participants, and finally, start drawing and guessing. On HatQuest, you can create your own list of words to draw or pick from our curated lists.
2. Find out who’s the luckiest one with Tombola
Tombola is a game similar to Bingo and Housie, where a “caller” reads out the numbers that are drawn at random. If the players have the called out number on their ticket, they cross it off. You decide what the winning point or points are: fastest five, rows, corners, full house, etc. If a player thinks that they have a winning point, they announce it quickly to make sure that you can claim the prize!
Tambola is always more interesting with prizes to give away.
3. Share stories and talents with Spin the Bottle
Play the classic game of spin the bottle with a little virtual twist. Spin the bottle is a game where you can spin to randomly pick one of the participants. The selected player can be asked to share a story, a joke, etc.
Think of this as a virtual bonfire and reunion session where you get to catch up with each other.
4. See who’s the smartest one with Quizzes
Yes, online quizzes are usually thought of as a one-player game, but they can be fun to play with others as well. You can find quizzes on various themes and topics, pick one that resonates with your team and play away!
Whatever methods you follow, helping your employees find the right work-life balance and making the workplace a healthy, enjoyable place is the goal.
All we’re saying is that you can break the stigma around mental health and also have a great time doing it. So, pick your favorite activities and play away!
