What is an 'occupationally healthy person'?

How can HR ensure that employees are at peak occupational health?

BY Dexter Tilo 03 Jul 2024

An occupationally healthy person means one who feels content and fulfilled by their professional life, according to a white paper from Employment Hero.

"Their values align with their workplace's values, their employer actively invests in their development, they feel valued for their contribution, and they can be their authentic self in the workplace," the paper reads.

But after the pandemic, along with its impact on employees' careers, individuals might not be at the peak of their occupational health.

In fact, the white paper found that 41% of employees agreed that the pandemic reduced the importance they put on their careers, therefore putting less focus on them.

"[W]hile awareness around workplace culture and employee experience is improving, many employees are still questioning the role that work plays in their lives," the paper reads.

To restore employees' occupational health, the paper suggests the following measures:

Creating a flexible development and coaching strategy. This could be done using tools like Learning Management Systems, one-on-one meetings, mentorship programmes, career pathways, and external learning opportunities.
Strongly articulating the company's mission and values. Values set the tone for the company's culture. Without it, employees won't know what they're ultimately working towards.
Rewarding and recognising teams for their great work. Teams need to feel appreciated for the work they do, and the best way to ensure this is creating structured programmes for both top-down and peer-to-peer recognition.
Setting clear and achievable goals. Goals should be ambitious, but clear and achievable as it's much easier to stay motivated because of them.

Find out more about employees' wellness at work and what affects it in this free white paper.