Wellbeing: A Complete Reference Guide, Volume VI, Interventions and Policies to Enhance Wellbeing

Chapter 10

Wellbeing as a Business Priority

Experience from the Corporate World

Catherine Kilfedder and Paul Litchfield

BT, U.K.

A dynamic state in which the individual is able to develop their potential, work productively and creatively, build strong and positive relationships with others and contribute to their community. It is enhanced when an individual is able to fulfil their personal and social goals and achieve a sense of purpose in society.

McDaid (2011)

Introduction

There is a growing appreciation that wellbeing is an important element in gauging the success of societies and that a singular focus on economic measures (such as gross domestic product) can provide a misleading indicator of progress. Similarly, companies are increasingly judged not just on their financial performance but also on their behavior as corporate citizens. For the past 20 years a great deal of interest has been focussed on the ethical aspects of what companies do in terms of the treatment of those in their supply chain, the sourcing of raw materials and the carbon footprint of their activities. More recently attention has shifted also to their management of their human capital, the people they employ and whose efforts ultimately determine whether a business will be successful on a sustainable basis. There is a growing body of evidence to show that organizations whose employees have high levels of wellbeing can sustain higher degrees of engagement and performance. The pursuit of wellbeing in the workplace ...