Understanding employee wellbeing days: engage your team
Wellbeing activities are a way to foster a healthier and more motivated workplace.
When you dedicate time to focused, health-centric activities, you’re doing more than breaking up the routine—you’re actively creating resilience and camaraderie within your teams.
These workplace wellness activities remind your employees that you value them as people. They build loyalty, improve morale, keep employees genuinely engaged, and, most of all, boost productivity. Employee wellbeing days are an excellent way to implement these activities.
We’ll look at the tangible benefits for your teams and your organisation, showing how a structured approach to employee wellbeing can make a lasting difference. We also cover wellbeing ideas that you can start implementing right away.
What are wellbeing days at work?
A wellbeing day is a single day dedicated to activities focusing on the wellness of your employees. You could take this a step further with a wellbeing week, but starting with one day may be a good idea to figure things out.
In essence, it’s a chance for your employees to reset, recharge, and refocus. Your aim is to support your teams in living healthier, more balanced lives and improving their daily work experience.
When people feel supported in managing their wellbeing, they’re more engaged, less likely to burn out, and more productive in the long term.
By organising a wellbeing day, you encourage your staff to pause and invest in their wellness, creating a workplace where they feel valued and cared for.
Legal framework: paid vs. unpaid wellbeing day
In the UK, there is no specific statutory provision for wellbeing at work days, meaning they are not a legal requirement.
In some regions, wellbeing days fall under “personal leave” or “mental health days” and are included as part of paid leave entitlements.
However, companies may have their own policies regarding these wellbeing initatives. Here are the most common forms of employee wellbeing day that most companies across the globe use.
Paid wellbeing day
Paid wellbeing days at work are typically part of your employees’ benefits. If you have the budget for them, these can be a great strategic investment in the workforce.
The cost of organising such activities is usually offset by gains in productivity, loyalty and reduced turnover. Offering paid wellbeing days can also reduce absenteeism and prevent burnout.
Unpaid wellbeing day
If your budget is tighter, unpaid wellbeing days may be a more viable option. In this model, you allow your employees to take time off to care for their wellbeing without paying for wellbeing hours.
As you can imagine, unpaid wellbeing days are less costly. However, they can still be quite effective in showing your commitment to employee wellness.
Whether you use the paid or unpaid model, you can make these days mandatory or optional for your employees to attend. If you make the wellbeing day optional, there might be less engagement. Making these activities mandatory ensures more people take part.
While there are benefits to both approaches, you should pick one that suits your organisational needs best.
Understanding the benefits of wellbeing day for your employees
Trust us, wellbeing days are a long-term investment in a healthier, more productive, and more engaged workforce.
Here’s a closer look at the benefits.
1. Employer branding
Companies that promote the wellbeing of their teams are more likely to draw in people who prefer a balanced work-life combination. This also lets current employees know that they are seen as more than just a workforce, which helps with loyalty and the company’s reputation in the industry.
Organising wellness activities, like a wellbeing day, lets potential candidates know that you value employee health and wellness. It helps your organisation stand out as a great place to work.
Over time, attracting and retaining talented professionals who align with these values becomes much easier if you develop a reputation for having a ‘wellbeing-centred culture.
2. Employee engagement
Employee engagement is one of the top factors impacting workplace productivity and satisfaction. Wellbeing day activities can be an important contributor to your employees’ motivation, energy, and engagement in their roles.
When you support your team’s wellbeing, they return with a fresh focus. If you execute these breaks properly, they will boost creativity and problem-solving abilities, and create enthusiasm for everyday tasks.
3. Mental and physical wellbeing
During wellbeing days, your employees can step away from the pressures of work.
They spend time doing things that help them regain their focus, whether that’s through exercise, meditation, family time, or just relaxing. Breaks like these can help lower stress and boost mood.
If employees know that time is specifically assigned to them for their wellbeing, they are more likely to tackle health issues before they become big problems. When a workforce is healthy, people take fewer sick days, burnout rates are lower, and workplace morale and productivity are improved.
4. Improved retention, reduced absenteeism
Employees who feel supported in their health will be more likely to stay motivated, less likely to take unplanned days off, and less likely to experience chronic stress.
Commitment to wellbeing also helps create a stable, consistent workforce. Supporting and valuing employees strengthens their loyalty to your team. Employees stay because it’s hard to leave a company that actively invests in their happiness and health.
How to organise a successful wellbeing day?
Feeling optimistic about organising a wellness day in the office?
Here is a step-by-step guide to organising an effective wellbeing day at work.
Step 1: Define your objectives
Start with what you want to achieve on the day. Are you looking to decrease stress, boost team bonding, promote physical health or improve mental wellbeing?
Clear objectives will help you set activities and gather the resources you need. It will also ensure that the day is in sync with your wellness goals and offers the most value for your employees.
Step 2: Gather employee input
Our most important tip is to tailor your wellbeing day activities to your employees’ interests and needs.
Ask them to conduct a survey or hold informal discussions about their wellness priorities, preferred activities, and timing.
Find out what your team members want – fitness sessions, mindfulness workshops, or a flexible, relaxing day. Learning what’s most important to them will help you make a successful, engaging event that benefits all.
Step 3: Plan & align activities
After you get feedback, schedule activities that align with your goals and your employees’ preferences. This can be a yoga or a fitness class, mindfulness workshops, nutrition seminars, or team-building exercises.
If you’re working with a remote team, think about virtual fitness sessions, meditation breaks, or guided relaxation exercises. Make sure to spread out activities to give employees time to recharge fully.
Step 4: Resources and logistics
Once you have your plan, take care of the logistical stuff. Reserve the space you might need and book external facilitators, like yoga instructors or speakers. Also, make sure you have the required materials, such as yoga mats, snacks, or water stations.
If you’re hosting virtual activities, try out the tech platforms in advance to prevent last-minute mishaps.
Step 5: Communicate the plan clearly
Make a schedule that includes session details and distribute it to employees so they know what to expect. Don’t forget to highlight the reason behind the day and the benefits.
Clear communication is the key to ensuring high participation and will make your event a success.
Step 6: Create a relaxed environment
On Wellness Days, make the environment as welcoming and stress-free as you can. Establish relaxation zones or quiet areas where employees can relax between sessions.
Make sure that you encourage participation and let employees feel free from their usual work obligations.
Step 7: Gather feedback and reflect
Get feedback from employees after the event about what they liked or didn’t like. This insight will help you to improve your future wellbeing days and other wellness activities.
Don’t forget to share achievements and positive outcomes with your team members!
What does a wellbeing day cost?
The cost of running a wellbeing day at work depends on your team’s size and planned activities.
If you are on a tighter budget, in-house activities like group meditation, team-building exercises, or relaxation sessions led by internal staff can be a great option.
If your budget allows, you can also hire a professional speaker or a fitness trainer. A wellness day with these simple activities, including refreshments, could cost anywhere from £10 to £50 per employee.
If you want to use higher quality resources, personalised sessions, or specialised wellness experts, the budget might be as high as £100 to £300 per employee.
Example of a wellbeing day at work
Here’s a sample schedule to give you an idea of what a wellbeing day could look like.
9:00 AM – 9:30 AM: Welcome breakfast and mindfulness session
Start the day with a healthy breakfast and a short mindfulness session to set a calm tone.
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM: Group yoga or stretching class
Bring in a yoga instructor to lead employees in a light yoga or stretching session to promote physical relaxation during this wellbeing hour.
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM: Health and nutrition workshop
Host a session with a nutritionist who can provide tips on healthy eating and guide employees through easy meal prep ideas.
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM: Lunch break
Offer a nutritious lunch or provide vouchers for local health-conscious restaurants.
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM: Wellness workshop
Hold an interactive workshop on a wellbeing topic relevant to your team. This could include stress management or how to achieve a better work-life balance.
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Open relaxation time
Allow employees to choose activities such as a quiet meditation room, journaling, or socialising in a lounge area.
This schedule offers a balanced blend of physical, mental, and social activities, ensuring your employees leave the day feeling rejuvenated and supported.
Our 8 favourite ideas to engage employees on wellbeing day
Here are eight of our top ideas, from tech-driven challenges to simple, cost-free activities, to help you create wellbeing team activities that make a difference.
1. Wellness app challenges with Teamupp
Start your wellbeing day with a wellness app challenge using Teamupp.
Employees can participate in step challenges, hydration goals, or mindfulness sessions, all tracked in real-time.
Teamupp’s interactive features, like leaderboards and photo challenges, make the process fun and connect teammates. The best part of it? You just need a smartphone to access all the challenges.
2. Guided meditation and mindfulness breaks
Kick off or close the day with a short guided meditation or mindfulness session. Free resources on platforms like Insight Timer offer quick, effective exercises. Mindfulness breaks allow your teams to pause, reduce stress, and re-centre.
3. Desk yoga or stretching sessions
Encourage movement with a quick desk yoga or stretching session. No special equipment is needed, and online resources make it easy to follow along. Movement breaks help reduce tension from long hours at a desk.
4. Gratitude exercises
Set up a gratitude wall or hold a gratitude circle where employees share something they are thankful for. This simple exercise shifts focus toward positivity, enhancing mood and creating a supportive atmosphere.
5. Digital detox challenge
Encourage employees to limit screen time with a digital detox challenge. Taking tech-free breaks promotes mindfulness, reduces screen fatigue, and allows employees to reconnect with their surroundings. It’s a simple but remarkably effective way to improve employee wellbeing, especially if they’re staring at screens all day at work.
6. Nature walks
A nature walk adds movement and fresh air to the day. This change of environment can improve mood, boost creativity, and reduce stress, making work discussions feel refreshing and energising.
7. Skill-sharing session
Organise a skill-sharing session where employees lead mini-workshops on their unique interests, from cooking tips to personal finance. These sessions lead to camaraderie and allow team members to learn from each other.
8. Healthy recipe swap
Encourage healthy eating with a recipe swap or DIY smoothie bar. Sharing nutritious recipes or blending smoothies develops a sense of community and supports physical wellbeing.
A well-thought-out wellness day can make a difference in your team’s morale, health and happiness. By integrating engaging activities and creating a supportive environment, you can show your team how much their wellbeing matters to you.
Ready to organise your Wellbeing Day?
