Data from Robert Walters’ Salary Survey has revealed that 65% of professionals are responding to uncertainty by making plans to apply and take interviews for new opportunities in 2025. This has caused employers to fear staff loss and look for ways to improve employee retention.

A recent study by Lifesum found that 48% of Gen Z and millennial employees would consider leaving their jobs if their well-being wasn’t being supported, so it’s vital that management get it right.

Fortunately, employee benefit app Go Joe has created a guide of ten top tips to build a workplace that puts employee happiness and well-being front and centre.

To fight this, use ergonomic chairs to encourage a better posture. Standing desks will also encourage employees to move around and stretch their spines. Remember to offer these benefits to remote workers as well, not just those in the office.

Reduce the chance of injuries in the workplace by ensuring a safe office setup. Tuck away any wires that people may trip over, provide clear signage, and conduct regular risk assessments.

Encourage A Healthy Work-Life Balance

Offer hybrid working. This gives your team the benefit of face-to-face time with their colleagues, while also being able to take advantage of the benefits of working from home.

Ensure your team switches off at the end of the working day by letting them know that you’re logging off as well and model the behaviour that you want to see in others. If you send emails after hours, add an email signature letting people know that they don’t need to respond until they’re back at work. You could also schedule an email created in the evening to send at the start of the day.

Take regular breaks and encourage your teams to do the same. When you take a holiday, switch on the out-of-office auto-reply and wait until you’re back in the office to respond to work matters. This applies to evenings and weekends too, make sure you allow yourself to switch off or unplug to achieve a healthy work-life balance.

Recognise Achievements

Give credit where it’s due and recognise the achievements of your team. Offer plenty of feedback to help your employees grow and feel happy in their careers.

Both positive and negative feedback should be given to employees. Praise can be given in public, but criticism should always be given privately and be constructive, suggesting solutions to problems and offering support.

Create A Culture Of Trust

An office with a high level of trust will have employees who are happier, more productive and more confident in their decision making. To develop trust with your team, be vulnerable with them. Share your failures, which shows your team that it’s okay to take risks and make mistakes.

Ask for feedback from your team and be open to criticism. Managers are the one exception to the praise in public, criticise in private rule, which shows that you trust your team to be honest with you.

When a colleague gives feedback, demonstrate active listening by reflecting back what has been said, asking questions, nodding and maintaining eye contact.

Offer Healthy Food

If your budget allows, offer employees healthy snacks and drinks. Fruit, smoothies, yoghurts and energy bars are great, healthy alternatives to tea, coffee, and biscuits.

Encourage people to eat away from their desks and model this behaviour yourself by taking a break to enjoy a sugar-free snack.

Introduce Standups And Walking Meetings

Rather than cramming your days with endless meetings sitting at a table or behind a screen, schedule standups or walking meetings with your team.

Standup meetings are meant to be quick, the idea being that standing for too long would be uncomfortable. Walking meetings allow you to take a break from the office and spend some time moving around outside. This won’t be appropriate for meetings where confidential subjects will be on the agenda but can be great for more general catchups.

Invest In Good Lighting

If you can, take advantage of office windows and skylights to make the most of natural light; this can boost vitamin D in the body which is vital for bones, teeth and the immune system.

Reduce the glare from computers and prevent light from bouncing off the screens. Anti-glare screen covers are also an option.

Even the type and colour of lightbulbs can have an impact on the wellbeing of office staff. Cooler lighting tones can increase productivity and reduce eye strain, while warmer tones are more relaxing and suitable for a break room.

Encourage Employee Growth

To ensure employees feel fulfilled in their roles, offer plenty of chances for career development. If a promotion is not in the works right now, offering regular check-ins and one-on-one meetings are a great way to show that you care about their growth in the company.

Tackle Digital Fatigue

It may seem odd to talk about a digital detox when computers and smartphones have become so essential to the office but taking a break now and then is a great way to boost employee well-being.

Encourage face-to-face meetings to reduce the amount of time spent on web calls. Introduce a phone-free or “no screen” room for people to take a break from their gadgets.

Schedule regular breaks away from your desk, go for a walk and leave your phone behind. At the end of the workday, switch off your computer and laptop. If you work from home, put your laptop away so you’re not tempted to open it and pick up work outside of office hours.

Switch off your phone for at least an hour at the end of the day to allow yourself to fully unplug from the digital world and relax. If you still need to be contactable, but don’t want to be tempted to resume scrolling online, invest in a “dumb phone”, a phone with limited or no apps and internet connectivity.

Focus On Mental Health

Invest in mental health resources at work for you and your employees. Mental health benefits at work could include counselling or private health insurance.

Mental health training for managers could help to spot symptoms of burnout and allow management to offer their employees support when they’re struggling.

Commenting on these tips, Will Turner, Go Joe CEO, said, “With more people prioritising workplace well-being, employers have a real opportunity to make meaningful changes that benefit both their teams and their organisations in 2025."

“Small, thoughtful actions—like fostering trust, encouraging work-life balance, and promoting physical health—can create happier, healthier workplaces."

"By putting employee well-being front and centre, companies can build stronger teams and set the foundation for long-term success, ultimately leading to stronger, more productive teams.”