WORKPLACE WELLBEING INSIGHTS
How to Plan a Workplace Wellbeing Day That People Actually Want to Attend
A successful workplace wellbeing day starts with understanding your people. From choosing suitable experiences to planning the practical details, here's how to create an event that feels welcoming, accessible and genuinely valuable.
Start with your people, not the activities
Effective workplace wellbeing planning begins by stepping back from the list of possible activities and looking at the organisation's broader objectives. Understanding the specific needs of your team—whether they are navigating a busy period, returning to a physical office, or simply in need of recognition—ensures that the day serves a clear purpose. When activities are chosen in isolation, they often fail to connect with the very people they are intended to support.
Gathering input from employees doesn't require exhaustive research. Simple, low-barrier methods like a quick conversation during a team meeting or a short internal poll can provide significant insight into employee interests and practical needs. By involving your team early, you create a sense of inclusion and ensure that the eventual wellbeing day respects their time and working patterns.
Define what you want to achieve
Setting realistic goals is fundamental to the long-term success of any wellbeing initiative. Rather than seeking transformative outcomes from a single day, focus on offering a positive shared experience that makes wellbeing easier to access during the standard working day. This could mean simply providing a moment for employees to pause and feel their contributions are valued by the business.
A well-planned event can also serve as a gateway, introducing an ongoing initiative or demonstrating a commitment to professional support services. By clarifying these objectives from the outset, you can manage expectations and design an event that effectively supports both the people and the organisation's culture.
Choose experiences that suit your workplace
The choice of experiences should be as unique as your organisation. For many workplaces, professional hairdressing and barbering provide a highly practical and valued benefit, saving employees time while boosting their confidence. Alternatively, dedicated massage and general wellbeing sessions offer a focused period of relaxation that can be particularly effective in high-pressure environments.
Nail treatments and beauty services are also popular options that can be easily integrated into a contemporary office setting. These experiences can be offered as standalone sessions or combined to create a complementary menu of services that caters to a wider range of preferences and backgrounds.
However, suitability is always dependent on the practical realities of your space and the cultural preferences of your team. A service that works perfectly in a creative agency might not be the right fit for a clinical environment or a busy distribution centre. Success lies in matching the service to the available facilities, scheduling constraints, and the specific objectives you have defined for the day. Do not imply that every service suits every workplace.
Make participation simple and accessible
The most successful events are those that feel effortless for the employee to join. This starts with clear advance communication and a straightforward booking process that respects their existing workload. Participation must always be voluntary, allowing employees to engage at a level that feels comfortable for them without any social or professional pressure.
Accessibility also means considering the diverse needs of your workforce. This includes providing appropriate spaces that offer privacy where needed, ensuring realistic appointment lengths, and catering to different shifts or working patterns so that no one is excluded. Acknowledge that employees may have different accessibility needs and comfort levels.
- Clear advance communication
- Straightforward booking arrangements
- Realistic appointment lengths
- Appropriate spaces and privacy where needed
- Different shifts and working patterns
- Voluntary participation
Plan the practical details
Logistical preparation is the backbone of a stress-free wellbeing day. Ensure you have designated suitable spaces with appropriate power access and room for professional setups. Coordinating with facilities and workplace contacts early ensures that all health and safety requirements are met and that your visiting professionals have everything they need to perform at their best.
There is significant value in having a single point of coordination for the entire event. Rather than expecting your HR or People team to manage multiple independent practitioners and their varying requirements, a professionally managed service can handle the complexity. This holistic approach ensures realistic schedules and a seamless experience for the management team and employees alike.
Create a welcoming experience on the day
When the day arrives, the focus should be on creating a calm and professional atmosphere. Clear signage and a smooth arrival process for participants set a positive tone immediately. Minimal disruption to the normal workplace operations allows those who are busy to continue their work while providing a distinct, welcoming space for those taking their turn.
Professionalism and respect for the workplace environment are paramount. The goal is to provide a service that feels like a natural extension of the professional day, rather than a loud or intrusive promotional event. By prioritising employee choice and a quiet, respectful delivery, you ensure the experience remains a high-quality workplace benefit.
Think beyond the day itself
Reflection is a key part of the wellbeing cycle. Following the event, gathering proportionate feedback from employees can help gauge the day's success in terms of participation and perceived value. This data is invaluable for HR and People teams as they measure the activity against the original organisational objectives and accessibility goals.
A successful one-off wellbeing day can either remain a high-impact standalone event or help inform a more permanent, recurring wellbeing programme. Whatever the outcome, the insights gained allow you to refine future initiatives, ensuring that your approach to employee wellbeing remains both practical and deeply valued within your organisation's unique culture.
Make Workplace Wellbeing Easier to Organise
Thoughtful planning, employee choice, accessibility and professional coordination matter more than filling a day with as many activities as possible. Salon Heroes works with organisations to understand their objectives, identify suitable experiences and coordinate trusted independent professionals through one professionally managed brand.