Driving productivity and engagement in the workplace by prioritising health and inclusivity 

ISS’ Chief Commercial Officer – Global Office, Mark Forret hosted the event, with panellists: T.J. Byrne, Chief Operating Officer at Healthy Place to Work, Venkat Neelakantan, EVP & Group Head of Corporate Real Estate Services at Capgemini, Stephen Cluskey, Chief Executive Officer at Mobility Mojo and Margot Slattery, Head of Group Diversity and Inclusion at ISS. 

Here are some of the key takeaways from the discussion: 

The business case for having a healthy and inclusive workspace 

In terms of why having a healthy and inclusive workspace is important from a business point of view, Stephen referenced a TechCrunch study by saying that organisations that are inclusive to those with disabilities see 28% greater annual revenue, due to the different perspectives these employees bring. He added that companies that are inclusive are also four times more likely to outperform shareholder returns than competitors. 

Stephen also said: “Up to 70% of people in industrialised countries with disabilities are unemployed. So in a time when it’s so difficult to get incredible employees, this is the largest untapped group in the employment market.” 

Meanwhile, Healthy Place to Work’s research found that when people feel healthy, they are more likely to see key aspects of their organisation positively. Some 61% of those who describe their health status as ‘very good’ put positive responses to questions about their company’s leadership, peer support and goal clarity, whereas it was just 25% of those who say they are in poor health. 

T.J. said: “It doesn't matter where we do this, all over the world we're seeing a very clear pattern that when people believe that they are healthy, that their responses to statements like performance management, change management, peer support, my capacity to deliver on my goals, the amount of control I have over work, the demands been placed at work - all of those indicators are so high.” 

What to consider when creating a healthy and inclusive workspace 

Venkat described how the role of health and wellbeing in the workplace was brought into light due to the pandemic and now employees expect the same quality of experience in the office as they do at home:  

“From where we were four or five years ago to where we are [now], the office space has become an integral part, or even an emotion, today. With hybrid culture, there is a moment of expectation – ‘I'm working at home today, tomorrow when I go to work I'm going with certain expectation there that it should be as comfortable as I am right now at my home.’” 

In Healthy Place to Work’s model, T.J. described the four pillars of workplace health as being: purpose, mental resilience, connection and physical health. These entail a range of subcategories and some are more influenced by the employee and some more by the employee’s organisation. Companies that support employees through areas such as wellness culture, social wellbeing, work demands and work environment and safety can help to improve employee health, leading to the better opinions of the company as discussed above.  

Later T.J. added: “Those organisations who routinely and regularly get certified as healthy places to work are those where there is an extraordinarily strong leadership where people are role modelling the behaviours of health, but equally so, they are demonstrating a genuine concern for people.” 

Margot also stressed the importance of sustainably investing in wellbeing and not just focusing on it during a particular month for example: “Wellbeing can be seen as being a little bit of a flavour of the month at a moment in time. So, for instance, you'll see a lot of companies put on something around Mental Health Month or do something once off or if a big event or something tragic happens, but then we forget the rest of the time. The truth is that for most people today in the working world, they're struggling with all of the challenges. 

“This shouldn't be a side of desk job for somebody. This is a very full requirement for a professional to lead this for an organisation. And if you're an organisation that's big and working globally, then you must have an understanding of all of the different complexities and the different parts of the world and the many challenges people have.”  

For organisations looking to enhance their inclusivity by making their building more accessible, Stephen said that over 70% of disabilities are invisible, meaning that companies must consider mobility, visual, hearing, neurodiverse and other considerations. However, he discussed the three most important “ingredients” to create a more accessible workspace are to start by measuring how accessible the building is and areas to improve, then presenting that information to C-Suite level and, most importantly, to ensure that accessibility information is available to building occupants.