Wellbeing in Small Business Hub
Welcome to the FSB’s Wellbeing in Small Business hub. Here you will find information and practical advice for your business on mental health and general wellbeing. Included are ideas and suggestions that you can try if you are looking to improve your own wellbeing or the wellbeing of your staff.
You will also find case studies from the FSB membership and partner organisations like Public Health England and mental health charity Mind.
Taking care of wellbeing can have positive effects on both health and productivity. We want to encourage the conversation about wellbeing amongst the UK’s 5.8 million small businesses. FSB welcomes you to the wellbeing conversation. We hope you will share your stories with #FSBwellbeing.
Read the report
Wellbeing in small business - how you can help
A short guide
Wellbeing in Small Business: how you can help
Taking care of wellbeing can have positive effects on both health and productivity.
We know from our members that ensuring their own health and wellbeing, as well as that of their teams, is crucial to the success of their business. Below are some of the highlights of our 'Wellbeing in Small Business: How you can Help' report.
Let's talk about it
People who are self-employed and run their own businesses are used to being self-reliant. But being self-reliant doesn’t have to mean going it alone – often the simplest and first step to better wellbeing can be to talk about it, whether it's about how you feel or how somebody you employ feels. Talking about these issues in the workplace can really improve performance and productivity, and even though it costs time, it should help you in the long-run.
Opening up and talking can be really beneficial for you and your employees. Try to speak about what you are all doing at work and what pressures you are both under. It’s important for people to feel comfortable discussing their mental health, and that everyone in your organisation feels able to talk about stress that they experience, or problems that they feel are affecting them day-to-day.
Job Design Matters
It is important you and your staff are able to balance work and home life, manage work pressures and feel encouraged and motivated at work. As self-employed people and small business owners, you know the value of hard work – this section is intended to provide ideas about how you can make sure you and your employees can work in a way that keeps you healthy.
Our jobs have a big impact on our health and wellbeing. The Labour Force Survey in 2007/08 found that an estimated 442,000 individuals in Britain believed that they were experiencing workrelated stress at a level that was making them ill3. Well-designed jobs with good line management, communication and flexibility can all help reduce stress. It’s worth thinking about changes you can
Physical Environment Matters
Healthy Body, Healthy Mind
The healthier you are, the easier you might find it to keep working when you need to.
Taking care of your body can support both your physical and mental health. Exercise can reduce your risk of major illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and cancer by up to 50 per cent.
Support for you and your staff when it's needed
Keeping yourself and your staff healthy is incredibly important – it’s equally important to access the help you or your staff need if one of you develops a disability or health condition while in work. If somebody falls out of work, not only can it lead to the loss of a valued member of staff for a business, but it can lead to worse health outcomes for them and contribute to negative economy-wide outcomes.
Self-employed and small businesses are relatively successful in comparison to the rest of the private sector in employing people with disabilities – it is great for you, your business and indeed your staff, if you can think of extra steps you can take to build an inclusive, supportive workplace.
Campaign videos
Reaching out
Find help and support around the UK.
Further reading
Coronavirus: Looking After your Mental Health & Wellbeing
With twenty four hour news feeds and social media talking about Coronavirus and the steps we need to take to protect ourselves and others it can be easy to forget that your mental health is just as important as your physical. We have seven tips to help you check in with yourself.
A day in the life of an FSB Care nurse
FSB Care is a service that dedicates nurse support to members, helping them through long-term physical or mental ill health. This is a summary of a day in the life of Zena Mayhew, one of our FSB Care nurses.
Balancing a small business, family and your mental health
Wellbeing in small business: Balancing a small business, family and your mental health
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