Case studies of well-being practices in companies during the pandemic

Purpose: This paper aims to analyse and discuss well-being initiatives undertaken by companies during the pandemic. Well-being is considered an overall subjective evaluation of an individual's life, including three main areas: psychological (ability to cope with stressors and stay in a positive mood), physical (good health, fitness, beauty, sleep) and social (positive relationships, support). It influences work satisfaction, motivation and performance. Design/methodology/approach: The applied method was a case study analysis. 21 companies and 105 well-being interventions were investigated in terms of the type, frequency, expected outcomes, implementation process, measurement methods and cooperation with employees. Findings: Results show that the most common are interventions in mental health and physical activity improvements as well as building positive relationships between employees working remotely. Interventions usually suit the employees' needs; however, well-being and intervention effectiveness are not very well measured and investigated in a study sample. More reliable and evidence-based methods of implementation of well-being management are needed. Research limitations/implications: A certain limitation may be the deliberate selection of the research sample – only companies operating in Poland were included in the study, which excludes generalisation of the results obtained. Practical implications: Building a culture of well-being in an organisation should not be based on random, ad hoc activities, but rather on a long-term strategy in which both employees, leaders and managers play an important role. Originality/value: The described research results prove that a large group of entrepreneurs in the country has entered the phase of business maturity and appreciate the role and importance of the organisational culture in terms of well-being at work during a difficult period of the pandemic. The article may be especially useful for HR managers and HR business partners.