Conclusion

This course began by quoting Barbara Bassa, a Programme Director at Advance HE, who observed that the quality of the university student experience starts with the quality of services provided by university staff. Throughout the course, you have been reflecting on how the staff at your organisation are coping with the transition to increased digital/hybrid ways of working, as well as considering the impact of the post-COVID-19 ‘pivot to online’ on your and their wellbeing, and the processes and practices that resulted from it.

You should now have a better understanding of what ‘workplace wellbeing’ means in a hybrid working world, specifically:

• whose responsibility it is
• the challenges involved in creating and maintaining it
• the benefits that nurturing wellbeing can bring to your organisation.

How employers respond to the wellbeing of workers through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond will be key to maintaining employee engagement and productivity and reducing absence and/or staff turnover.

EDI (equality, diversity and inclusion) is often derided as ‘political correctness gone mad’ or a box-ticking exercise for legal requirements, but this course has emphasised the critical role it plays in achieving a culture of wellbeing. Making your organisation inclusive, diverse and a champion of equal opportunities is more than a moral or legal duty, it is an investment in the most important asset your organisation has: the people who work there.

This course is part of the Supporting hybrid working and digital transformation collection [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] , which you may wish to explore further.