The mental well being of your employees is a key component to your companies health. Here are 5 ways to improve workplace wellness in your business.
The statistics of workplace stress are staggering. 80% of employees feel stress at their jobs. On the other hand, 50% of employees admit they need help managing stress.
And stress is not the only problem they face. 62% of employees experience work-related neck pain, 34% reported difficult sleeping due to stress, and 44% suffered eye strain.
It’s in an employer’s best interest to maintain the well being of their employees. Essentially, more satisfied employees will perform better and be less subject to fall ill.
Here are 5 amazing ways to improve workplace wellness within your business, and how to make sure they stick.
1. Let’s get Physical
It’s no longer a debate: physical activity improves mood and overall well being.
A great way to start is by creating workplace wellness contracts with your employees. Offer them between 1 and 3 hours (with 3 hours being optimal) each week where they can be paid to work out.
To take it one step further, build a gym in your building, or offer a discounted membership to a local gym.
Even a “walking meeting” can help employees, so take your next board meeting outside to a park and enjoy the fresh air while everyone gets moving.
2. Healthy Options
Vending machines are stacked to the brim with candy bars, chips, and other unhealthy foods.
Try offering healthier alternatives in vending machines or workplace cafeterias. This includes granola bars, fresh fruit, and flavored waters instead of soda.
But remember to keep costs down. More expensive foods can deter employees from making healthier decisions.
3. Invite Doctors to the Office
Many workplaces are hiring “office doctors” to check on employees and provide basic care and advice.
These doctors are usually not permanent. Most visit workplaces once or twice in a week to discuss health, answer questions, and provide one-on-one consultations. These doctors may even be able to prescribe medications, such as those for anxiety including escitalopram, saving your employees time and money.
Many, many people avoid their yearly wellness checks. Bringing a doctor right to them demonstrates a strong commitment to improving employee wellness.
4. Never Stop Learning
When employers mention workplace wellness, they often think it means physical well being.
Often, however, employees may feel stuck in their job and crave new responsibility or the ability to learn and try new things.
To motivate your employees to better themselves, offer to cover or subsidize the cost of useful courses at a local community college, or host yoga or “Excel 101” workshops.
Give your employees a chance to learn new things and help them become motivated to take on greater roles and challenges.
5. Incentivize
Reward your employees for actually sticking with the program.
With successful BMI or blood pressure improvements, or a weekly “step” achievement, you can reward employees with company swag, medical insurance incentives, or even workplace rewards such as the increasingly popular .
People love free things; it’s just a basic fact of life.
If you invest in your employees and their wellness, it’ll certainly pay you back and then some in the form of healthier and happier employees.
Workplace Wellness – It’s Worth the Investment
It can be daunting to invest in workplace wellness, but it’s definitely worth it.
Your business doesn’t have to implement all five steps in one day, but make it a company resolution to start investing in the health of your employees.
Unhealthy, stressed employees won’t work as well, will often have to call out sick, and will overall be unhappy and can create tension in the workplace. The five steps above will help you create a healthier workplace, and your employees will thank you for it.
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