As an employer, you of all people should know that business productivity is often determined by how happy and healthy your employees are.
Having a happy and healthy workforce helps you get more work done, and creates contentment among all. It is only when the companies take care of their employees’ wellness, that they will get more out of them.
This is where an employee’s wellness program comes in. If you don’t yet have one, then it’s high time that you should include an employee wellness program. Even if you have one, you should try your best so as to make it the best one.
Given below are the ways as to how you can improve the health of your employees.
Ways To Improve The Health Of Employees When At Work
- Access to exercise
One of the best ways to reduce the stress in an office environment is exercise, and it is something which every adult should be getting at least 20 to 30 minutes of per day.
The employees who are known to eat healthily, as well as exercise, are found to be at a less risk of getting sick as well as missing days from work and which have a tendency to detract from the productivity of the company.
There are many office buildings which have a gym facility on site and so, it is recommended to encourage the employees to use it regularly if your building has this amenity. Even if this service is not present, it is suggested that you should offer your employees a membership discount at the local gym.
- Introducing company outings
One of the best ways to boost the morale of the employees is to help the employees get to know each other in an outing, no matter whether it is low-key or an extravagant, depending upon your company’s budget and culture.
- Maintaining a structural consistency
Employees are less likely to feel anxious if you try to keep a sense of uniformity as well as the organisation in your company as they will do what to expect day to day as often as possible.
That being said, don’t let it be monotonous. You should brave and creative enough to spice things up a little from time to time, but a steady and not to mention, a reliable work environment is known to counteract stress and depression and will make the employees feel more at home.
- Creating a designated ‘quiet space’
Every employee may have a bad day from time to time, but that doesn’t mean that you should shun out the employee. Rather, it is recommended that you should have space for your staff to go to when they only want a moment for themselves. Do try to create a quiet space in your office where the employees can retreat to and can take a break when they need to.
The space should not be cluttered plus it should be free of the materials of the company; instead, it should be filled with plants and flowers, some light reading material and perhaps some soft music.
You should make it sure to establish a precedent that this space will only be a calming space for peace and solitude and not for chatting, laughter, venting or meetings of any kind.
- Allowing a flexible schedule
It should be noted that each and every business is not suited for a virtual workforce, so, it is warned not to compromise on the productivity of the company if you need them to arrive at work in-person.
That being said, it is quite important to give your employees the chance to work remotely because of an emergency which will allow them to make up for lost time later.
- Engaging in team building exercises
Even though it may sound too easy for your liking, do note that team building exercises really foster a sense of well-being and teamwork around the office.
If your employees feel like that they can depend on each other for support, then they should be allowed to do so when they are feeling stressed or even overwhelmed.
- Encouraging vacations
There are many companies which stick to the age old tradition of offering two weeks of vacation per year, but that shouldn’t be the case. There are many studies which have shown that providing leave for only 14 days in a year is simply not enough. Employees who work in small business are more than likely to feel the pressure to work every single day without giving any regard to their personal time.
Hence, it is advised that you should encourage your employees to take vacations for their benefit by implementing a “use it or lose it” vacation policy, in which the allotted vacation time of the employees will expire at the end of the year if they are not used.
- Diversifying your posture throughout the day
There are plenty of ways to stay active during the workday and offset some of the damages which can happen if you are sitting all day long.
It is recommended that you should swap out your usual and the regular chair for an active seat, say, for example, a yoga ball and that too, for a few hours. You also have the option of spending a portion of the day by working at a height-adjusted standing desk. Ergonomic office chairs help employees relax and be comfortable – helping them deliver more.
If you want, you can also take your next conference call by walking so as to give you a physical and mental change of pace.
- Encouraging short breaks throughout the day
For the physical as well as the mental health of the employees, it is imperative for the employees to take frequent short breaks throughout the day.
The human body is not designed to stare at a screen by sitting still and by doing so, will lead to serious health issues. Taking frequent short breaks throughout the day will also make the employees better at their tasks as it will make them more focused and productive at their work.
- Allowing unpaid time off for life events
There are some events of life which require paid time off. So, if you are an employer, do try to be considerate to the emergency family needs of the employees along with their desires to be better.
It might have gone into your notice that the workplace wellness has taken centre stage and it has good reason to be so. After all, there are many people who will leave their jobs if they find some better options elsewhere and which occurs due to generational shift among the millennials.
More and more employees are coming forward to demand that they should be taken care of by the companies that they work for.
If you want to become such a company that is known for its wellness program, why not try considering these tips today?