The pandemic has shown companies the need to prioritize employee health. Studies have demonstrated that poor health costs much more than medical or pharmacy bills; dissatisfied employees often miss more work days than healthy employees, leading businesses to incur increased absenteeism and presenteeism costs as a result.
Cultivating a Workplace that Fosters Health
Employee well-being and performance in the workplace is directly affected by their working environment. When workplace environments foster positive employee health benefits, such as encouraging exercise or offering meals on site for staff lunch breaks, this motivates workers to work more productively, leading to increased job satisfaction and productivity. Companies that prioritize employee health, provide work-life balance benefits, and encourage professional development tend to attract the best talent. A proactive human resources team must be in place in order to foster an ideal work environment. HR teams can design and implement policies for flexible working hours, provide training on stress management techniques, and encourage employees to take advantage of wellness programs available to them. A healthy work environment also includes supportive leadership styles. Supervisors and managers should put employees’ wellbeing first by creating an ideal work-life balance and communicating effectively, in order to reduce absenteeism/presenteeism which are two main sources of lost productivity. Furthermore, an ideal working environment includes offering employee perks. Offering gym memberships, discounted sports gear and bicycles, yoga classes and other wellness-enhancing perks such as mobile eye exams, flu vaccinations and workplace snacks can encourage employees to lead active lives. Employers that provide such incentives demonstrate they care for their employees by showing they appreciate them – all the better way for employees to feel valued.
Promoting a Balanced Work-Life Harmony
employees who are sick, exhausted, or overwhelmed with family or financial worries tend to perform at their lowest. A balanced work-life approach encourages employees to manage their health and stress levels so they can come to work ready and complete assignments efficiently. Workplaces must encourage their employees to take regular breaks and vacations to promote better work-life balance and ensure optimal physical and mental wellbeing. This activity should be supported as necessary to maintaining good physical and mental wellbeing. Companies should offer flexible working hours and allow employees to work from home when it best fits with their personal lives. Furthermore, affordable healthcare access allows workers to receive treatment they require quickly and avoid potential productivity losses. Many employees who report sickness presenteeism are suffering from depression or anxiety, leading them to reduce office productivity while increasing absenteeism rates. Employees can contribute to a healthy work-life balance by setting an example, taking breaks when necessary and not sending emails or texts after hours. Vacations help ease stress while reinforcing that work is not the sole focus in life. Arranging team-building activities that promote creativity and problem-solving can contribute to creating a healthy work environment. Companies who value their employees understand the significance of providing employees with tools necessary for them to flourish within their job responsibilities and help them realize a balanced work/life balance.
Promoting Consistent Physical Activity
Maintenance of a healthy lifestyle is vital to overall wellbeing, including eating healthily, engaging in regular physical exercise and resting enough. Employees working efficiently and effectively require adequate rest. Employers that prioritize employee wellness programs experience increased employee morale and reduced absenteeism and presenteeism rates, as well as decreased absenteeism/presenteeism rates. Encouraging physical activity within the workplace helps employees feel more energetic and productive throughout the day. Companies can promote active breaks during work hours, organize walking meetings or provide on-site fitness facilities with exercise equipment or yoga classes to promote physical activity at work. Companies may host wellness challenges such as step-count competitions to boost physical activity while regular exercise also provides mental well-being benefits by relieving stress and anxiety.
As poor mental health can contribute to both absenteeism and presenteeism, businesses must provide employees with tools for staying healthy at work – for instance through mindfulness sessions and meditation workshops that help manage stress better and focus on tasks more easily. Also creating an environment in which mental wellness is valued as highly as physical well-being ensures employees have optimal wellbeing at their work place.
Promoting Nutritious Eating Habits
A healthy diet improves mental health and concentration, increasing productivity. Exercise should be encouraged; provide nutritious food options in cafeterias and vending machines; make the foods look more appealing by highlighting their colors and textures; consider creating employee gardens or partnering with local farms to bring produce directly into the workplace; workplace wellness programs are an integral component of many companies; they give employees the chance to learn how to better manage stress, prioritize well-being, improve performance and decrease absenteeism/presenteeism as well as healthcare costs.
Studies have also demonstrated that workers with higher physical fitness levels tend to be healthier and more productive at work, taking fewer sick days and filing less costly compensation claims than those who are less fit. With obesity rising exponentially, promoting healthy lifestyle choices and encouraging a healthier workforce is increasingly necessary. A more energized and focused team may help reduce healthcare costs – something especially advantageous to employers with rising health insurance premiums; additionally, an healthier workforce may help decrease presenteeism and boost productivity, ultimately benefitting businesses in the long run.
