More and more companies are implementing wellness programs for their employees. You may think that these programs are too expensive or time-consuming. However, they provide several valuable benefits. For instance, you will not need to spend as much money on health insurance if your employees get sick less often. Most importantly, improving your employees’ health boosts their productivity.
Ways That Good Employee Health Improves Productivity
1. Less Absenteeism
Healthier employees will be at work more frequently. Studies show that obese or overweight workers are absent more often. Obviously, people who are sick at home are less productive and may not be able to meet certain deadlines.
Conversely, employees who follow good health habits have lower absenteeism rates. Specifically, those with low cholesterol and blood pressure do not take as many sick days. You should thus encourage your workers to maintain a proper diet and take supplements such as Nucific Bio X4.
2. Better Creativity
It is hard for employees to come up with big new ideas when they are staring at their computer screens all day. However, healthy physical activity has been shown to boost creativity. Even just walking can improve creativity by 60 percent. That is why executives at Facebook, LinkedIn and Google hold walking meetings.
3. Improved Morale
It is not just physical health that is important in the workplace. Employees need to be healthy mentally, as well. Poor workplace culture can frustrate employees and discourage productivity.
Health and wellness programs bring workers together in a less stressful setting. Friendships can form, making your employees happier.
Happier employees, meanwhile, get more done no matter the setting. Research shows happier salespeople produce 37 percent more sales, and happier doctors are 19 percent better at diagnosing patients. Overall, positive workers are 31 percent more productive, according to one study.
4. Higher Retention Rates
Workers with friends in the office will feel more engaged and less likely to quit the company. Health promotion programs additionally show employees how much you value and appreciate them. This will also make them want to stay with your company for a long time.
Eventually, word of this healthy workplace environment will spread outside the office. This will make it easier to recruit employees for new positions.
Meanwhile, those who feel isolated and unwanted may not work as hard. They could also quit the company entirely, forcing you to spend more money on finding and hiring replacements.
Ways To Improve Employee Health
Since wellness programs offer so many benefits, it is perhaps no surprise that nearly half of companies use them. Health programs take various forms. Larger corporations provide napping pods or office gyms to keep employees at their best mentally and physically.
Of course, not every business can afford these measures. Yet there are less expensive wellness strategies that you can implement into your company. Have your office join a softball or basketball league to keep your workers healthy physically. You can even set up a weight-loss or FitBit challenge for the less athletically inclined employees. These activities will bring everyone closer together and boost team morale in the office.
Even just promoting healthy habits in the workplace can make a big difference. Encourage your workers to take the stairs instead of the elevator. You should also offer free healthy snacks such as juice, nuts and fruit. If you have a company cafeteria, make sure it is free of fattening meals or desserts.
Keeping the office smoke-free is also important. Prohibit your workers from smoking in the office or company vehicles. You can even create a campaign that encourages your employees to quit smoking. Provide them with nicotine-replacement treatments if necessary.
Alcohol consumption can have negative health consequences, as well. Excessive drinking may cause kidney, heart and liver problems. A worker’s drunken antics at an office event may also lead to tension that increases other employees’ stress. You should thus provide non-alcoholic beverage options at company functions. Make sure your workers know about the risks of alcohol consumption, as well.
As mentioned above, promoting mental health in the office is equally important. Encourage social harmony and equality among your workers. Emphasize that you have no tolerance for bullying. You can also set up meditation classes to reduce employee stress.
There are many reasons to keep your workers healthy. Obviously, you care about your employees and do not want them to get sick. You also want them to remain productive. Implementing a wellness program can lead to happier and more creative employees. Even just taking simple steps to produce a healthier work environment can have a major positive impact on your business.
