As a business owner, manager, or team leader, you want your employees to be healthy. After all, healthy workers mean fewer sick days and higher levels of productivity. However, what you may wonder is how to encourage a healthy lifestyle? What can you do to help make this possible both inside and outside the workplace?
An excellent way to start is by offering extended lunches, an outdoor walking trail, and even superfood powder in the break room. However, what else can you do? Keep reading for some helpful tips.
Nutrition Considerations
Bowls of Halloween candy, birthday cakes at lunch, and donuts during the morning meeting can create an unhealthy environment and the consumption of excessive calories. While you may not be able to stifle all the invasions of the sweets, you can offset some of the damage by offering alternatives. This means making healthier snack options readily available, offering filtered water, and encouraging your staff to opt for healthier take-out. These are all ways you can fight against unhealthy eating in your workplace.
Fitness Considerations
Not all offices can afford to install an on-site gym. However, that does not mean you cannot enable the people in your office and on your staff who enjoy exercising to do so. For example, you can encourage them to take a bike to work or to walk during lunch. Consider creating a fitness program that offers rewards for participating. This could be money, additional benefits, or something else.
There is a good chance your health insurance company already has several programs that will not cost you much – since you will be making your employees healthier, and this is in your insurer’s best interests.
General Health Concerns
While staying fit is something many people focus on, there is another side of the spectrum that must be considered – this is wellness. You can prevent illness in the office by making it easier for your employees to receive treatment. Some insurance companies provide on-site flu shots for everyone who is covered in the insurance plan. Even a simple general health screening can let employees know if there is something they need to focus on when it comes to their health.
You can also create a healthier work environment inside your building. This is done by using eco-friendly building materials and natural cleaning supplies. Consider posting signs related to handwashing, too, which has become even more critical in the COVID-19 era.
Consider investing in stand-up desks for your worker’s too. This is a great way to ensure they do not have to sit throughout the day, which can result in serious health concerns.
Achieving Mind and Body Balance
The mental health of your employees is just as important as your physical health. Your worker’s mental health should be considered. The negative stigma that is often related to emotional and mental health issues means that it is essential that you make your support for their well-being clear. There is an array of employee assistance programs that offer education and counseling; however, there are also a few non-direct ways to help employees fight stress.
Financial Considerations
A significant source of stress for almost everyone is money. When employers offer a 401k plan, they can also provide access to a financial advisor to their employees. This can help them utilize this information and plan for their future, helping to reduce some stress they feel.
Benefits
A quality benefits plan is worthless if no one knows how to use it. Education is key when it comes to helping your employees use the benefits you have offered them. The knowledge can help to prevent certain stressful situations, such as a medical emergency, from becoming worse because the worker does not fully understand the reimbursements, deductibles, claims, or other related factors.
Business Culture
A stronger culture will help ensure the workplace environment is much less stressful. Supporting and communicating the values that are important, such as openness to help workers, transparency, and honesty is essential. Doing this can also help employees feel confident when they raise their concerns and feel as though they are heard.
Creating a Healthy Workplace
When it comes to creating a healthy workplace, there are several steps you can take. You have to figure out what is going to work for your business and your team. While this may seem overwhelming at first, creating an employee wellness plan can help to improve productivity and employee satisfaction. This is all going to help the business in the long run and help ensure its ongoing success.
