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by | Jun 5, 2018

Health & Wellness in the Workplace – 5 Ways To Improve Your Employees Health

In the modern workplace, attention to health and wellness is becoming more and more prevalent. Not only are employees themselves paying more attention to their health, but more employers are recognizing the importance of promoting a healthy workplace in order to retain top talent and improve employee performance.

Wellness programs in the workplace have shown to reduce absenteeism, prescription drug use, short and long term disability, and increase productivity. It’s wellness programs that help raise employee engagement levels, making them more productive at their jobs and helping increase overall revenue for a company. It’s been estimated that every dollar spent on wellness initiatives, up to $3 is saved in health care premiums and $2 in absenteeism. That’s a 300% ROI (return-on-investment)!

Most small companies’ wellness program budget is small, so it’s essential that you are spending the money you do have as efficiently as possible. Here are our top tips for establishing worker wellness in the workplace:

  1. Cater in lunches for the office:
    Especially during stressful crunch times or lunch meetings, reward your team for putting in those extra hours by ordering in lunch for them. Something healthy and simple can go a long way. When people are stressed out or short on time, they tend to grab whatever is quickest and closest to them – which often results in an unhealthy choice.
  2. Ergonomic workstations:
    Ergonomics is the study of people’s efficiency in their working environment. This is something we’re big on at Brooks Corning! Workstations that include back-supporting chairs, lots of natural lighting, and adjustable desk heights go a long way for employee comfort and wellness. Give us a call if you’re looking to secure these items for less!
  3. Have a pet friendly office:
    According to a study done by the Virginia Commonwealth University, some puppy love can reduce the stress-response hormone cortisol, which is essential for people to be able to learn and perform effectively. Everyone loves to bring their little best friend to work, but a dog friendly office is known to be more productive, trusting, and a happier environment. We’re strong believers of this one at Brooks Corning – we’re a dog friendly office ourselves!
  4. Offer flexible working hours or ability to work remote one day a week:
    Many people feel confined and restricted within a rigid 9am-5pm work time frame, and it can put additional stress on figuring out certain appointments or things that may pop up in one’s schedule. Especially for people with children, the ability to work a flexible 8 hour day or one day from home a week can make an enormous difference.
  5. Introduce a fitness program:
    Whether or not your office has a built-in gym, there are many other ways to incentivize and promote health and fitness. Many employers offer discounted gym memberships or a fitness budget per month for each employee. Exercising regularly increases a person’s overall health and decreases a person’s risk of developing certain diseases, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure.

Have any health and wellness in the workplace tips that have helped you and your teammates? Feel free to leave a comment below – we’d be happy to hear from you.

Sources:

https://www.thebalance.com/employee-wellness-program-ideas-1177988

https://t.co/vsp4jriUyN