A couple of weeks ago we wrote about what employees can do to improve their health in the workplace. This week we’ll look at what employers can do to cultivate a healthier workforce and how it will improve the bottom line.
Improved Productivity
According to BusinessNewsDaily.com, workers who ate healthy meals and exercised on a regular basis (3 times a week) were 25% more likely to have higher job performance and be more productive. For employees eating healthy and exercising regularly, absenteeism is 27% lower. On the other hand, overweight employees cost their employees $73.1 billion a year and file twice the number of workers’ compensation claims. Having a healthy workforce means less sick leave, less spent on health insurance, less accidents and many other benefits.
There are many different things employers can do to encourage a healthier, and more productive workforce; both in the office as well as outside the offices. Here are a few suggestions to consider.
Flexible schedule and paid time off
When possible, allow your employees some flexibility with their work schedule. Allowing employees to be able to take care of outside of work concerns such as childcare, health issues, being able to take the commute into work when traffic is less congested, or any other reasons will help reduce stress in general. Also allow for a reasonable amount of paid time off to allow for life-work balance.
Gym membership discounts
If you have enough employees, see if you can negotiate a discount at a local gym for your employees to take advantage of, or provide an allowance for employees who’d like to sign up for a gym membership. This can be part of an employee wellness program with different incentives to help people reach certain health goals.
Healthy snacks
Whether you have a vending machine, or like to bring in snacks for your employees, consider some healthy options.
Wellness education
Depending on the size of your organization, you may want to consider some wellness training and education. It can be something simple such as focusing on health tips in your internal company newsletter to bringing in a wellness expert or even a doctor to educate your staff on how to improve both their physical and mental health. General prevention can go a long way. Provide employees with training on things such as how to reduce stress and how to maintain a healthy weight.
Mental Health
In addition to physical health, you can also provide help and resources for employees who are facing mental health issues. Train your managers for signs to look out for and strategies to follow when someone’s having mental health issues.
Company survey
Conduct employee surveys to get feedback on how employee morale is and to get a better understanding of initiatives to consider for a happier workplace.
Depending on the size of your organization and corporate culture, find what will work best for your team to help everyone improve their health.
Work with iMPact
If you are looking for qualified candidates in IT, Engineering, Accounting/Finance or Business Administration/Process, please connect with us today to receive candidates to consider for any of your open positions. There is no cost unless you hire. One of our experienced account managers will reach out to you to learn more about how we may be able to help you.
