Employees are the backbone of a well-functioning and optimized organization. However, while chasing productivity and accomplishing milestones, it is easy to overlook their health and the overall workplace environment.
What Is Employee Health?
Employee health is the physical and mental status of your employees. It covers illness and the well-being of your employee. When discussing it, it is essential to understand that there are many health branches such as physical health, mental health, and emotional health.
Poor work environments that are stressful and have low employee benefits push an employee to indulge in smoking, lack of exercise, and adopt lousy eating habits. These may cost companies very heavily when employees start to deteriorate and cannot perform basic and practical tasks.
These can quickly escalate into a concern for public health. A collapsing workforce affects businesses, and poorly functioning business impacts society and eventually leaves lasting effects on the economy.
Employee health affects more than just medical. Unhealthy lifestyle choices often lead to chronic diseases, costing businesses more than one trillion dollars in lost productivity alone.
There are many types of wellness programs. The purpose of these programs is to encourage individuals to take correct measures to avert the onset or worsening of an illness or disease and adopt a healthier lifestyle.
What Role Do Employers Play?
A workplace culture sets the pace for its employees. The more supportive the manager, the more employees are motivated and engaged. Wellness programs can drive and encourage healthy behaviors, impacting the community as a whole.
The domino effect we have on each other can be better explained through studying public health, such as a master’s in public health online. This degree correlates how an individual impacts society and drastically causes a shift in the bigger picture.
Employers may utilize a wide range of wellness initiatives such as smoking cessation programs, flu shots, health fairs, gym memberships, and newsletters. These make employees feel safe and cared for.
Why Is A Wellness Program Beneficial?
- More productive and efficient employees. Numerous studies suggest a healthy lifestyle correlates with increased productivity. A healthy lifestyle means a more active and able mind that is attentive to details.
- Fewer diseases occur due to lethargy. A strong and healthy body has a more robust immune system. Healthy employees can combat common ailments such as colds and flu by taking fewer sick days off work.
- Fewer office-related injuries. Room to stretch and more durable bodies result in fewer worker compensation claims.
- Happier employees. Offering a wellness program leads to more satisfied employees. Happier employees are more grateful and take great care in performing their assigned tasks.
How to Create An Effective Employee Wellness Program
Caring for employees is a simple yet effective method that keeps a company afloat without fearing a compromised workforce.
- Be goal-oriented and know what you’re striving for. Every part of your program benefits both the company and staff. Include the HR, executives, and people from finance. It saves time from making an extensive and detailed plan and allows professionals from different sectors to oversee and categorize the wellness program’s tasks.
- Plan the program. Form a budget, research ideas, and include suggestions from your employees. Ensure the plan is easy to follow and addresses all the concerns an employee may have while engaging in this program.
- Always obtain feedback and apply them to your wellness program. As the wellness program will run its due course, there will be many suggestions posed by your employees in optimizing and improving the program. Recommendations should always be heard and incorporated as this will keep the plan updated and efficient for many future uses.
What Should You Include In An Employee Wellness Program?
- Fitness activities. Working long hours per week in an office setting is strainful for the body and mind. Employees need space and time to move around and exercise. Some companies can invest in on-site gyms or fitness classes. Some companies can instead reimburse employees for fitness-related purchases or encourage staff to form after-work exercise groups.
- Offer other health benefits. Offer flu shots to employees. Sick employees should be advised to stay home. Companies should have first aid kits and recovery rooms where employees can rest and focus on recovering.
- Indulge in mental health & stress-release activities. Mental health issues can seep in due to work-related stress and affect every walk of your employees’ life. Offices should be closed at reasonable times to ensure everyone leaves at a reasonable hour. Employees who have pulled much overtime should be allowed and asked to take time off. Ask your employees to explore online stress-releasing activities such as yoga and deep breathing.
- Social activities. Keep social activities that involve colleagues interacting and getting to know each other outside of the office space. These help them to form social bonds and create an overall friendly atmosphere. Humans function well around those they’re familiar with.
- Community service activities. While engaging with one another, it is also essential to let your employees feel like they’re a part of a community. Keep fundraisers and volunteering programs so that employees can engage and help the community while feeling better and good about themselves.
- Team-building activities. Encourage them to work on joint projects and activities. They can exchange ideas and thoughts to understand the value of teamwork, further strengthening the bonds between them.
Employees And The Community
These are few but effective measures to help create a healthier environment for your employees. After all, as important it is to conduct a successful business, it is equally essential to take care of those who promote this business and bring profit.
Final Word
Society only functions best with a collaborative effort from every individual present. Suppose one member is not properly looked after and cared for. In that case, the entire structure collapses, which damages a community and a population as a whole.
To have a smooth-running business, ensure that all your employees are equally supported and cared for, for a healthier and better tomorrow.
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