Workplace Wellness: 8 Methods of Improvement

Workplace Wellness: 8 Methods of Improvement

He works best who eats properly, takes care of his health, and has a rest. Executives should intervene if their employees miss working days because of poor health. Enterprises incur losses due to illness and insurance payments. In 2016, the US-based Center for Disease Control conducted research showing that the national economy lost more than 2 billion dollars because of sick days.

It is much efficient to prevent diseases or injuries at work, making this a part of the corporate culture.

There are a lot of workplace wellness programs aimed at improving staff performance. If it is impossible to allocate funds for a corporate doctor, a massage therapist, or a yoga coach, you can use simple methods to remedy the situation.

The concept of personnel wellness programs

The concept of personnel wellness programs

Such programs mean any range of measures to reduce the sickness rate of employees and their family members. It is referred not only to routine examinations, but also to physical activity bonus systems, informing of healthy lifestyle and wellness techniques, smoking and alcohol cessation, introduction of a healthy diet, etc. These actions will improve the current well-being of employees and prevent their potential chronic illnesses.

Workplace wellness programs: is it worth investing?

You could not do without material expenses. Nevertheless, investments in staff health improvement will be compensated exponentially. Workplace health maintenance and advancement is a crucial part of the company strategy in order to keep its development rate. There is a direct relation between staff physical and emotional conditions and revenues generated by each employee.

According to Rand Corporation, workplace well-being programs allow to save approximately 30 dollars on every team member monthly. Besides, workers spend threefold less time at hospitals. The figures are based on ten-year statistics of small and large companies.

Some data:

  • Johnson&Johnson has saved 250 million dollars over the six years of the wellness program application. Corporate income was 2.71 dollars per each dollar spent on an employee. A workplace wellness program is no longer perceived as a kind of pleasant bonus: it is now an efficient tool for company strategic planning.

  • MD Anderson Healthcare Center has established a subsidiary for controlling personnel health. After six years of its operation, the company reduced the amount of sick days by 80% and the number of part-time working days when employees visited doctors by 64%. Over the six years, the company has saved 1.5 million dollars, decreasing staff insurance payouts twice.

  • Biltmore, an organizer of tourist trips, has adopted a corporate program for controlling and improving workers’ health. It includes medical checkups, fitness exercises, and healthy diet. After four years of program functioning, employee turnover declined from 15% to 9%.

What to do if you lack funds for a wellness program?

Even if your company is at the start and you have no money to implement a set of measures, the first steps can be made right now. Small actions can lead to great results: the main thing is to perform them systematically. For example, put a bowl of fruit in your office. Each employee will be able to take a treat. It is much beneficial than snacks and will positively affect personnel well-being.

A bottle of antibacterial agent or mouthwash won’t be a considerable expenditure. However, these very actions will cut down expenses for sick pays in the future. When the above-mentioned steps produce an effect, you will be able to allocate more money for team health care.

8 ways to improve workplace wellness

8 ways to improve workplace wellness

  1. Focus on preventive measures: if the city faces a flu epidemic, take care of immunizing your employees. It is also referred to the distribution of vitamins or fruit juice during a working day.

  2. Sports activities: you're lucky if you can afford a coach to arrange regular fitness or yoga classes for workers. If it is impossible, introduce short breaks at the end of every hour. A simple exercise program is freely available. Even minimum physical training and stretching can relieve back pains, headaches, joint and vein diseases. If a job implies long-term computer operations, apply a rule of doing eye exercises once or twice a day. It will help to relax the eyes. It would be excellent to make sports events a part of corporate life.

  3. Health care training: it would be nice if you could invite specialists to carry out brief lectures. At the same time, even a story about healthy habits is useful. Within a break, devote time to the team review of relevant seminars or lectures. A reward system is efficient as well: e.g. a prize for a cigarette-free month or weekend travel for the best sports performance. Note and encourage personnel actions aimed at well-being improvement.

  4. An internal physician: this innovation is becoming more and more popular. A doctor in the office or a corporate clinic is much profitable than time offs for third-party treatment. For instance, US-based SAS saved 1.4 million dollars on its own hospital. A visit to the corporate doctor requires two hours less time on the average than a day off.

  5. Care of close ones: draw attention to the situation in families of your employees. Perhaps, someone needs to see a psychologist because of losing a loved one or needs an extra week of the child care leave. The financial aid will be also a valuable contribution. Reducing the stress and anxiety level of personnel, you will obtain greater benefits from their work. For example, Facebook gives employees 4,000 dollars after a child's birth.

  6. Nutrition: a lot of workers eat junk food, pastry, and drink soda during the lunch break. If you fail to organize a corporate healthy diet, provide staff with free access to fruit, nuts, and high-quality water. It should be perfect to create a balanced menu with proper content of protein, fiber, and vitamins.

  7. Emotional health: a crucial aspect of personnel workability. You should not oblige employees to be always in touch. Negotiations and business issues in a private time result in burnout. Collective mini training with a psychologist, outdoor events intended to strengthen an office atmosphere, and quick walks within a working day have a positive impact on personnel mental conditions. Some of them may require coach assistance to achieve better performance. Inform your colleagues of places where they can get certain types of psychological aid in difficult straits. According to the Center for Disease Control, depression leads to 20 day offs and 44 days of poor productivity (data for the year). Up to 200 million working days are missed per year on a national basis. Investments in staff emotional health are quite reasonable.

  8. Organization of leisure time: one of the workplace wellness program points. Corporate meetings, holidays, and joint weekend trips will not only boost spirits but also enhance team relations.

Ensure the well-being of your employees today in order to benefit from their work tomorrow

A health improvement system is turning from an additional bonus into a corporate strategy element. Its major aspects consist of internal communications, constant education, and gradual behavior changes. You will definitely take an advantage regardless of making your own steps towards the situation improvement or attracting specialists.

The care of physical and emotional health of workers will favorably affect their performance and the company's popularity. Wellness programs increase staff loyalty, allow to select the best team members, and reduce corporate expenditures for sick days.

On April 28, w2 conference Moscow will feature individual specialized blocks dedicated to the physical and psychological health of employees.

Conference program details >>>

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