Five Tips to Promote Employee Health and Drive Productivity
Date:
2017-04-17
Studies show that workplace productivity is directly tied to employee health, which affects the overall accomplishments of an employee's company. Because of this, workplace wellness is crucial to succeeding in today's business environment. The health experts at Envolve, an integrated healthcare solutions company, are pleased to share five simple wellness tips for employees to use in the workplace to help improve their wellbeing and yield positive productivity results.
Stand & Stretch! One of the most important wellness tips for employees is to stop sitting so much. Excessive sitting not only contributes to poor circulation and tiredness, but research links excessive sitting to many serious health conditions including weight gain, heart disease and diabetes. Consider investing in standing desks for your next office remodel or allow employees to bring in their own work station lift. Encourage employees to take time to stand up and move each hour by providing a list of desk stretches or creating a centralized location for the printer and water coolers.
Walk in the Workplace Employees report that they typically do not take lunch or breaks because they do not want to be perceived as lazy or “not having enough work to do.” Promoting a walking program allows employees to have a guilt-free outlet to take a break and refocus, lift spirits, encourage camaraderie and endorse physical fitness. Act on this employee engagement idea by creating sign-up sheets in the break room and allowing employees to block off their calendars during lunch or break time. This type of activity lets employees know you care about their health and workplace wellness.
Offer Healthy Food Options to Promote Workplace Wellness Many poor food choices occur due to a lack of options. Consider converting the snacks in vending machines to include healthier, lower calorie options. If your work location has a cafeteria or a catering program, consider the cost of a salad bar and subbing out some of the higher calorie menu options. No vending machines or cafeteria? Budget for office snacks like nuts and other pre-packaged healthy options and place them in the break room for everyone to enjoy. You’ll be surprised how many people choose a healthy snack when it’s available.
Empower Employees Having a strong leadership team that encourages employees to take initiative and publicly recognizes individual and group accomplishments is proven to boost productivity and engagement in the workplace. Constantly working toward implementing new and exciting employee engagement ideas establishes a culture that helps employees feel actively engaged in their daily tasks. Research shows a sense of ownership and purpose are top motivators in keeping employees engaged and productive.
Incentivize Workplace Wellness By providing employees with incentives to get healthy and stay healthy, employers are much more likely to see happy employees. A workplace wellness program not only encourages activity and healthy eating, but in the long run has the potential to save the company thousands of dollars in avoidable healthcare costs. Online tools that give employees access to health information and articles, a step-counter contest, discounted access to fitness facilities and even discounted insurance rates are all proven tactics to engage employees to become active participants in their health.
Want to learn more? Watch this short video about more ways to get happy, productive employees:
