Ushering wellness in the workplace is a matter of concern for employers across the globe. The reason is the ever-increasing pile of work which takes a toll on its employees’ well-being. All these together not only increase health hazards but also hike up employees’ medical costs. As a result, there is mayhem leading to employees resigning thereafter. Moreover, employees in unhealthy work environments also gain more weight, visit healthcare centers frequently, and have higher rates of absenteeism. Work stress impacts their family life, mental health, and increases the risk of chronic illnesses and heart attacks. In such a situation, workplace wellness ideas play a pivotal role in ensuring high employee engagement. These measures establish a backbone for corporate wellness that aim towards enhancing the wellness habits of employees to keep them healthy and occupied. [1]
To mitigate such problems, most organizations worldwide have introduced wellness programs that benefit the workforce and promote better company culture. Having bright and healthy employees result in better productivity, lower healthcare costs, and less turnover. Moreover, promoting health and wellness in the workplace is a cost-effective strategy, so there’s a win-win here.
What is Workplace Wellness?
Workplace wellness refers to a set of programs for employees that cater to their physical, mental, emotional, and occupational well-being. Furthermore, the major objective of work-station wellness is to make the environment supportive of healthy behaviors like clean eating, being active, managing stress, and quitting bad habits.
A workplace wellness plan is a critical strategy for making employees happier. Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Implementing health and wellness in the workplace is easier said than done. Let us look at some effective wellness tips and ideas to promote a healthy work environment.
Workplace Wellness Programs
A healthy workplace functions at the expense of team efforts and perseverance. Here, we have curated a comprehensive list of ideas that will get your staff members up and rollin’ – without breaking the bank.
Conduct Weekly Meditation Sessions
Everyone needs a positive force that drives them to perform to the best of their capabilities. To cater to this, one can organize a small meditation session on Mondays. These gatherings may help your employees discard any lazy thoughts from the previous day. This helps them concentrate throughout the day and influences their mental health arbitrarily. Furthermore, you can highlight several other ways to include wellness at the workplace for the entire week as well.
Offer Flexible Working Hours
If feasible, offer flexible working hours to increase productivity and encourage a better work-life balance. Helping employees to avoid annoying traffic times reduces stress and helps them utilize their hours productively instead. According to a 2007 research in the Advances in Developing Human Resources journal, flexible work patterns are likely to benefit employees if they feel more in control over their workstation and time-table. [2]
Install Standing Desks
Provide your employees the choice to stand and correct their posture (also core strength) by using standing desks. Not only does it improve your health but it also increases productivity. A 2017 study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health suggests that a short-term standing position does not impair performance on reading comprehension and creativity tasks. [3]
Conduct Timely Health Checkups
General health checkups allow employees to get a broad idea of their health status, identify any disease or risks beforehand, and discover possible concerns. A recent study in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine suggests that effective strategies, plans, and applications contribute to the worker’s overall health, safety, and well-being. By offering timely checkups, you save your employees from avoiding long-term health concerns unknown to them yet. [4]
Build an On-site Fitness Hub
If you have the means, giving on-site gym services with fitness equipment is an excellent way to promote health in the workplace. Employees can opt for a workout through their meal break or during mid-afternoon recesses, and then resume work. A study by Boston University suggested that physical fitness and a healthy routine reported lowering the risk of deaths from diseases, fostering healthy joints and muscles. [5]
Promote Work-life Balance
Diligent employees are a gift to an organization. As an employer, it is your responsibility to look after the employees’ health and well-being. Work-life balance supports the notion of prioritizing one’s work and personal life when necessary to avoid burnout. Employees with zero or little work-life balance are the unhappiest and least engaged members of the team.
Instead, make work-life balance a must as a part of your business for employees’ satisfaction and wellness. Recommend your staff to take time off periodically. Ensure your employees that you value their lives outside the cubicle – and they should do the same. A strong union between work and personal life outside work is a win-win situation for employers and employees alike. [6]
Wellness at the workplace should not be constrained only to providing health insurance or medical checkups. A healthy workplace involves the direct participation of employees in activities that improve their wellbeing. Adopting a constructive wellness program plays a vital role in fostering a healthy workplace. Furthermore, healthy and happy employees perform better yielding maximum profits. Thus, effective wellness programs have now become a crucial necessity.
