Encouraging a Healthy Work Environment

A healthy work environment is a productive one. Employees who work in a healthy workplace are less likely to experience illness, injury, and the loss of work days.

Employers have many options when it comes to encouraging a healthy work environment. Implementing just a few key strategies leads to greater success for your business in the long run.

Health is a Business Investment

All jobs present challenges that can compromise the health and wellbeing of employees. Long work hours, volatile market conditions, and lack of movement are just a few factors that lead to stress and illness.

Helping employees improve and maintain optimal health is one of the greatest investments you can make in your organization. Employers who implement wellness programs at the workplace reduce health care costs and create businesses built upon strong and productive employees.

Healthy Communication

Communication among employees is critical to a high level of satisfaction at work. Encouraging open communication establishes trust among all members of your team.

Many stress-related issues are a result of poor communication in the workplace. It creates friction within operations and causes workers to feel frustrated and helpless during conflicts.

Establishing healthy communication is the first step to creating a healthy work environment.

Mental and Emotional Health at Work

Most businesses overlook the mental and emotional aspects of health.

High levels of stress increase the risk of hypertension and heart disease while contributing to issues related to fatigue, chronic pain, and poor sleep. Over time, this affects the efficiency within your organization and is the first sign of potential (and more serious) health problems among your staff.

Employers can provide programs and resources for employees who might be experiencing increased levels of mental and emotional stress. You can offer stress management solutions through interoffice correspondence, or by inviting health and stress experts to speak to your team.

Support Employee Exercise

You can provide support to employees by creating an exercise-friendly workplace. Having an exercise facility on-site is one of the most effective ways to encourage physical activity, although this isn’t always a feasible option for all companies.

Many employees now commute to work on their bikes as a way to reduce the use of fuel and get more exercise. Providing bike parking in your office or building encourages workers to use bicycles in place of their cars for transportation.

Additionally you can inform your entire team of the locations of stairs that they can use in place of elevators as an easy way to increase physical activity at work.

Organize Employee Retreats

Retreats provide a break from the office while giving you an opportunity to improve the relationships and collaboration of your employees. They give the organization a chance to revisit the core values and missions of the business, and are ideal for setting up activities that benefit the bodies and minds of workers.

These activities foster creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving skills; all of which contribute to the success of your business.

There are many ways employers can encourage a healthy work environment. These are just a few simple and powerful strategies you can use to begin meeting the health needs of your employees.

It’s an investment that maximizes the productivity and effectiveness of your organization for better results, reduced health care costs, and a healthy and motivated team.