Strategies to Improve Employees’ Health and Well-Being

Employers can encourage their employees’ health and well-Being by making them feel more comfortable at work. Rather than being cold and insensitive, employers should be more flexible and communicative with their employees. Listen to their concerns and offer solutions. For example, provide flexible work hours or schedules. These are just a few strategies to improve employee health and well-being. Incorporate these strategies into your workplace culture to enhance morale and productivity.

Stress

While many workplaces are focused on boosting productivity, few invest in strategies that can positively impact the mental health of their employees. Long working hours, unrealistic expectations, and poor relationships can lead to a toxic work environment that negatively affects employee motivation and productivity. To prevent this, employers must understand the root causes of high stress and offer various benefits and perks. Financial health is one of the most common sources of stress, according to a recent PwC survey. Employees’ stress levels are primarily due to financial difficulties, so a program that focuses on financial planning is an excellent start.

Incorporate a better employee health and wellness program into your company’s workplace culture. Offering your employees a health and wellness program is a great way to make them feel good and reduce the costs of recruiting and training new workers. Healthier employees are more productive and loyal. Even five minutes of light exercise per hour can significantly reduce lost productivity. Companies should consider these strategies, even if they’re small.

Work-life balance

The growing concern about employee burnout has consequences for both employees and companies. According to the American Psychological Association, stress and burnout cost the US economy $500 billion annually. And 550 million workdays are lost every year due to employee burnout. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has only made things worse. Yet while the consequences of increased stress are dire for everyone, there are ways to make your workplace healthier. Here are some strategies.

Encourage people to take time off. Avoid making employees eat at their desks every day. If possible, let them take a break for lunch. Encourage them to meditate or practice breathing exercises to relieve stress if they can’t find time to go out, and offer them flextime or a compressed workweek. Encourage your employees to recognize the value of time for self-care and let go of perfectionism.

Friendships

A deeper social connection between employees and coworkers can improve employee mental health and boost their overall well-being. Friendships make work more fun and can increase employee motivation and performance. On the other hand, too much socializing can detract from productivity, as can disagreements and falling out with colleagues. This can also create tension if one of your friends gets the promotion or the project you both want.

The benefits of workplace friendships are many. Employees with good work relationships report higher job satisfaction and are less likely to leave their company. A Gallup poll found that employees with best work friends were twice as engaged, more productive, and less likely to quit their jobs. They also experience less stress and are more likely to stay with their company. Having a good work-life balance is vital for employee retention.

Healthy eating

One of the easiest ways to increase your employees’ health and well-being is to provide them with healthier options. Healthy snacks and drinks can replace biscuits and other unhealthy choices, and there are many ways to offer healthy options. For example, instead of caffeinated beverages, offer almond or coconut milk. In addition, even more, nutritious snacks and drinks can be easily found around the office. By incorporating these strategies, you can create a healthy environment for your employees and boost productivity simultaneously.

For a more effective workplace wellness program, consider offering health benefits and perks to employees. Studies show that 87% of employees support employer-sponsored well-being programs. Employees also like extended health benefits and preferential pricing for healthy foods. Some health insurers have even launched online employee resources, including Manulife’s Vitality program and Green Shield Canada’s Change4Life Portal. In addition, healthy eating strategies in the workplace are vital because they can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Access to health care

The number of employees with substantial health needs is growing, and nearly a third of employees believe that access to health care has made it easier for them to access medical conditions and prescription medication. By offering health care telephonically, employers can improve employee well-being and promote employee health-taking. In addition, the services provided by medical professionals reinforce an overall sense of security, which is vital in an employer-employee relationship.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has little effect on employer coverage of health insurance, but the design of health benefits directly affects employee costs and health-related behaviors. Studies have shown that higher employee well-being is associated with increased productivity, lower absenteeism, and a higher rate of return from disability leave. The financial benefits of investing in health engagement may be significant. Employers should consider health care coverage costs before deciding to change their policies.