Many people are stressed in their personal and professional lives, with some turning to negative behaviors and substance abuse to cope. Employee health is important for them and the business because they get to live healthier, less stressful, and more fulfilling lives while the business benefits from higher productivity and lower levels of absenteeism.
While there is no single solution for helping employees focus on their health, there are great methods businesses can use to achieve the same result.
Understand What is Going on With Employees
The best place to start when creating a wellness program is to understand what employees are going through. It is always best for leadership not to assume they know, and instead ask and actively listen to their employees. Perhaps they are having difficulties due to stress, back pain due to the chair they sit on, or difficulties finding a balance between their personal and professional lives.
It is not until you understand your employees that you can actualize a plan to encourage them to take their health seriously.
Become a Healthy Advocate and Lead By Example
Employees are more likely to take their health seriously or take self-care actions if they see managers and leaders embracing healthy living. Once you see the benefits of taking care of yourself and living a healthier life, share tips and motivations so employees can take the same actions.
Reward Members for Healthy Living
Rewards are great motivators for encouraging people to focus on something or work hard at it. Businesses can reward their members for going for regular checkups, quitting smoking and drinking, eating healthier, and more. Providing wellness rewards for healthy living also has the additional benefit of lowering healthcare costs for employees – and businesses if it handles that for them.
Have Walking Meetings
Most companies hold seated meetings in a conference room. Instead of doing this, have walking meetings occasionally. Walking and talking outdoors removes the constraints that exist in an office or conference room, encourages people to be more open, and leads to shorter meetings.
Do bear in mind that these types of meetings are best suited for one-on-one or small meetings.
Provide Healthier Meals
It is great that many businesses provide their employees with meals. However, many of these meals tend to be unhealthy. Combined with the numerous hours that employees spend sitting down and how few employees exercise, these meals are terrible for their health.
Swap unhealthy meal options for healthier ones, such as fresh fruits, meat-free dishes, and salads. Once they are used to healthy eating in the office, employees are more likely to take those habits home and practice them in their personal lives.
Provide Health Courses
Many employees do not know how to manage stress. There are many reasons why this is, including not knowing how to do it. Businesses can empower their employees by providing courses that give them the tools and information they need to manage their stress better.
Businesses that encourage employee health have higher job satisfaction scores, less turnover, and are highly productive. Businesses can encourage their employees to focus on their health in different ways, personalizing the approaches they use because individuals will react differently to different suggestions.
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