Five Ways to Promote a Healthy Work Environment

When your employees are ill, this can reduce your company’s productivity and put you in a bind. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, unhealthy employees cost the United States more than $225.8 billion each year. However, being sick is normal and is something every employee will encounter. To keep your company productive, happy, and strong, here are a few ways you can promote a healthy work environment.

1. Offer Paid Sick Days

Many employees come to work despite being ill because they financially can’t afford to miss the day. Unfortunately, these workers aren’t as productive during this time and they are simply spreading the germs, infecting other employees, and creating a continuous cycle of illness. To prevent this from happening, offer paid sick days and encourage employees to use them. This will keep the germs away and give employees the chance to receive the rest they need.

2. Offer Gym Membership or Discounts to Local Gyms

Physical activity offers many benefits including boosting your immune system, reducing the risk of chronic diseases, and improving your sleep. It also improves your mood, energy levels, memory, and overall happiness. Unfortunately, many individuals don’t take advantage of local gyms and exercise equipment due to high membership fees. By offering free memberships or discounted memberships, many employees are more willing and eager to exercise and take advantage of these health benefits.

3. Teach Employees

Sitting is quickly gaining the reputation as being the silent killer. If your employees sit for most of the day, teach them exercises that they can do at work to get the blood flowing and to stretch their muscles. There are several ergonomic exercises that improve posture, condition the body, and reduce pain from sitting for long periods of time. Take the time to teach your employees several of these exercises during trainings and other meetings.

4. Make it a Group Effort

If you want to create a healthy work environment, you must make it a team effort. You can initiate group healthy eating challenges with prizes and incentives for those who participate and win. During one break each day, encourage employees to meet together and go for a walk around the block. Occasionally, you may even encourage long team lunches at the park where you can play a game of Frisbee or kickball before heading back into the office.

5. Don’t Overwork Your Employees

While you certainly need to meet deadlines and accomplish tasks, you must also find a balance between home and work life for your employees. Be mindful of how much time your employees are working — particularly salaried workers who don’t track their time — and make sure employees are receiving adequate rest. Plus, when you overwork your employees, they can quickly lose motivation and they burn out quickly.

Just as you worry about sales, data, and company goals, you should also make your employees’ mental and physical health a priority. When you have employees who are healthy and take care of themselves, you will have a much happier, more productive, and motivated staff.

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