More and more companies are beginning to understand the importance of health and wellness in the workplace, even offering certain perks within this space as incentives when recruiting new talent (i.e. on site gyms, yoga classes, meditation classes, or stipends to be used toward wellness endeavors).
It’s certainly well worth it. A recent study demonstrated that approximately 40% of employees experience persistent stress or excessive anxiety on a daily basis in the workplace. And increased levels of job stress have been shown to be associated with increased rates of heart attack, hypertension, and other disorders.
A company would be nowhere without its employees. They’re the most valuable asset to an organisation. Therefore, it goes without saying that ensuring their health and wellness is of the utmost necessity, and should always be a priority to those in leadership and management.
After all, the healthier and happier your employees are, the greater their output in the workplace: more focus, more energy, and more productivity—which gives your company a winning advantage across the board.
You don’t have to implement an extensive employee wellness program in order to ensure health and happy employees, though.
Even the simplest perks in the office can make a world of difference in improving wellness. In fact, here are 5 ideas you can easily implement in the workplace:
Office Makeover
Considering your employees spend 40 hours a week in the office, making it as comfortable and nourishing an environment as possible can go a long way.
This might mean a fresh coat of paint, new flooring, art on the walls, fresh flowers, soft music, and more. These simple changes can boost happiness, which will naturally increase productivity among your workers.
Other chances to consider: office chair alternatives that can help with posture, balance, and increasing your core strength; standing desks, which encourage more physical engagement throughout the day and help to combat the health risks associated with sitting for extensive periods of time; and glare-free lighting, which can help employees work more efficiently with no eye strain.
Health & Wellness Fair
Organise and invite nutritionists, health and fitness experts, physicians, stress management experts, and others who can share useful information to those who are eager to start leading a healthier lifestyle.
Some of the topics you may consider featuring include: stress management, work-life balance, healthy eating on a budget, how to achieve better posture at the work desk, and more. You could even bring in a culinary expert to give demonstrations on healthy cooking.
Sessions such as these are a great way to break up the usual 9-5 workday routine, but they also serve to show your employees that your company cares about their health and well-being, and it gives them the information and resources they need to take better care of their wellness.
Transform the Break Room
Employees use break rooms to decompress and regain their energy. As such, its environment should be wellness-oriented.
Take an inventory of your break room’s current stock. Are your vending machines filled with the usual fare: junk food that’s high in sugar and sodium? Why not opt for fruit bowls, nuts, and other healthier treats that will nourish your employees while also giving them the brain food they need for high performance in the office?
Beyond your break room’s snacks, consider its furnishings as well. There should be comfortable chairs and couches where employees can relax during their break time and ease their work desk posture.
Reward Employees for a Job Well Done
Incentives are a great way to boost productivity in the workplace, especially when the reward is a day off. Not only will this encourage employees to deliver their highest quality of work in order to earn the reward (which can be given on a monthly basis or when certain milestones are reached), but it also gives employees a much-needed break outside of the office to decompress.
Alternatively, the periodic reward can be a spa treatment, a gift certificate to dinner, a gift card, or an incentive that the workplace has voted on as a whole. As long as it’s something your employees are excited about, it’ll serve its purpose as an incentive.
Wellness is more important than ever in the workplace, but it doesn’t take complex and robust corporate wellness programs to ensure the health and happiness of your employees. With just a few added perks here and there in the office, you can create an environment where your employees feel nourished, and as a result, create a company culture where team members are happy to be in the office every day and able to put forth their best work.