For your business to succeed, having employees that are healthy is imperative and is often the determining factor between success and failure. Here we discuss health and wellbeing for employees.
Health is a state of complete wellbeing, encompassing physical, mental, and social health, and to live a healthy life, these factors must be considered.
To live a healthy life, people need to eat a balanced diet, do regular exercises, and get plenty of sleep, but as well as this, their workplace environment also comes into play. Those who work in a stressful environment, whether physical, mental, or both, will notice that it impacts massively on their health and wellbeing.
Employers need to recognise that not only is caring for their employees a responsibility of theirs but something that can impact their bottom line if not taken seriously. With that in mind, here is a look into why employee health is a crucial factor for workplace productivity.
1. What is workplace health and wellbeing?
Workplace health and wellbeing is about having a workforce that is safe, healthy, and engaged. There are many ways that you can encourage employees to improve their well-being, from workplace initiatives to incentives and discounts and it’s important to remember that what works for one person, may not always work for another.
One of the biggest challenges that businesses face is to run in a way that not only ensures that all workers are safe, but that they are healthy and happy, too. If your employees aren’t happy or healthy, then this will impact their productivity and is often a matter of when not if. This then causes work to be done to a lower standard, things can get missed and deadlines become a thing of the past. This then affects your business and your bottom line, so ensuring the health and wellbeing of your employees is in your best interest.
2. Why does employee wellness matter?
Workplace health and wellbeing is a must-have and is no longer a nice thing to have. The cost of looking after your employees is huge – mental health issues cost UK businesses around £45 billion a year. But, the evolving demographic of employees means that more and more health concerns are affecting employees, so it’s time for the workplace to create effective wellness initiatives for employees.
Employees are getting older, the gender split in job roles is lessening, and with fewer manufacturing jobs now available, health and safety requirements have changed and should form an intrinsic part of your business model. When you have good employees, it’s better to spend money and take care of the ones you have, rather than spend money looking to replace them if they leave.
3. How has the workplace changed?
Over the past few decades, the workplace has changed and evolved massively. Because of this, health and wellbeing have had to change to support employees, but also ensure the longevity of your business.
Mental health
Poor mental health is the single biggest contributor to long-term absence in the workplace and is something that affects around 59% of all workplaces. By supporting mental health services and implementing a well-structured mental health program in your workplace, you can reduce the impact of mental health absence on your business and support your employees.
Remote workforces
With the pandemic and an improvement in technology, more and more employees are choosing to work from home, rather than from the office. Even though employees are working from home, that doesn’t mean that their health and wellbeing are any less affected. Mental health, muscular aches, and pains, and reduced physical activity are all common problems for those working from home, so health and wellbeing initiatives should be offered to all employees such as ergonomic office furniture for example.
4. How you can support health and wellbeing in the workplace
The easiest way you can encourage employee health and wellbeing in the workplace is by providing initiatives to your employees. This not only improves overall employee engagement and productivity levels but can create a more positive company culture. More and more businesses are setting up various health initiatives and wellness programs for their employees, including:
Promoting regular exercise
Regular exercise has many different health and wellness benefits. It improves cardiovascular health, lowers blood pressure, increases energy levels, and strengthens bones and joints. Exercise is as important for your body as your diet, plus it helps to improve mental wellness. Many workplaces recognise the importance of exercise, therefore offer benefits such as free gym memberships, discounted schemes such as cycle to work, and even set up groups for employees to join.
Encouraging good nutritional habits
The importance of good nutrition should not be underestimated when it comes to promoting and improving employee health and wellness. Proper nutrition can help improve the energy and concentration levels of your employees and can greatly improve workplace productivity. If an employee drinks only coffee and eats junk food, then their mood and productivity levels will be sluggish, whereas employees who take vitamins and supplements regularly, such as vitamin B complex, enjoy a healthy and balanced diet, and keep hydrated will likely be more alert and productive.
Having a better picture of your staff’s health and wellbeing at work, whether this is from home or at the workplace, makes a huge difference to the output for the business. So, consider the tips listed in this article to get more out of your employees and your company while giving something back.
Author Profile
- Online Media & PR Strategist
- I am an Online Media & PR strategist at ClickDo Ltd. & SeekaHost Ltd. and a Blogger and Educator by Passion. I am also a contributor to many News, Business, Education and Lifestyle Blogs in the United Kingdom. I have completed a journalism summer course at the London School of Journalism and manage various blogs.
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