Your employees’ health contributes to your company’s success. Imagine the losses you suffer from every time they fail to attend work due to sickness or when they do go to work but can’t be productive. While there’s no way you can guarantee the totality of their health, you can make a positive impact by giving them a healthy workplace.
A truly healthy environment at work has many facets. You have to consider the physical, which pertains to how your office design and maintenance habit addresses risks. There’s also the matter of providing opportunities to promote healthy lifestyles and make them more attuned to their body’s needs.
If you don’t know where to begin, then here are five of the most underrated tips that will surely benefit your workplace.
Create a Team
You can’t expect to handle this project on your own. It might surprise you how an endeavor like this requires time, effort, and commitment that can make your schedule even more hectic. The best solution is to create a wellness committee that will oversee the entire job.
Their primary task is to identify avenues for improvement in your workplace and chart a plan of action. This could mean putting together a survey that will enlighten you of your employees’ needs. After all, while the wellness ideas you have in mind are good, they may not be exactly what is needed to create a healthy workplace. Your committee will see that these needs are recognized, and all your efforts lead to rewarding results.
Determine Office Hazards and Address Them
Another important task your committee has to handle pertains to office hazards. It happens too often that you get caught up in starting yoga classes and meditation sessions that you forget the basics. This involves inspecting your office for leaks, wiring problems, and slip hazards.
Perhaps you have problems with your insulation because your operable windows need new weather strips. When was the last time you replaced the batteries of your smoke detectors? Do you need to replace your radon and carbon monoxide detectors? Don’t forget to schedule termite inspections, too. Local areas have plenty of good exterminators that you can reach out to for regular visits.
Create a checklist and a calendar for these tasks, especially for seasonal maintenance tasks. Once you establish a system, it’ll be easier for everybody to make your office so much safer and healthier for everyone.
Perform Regular Health Screenings
There are many benefits to holding regular health screenings for your employees. The primary one is also the most obvious: you get to help them improve their health. These screenings will update them on the status of their body and what changes they can make to alleviate pains and cure diseases. It might even lead to a critical diagnosis that would’ve otherwise remained unknown until it’s too late.
The second benefit has to do with your employer-employee relationship. It gives them peace of mind to know that their employers care not only for their work but also them as a person. This is especially important for those who can’t afford regular check-ups by themselves. You’ll find that they’ll be more appreciative of their work and consider staying in your team for many years.
Provide Options
Different employees have different health needs, particularly when it comes to ergonomics. For example, some people prefer to switch between their regular desk and a standing desk from time to time. You can install their workstations with height-adjustable tables to make this easier for them to do.
As for food, why not fill your pantry with healthy snacks? Don’t just go for the same kinds of food, though. Introduce a variety that will cater to different allergies and dietary preferences. The options you provide will vary per office depending on your employees’ immediate needs regarding equipment and food, among others. With the help of your committee and some strategic planning, it shouldn’t be difficult to determine what these options should be.
Get Feedback
How else would you know whether your efforts are paying off if not through feedback? Perform regular surveys and continually fine-tune your methods. If you get mostly negative comments during your first few attempts, consider them a part of the journey and learn from them. Creating a healthy workplace isn’t an easy task, so you have to give yourself a sufficient margin for error.
It’s going to take time, and it’s going to cost you money. The good news is that it’s a worthwhile investment. Keeping your employees healthy and happy will cause your company to grow in unexpected ways. More importantly, you’ll be making a lasting difference in their lives.