Office employees usually work in fast-paced environments, so prioritizing their health and well-being is crucial. Prioritizing employee wellness means promoting a healthy lifestyle to keep employees happy and productive.
Statista’s 2021 survey in the US reported that 79 percent of employees believed their companies’ wellness programs helped boost productivity and prevent work-related illnesses. Since many employees think that companies focusing on their health and well-being provide significant benefits, you should start implementing wellness initiatives in your workplace.
Importance of a Healthy Lifestyle for Office Employees
Employee health and well-being refers to your employees’ overall physical, mental, emotional, and economic health. Different factors, such as co-worker relationships, decisions, and resources employees have access to influence it. Compensation, work hours, and workplace safety can also affect employee health.
Promoting a healthy lifestyle can significantly improve employee health and well-being. Let’s look at the importance of wellness initiatives for office employees below.
Improves employee retention
Employee retention is your ability to prevent employee turnover. Employee turnover is the number of workers leaving your company within a specific period, which can be voluntary or involuntary. High turnovers are often a result of poor management and a lack of wellness prioritization.
Wellness initiatives can help improve retention by addressing your employees’ concerns. If their performance is lacking, talk to them politely and ask if something is causing them to decline. If the cause is work-related, make amends to help them get back on track.
Enhances employee engagement
Employee engagement is the employees’ mental and emotional connection to their work, teams, and the company. It describes the level of enthusiasm and dedication they feel toward their jobs. When employees are engaged, they can be more passionate about their work and the company’s overall performance.
Promoting a healthy lifestyle in the workplace can enhance employee engagement by providing recognition, improving workplace communication, and providing opportunities for career advancement.
Boosts productivity
Productivity is essential for workplace efficiency and performance. When you prioritize employee health and well-being, you give your employees ample time to care for their physical and mental health. You can do this by allowing them sick days and mental health breaks. This way, they can return to work motivated, re-energized, productive, and in optimal health.
Cultivates a culture of good behaviors
A healthy workplace encourages good behaviors, which sets an excellent example for the organization. Employees who see your compassion, motivation, passion, and positive energy are likelier to act the same. This is how you can inspire them to treat their colleagues respectfully, learn to listen and provide constructive criticisms, and understand the importance of accountability for mistakes.
Attracts top talents
Top talents don’t just look for jobs with higher pay anymore. They also look for companies that prioritize employee wellness. Since attracting the best talents can be highly competitive, you must ensure a positive impression regarding employee health and well-being. Top talents are more likely to choose your company among their options when you promote a healthy workplace.
Wellness Tips for Office Employees
Now that you know the importance of workplace wellness, here are some tips to promote a healthy work environment for your office employees.
1. Promote work-life balance
Work-life balance is how employees meet their job and personal responsibilities. It means that after their shift and during their days off, they should have enough time for themselves and their loved ones. It doesn’t necessarily mean equal time for work and life. The purpose of work-life balance is to give employees enough time to relax and be satisfied with their lives.
You can promote work-life balance by offering flexible hours, allowing reasonable vacation leaves, and encouraging employees to set boundaries. You can even incentivize employees through providing gym memberships. Taking care of their health and fitness is helpful especially when they sit behind a a desk for hours at a time.
2. Encourage healthy eating
Healthy eating can help employees’ physical and mental health. Eating foods with balanced nutrients can maintain their health, make them feel good, and boost their energy.
You can encourage healthy eating among office employees by providing healthier options like fruits, vegetables, fish, lean meats, and eggs. You may give them healthy snacks like dried fruits, nuts, granola bars, beef jerky, and yogurt during lunch or snack hours. Mid-week healthy eating reminders also help.
3. Facilitate physical fitness activities
Physical activities help keep the body fit and in shape. Staying active helps employees manage their weight and prevent diseases. Being fit is also the key to feeling, functioning, and sleeping better.
You can facilitate physical activities by providing management support, access to facilities like gyms, and social support programs. When it gets too busy, you should encourage walking so their bodies can move instead of sitting throughout the day.
4. Implement holistic wellness programs
Holistic wellness programs promote healthier physical, mental, and social lifestyles. They recognize the need to address other health aspects besides physical fitness when building healthier habits. Implementing holistic wellness programs includes physical fitness, nutritious eating, mental health support, spiritual fulfillment, stress management, and financial literacy.
5. Practice regular meditation
Workplaces can sometimes be stressful, so encouraging employees to practice regular meditation can help. Meditation can help employees manage their stress, anxiety, and frustrations. It also helps promote mindfulness to improve focus, compassion, and productivity.
You can help employees practice meditation by teaching them some simple breathing techniques. You may also contact a meditation expert to conduct a meditation workshop. When they return to their screens, they can regulate their emotions and have a clearer mind to handle the stress.
6. Foster an ergonomic workplace setup
Workplace ergonomics are designs that promote productivity and proactiveness. They prioritize creating safe, more efficient, comfortable systems and environments to increase productivity and engagement.
With workplace ergonomics, you should have adjustable chairs and desks, correctly space all the table elements, opt for diffusible lighting systems, set a comfortable temperature, and provide resting accessories. You should also remind them to increase their motion at different times throughout the day.
7. Keep the workplace organized
Messy tables can affect productivity. Keep the workplace organized so employees can reduce stress. Maintaining a tidy workplace also helps staff avoid frustration and overlooking instructions.
8. Allow short productivity breaks
Workdays can feel long and exhausting for some employees. Allowing them to have short productivity breaks or micro-breaks can help them re-energize themselves. Micro-breaks can be as simple as stretching to relieve prolonged sitting, which allows employees to regain and sustain their focus.
9. Limit screen time
Prolonged screen time can cause burnout and stress. It may also lead to eye strain and computer vision syndrome (CVS). Encourage your employees to follow the 20-20-20 rule. For every 20 minutes, tell them to take a 20-second break and look at something 20 feet away.
10. Socialize with colleagues
Socializing promotes social health among office employees. It can help strengthen relationships in the organization. Encourage your employees to be effective listeners instead of talkers, have small talks, discuss non-work topics, and eat outside with colleagues during lunch breaks.
11. Create an intentional workplace
An intentional workplace is a system that respects and accommodates human needs. It also has integrity, is respectful, and puts people first. Creating an intentional workplace involves purposeful meetings, building constructive feedback, and recognizing valuable behaviors.
Bring the Best Out of Your Employees By Prioritizing Their Well-Being
Promoting wellness in the workplace makes employees feel valued. Following these wellness tips can inspire office employees to be their best at their jobs. As a result, you can look forward to long-term growth and success for your company.