Your business’ success is directly tied to the efforts of your employees. Without them, you probably wouldn’t be where you are today. And because they spend such a large portion of their day at work, wellness should absolutely be a part of the workplace environment.
It’s in your best interests to invest in the health and wellness of your staff. A healthier workforce is often more productive and requires fewer sick days and doctor visits. With a healthier—and therefore sharper and more focused—staff, the risk of workplace injury is often reduced as well. But even with all these benefits that affect the entire workplace, only about 33 percent of small businesses actively participate in a wellness program.
Most businesses that do not have a wellness program cite a lack of funds as the main reason. And yes, smaller businesses may not have the resources to bring in nationally recognized nutritionists and cater in healthy lunches, but there are plenty of ways to introduce wellness into the workplace without spending much at all. Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing.
Encourage exercise: Many workplaces, especially offices, require employees to sit all day. But it’s better to encourage employees to get a bit of exercise throughout the day. Recommend lunchtime walks and breaks to get up and stretch. In addition, you can plan walking meetings, in which you can discuss business as you lap around the building.
Allow casual dress: It’s hard to get in the mindset of taking breaks to exercise when you’re bundled up in a suit or dress. Allowing your employees to dress casually (at least on a few days per week) may help them to get up and get moving.
Promote healthy snacking: Do you supply the break room with chips and candy bars? Replace junk food with granola bars, nuts, dried fruit and fresh produce. To complement healthy snacking, provide a source of fresh, purified water to encourage hydration the healthy way.
Allows pets in the workplace: Plenty of research has proven that pets are natural, potent stress relievers. Welcoming dogs into the office can be great for your employees. Not to mention, it forces them to take a few short walks each day to allow their dogs bathroom breaks.
Prioritizing the wellness of your employees not only improves their lives, but it can be a great thing for the productivity and culture of your business. Not to mention, employees who feel valued are more likely to stick around for longer.
What are you waiting for? Start bringing wellness back to your workplace today!
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