As an employer, you want your employees to always do their best, stay on top of everything, and get the most out of each day. However, that won’t happen if you have stressed or overwhelmed employees who make a habit of simply holding on and getting through each day. Too many employers overlook the importance of helping their employees stay well. Those who promote wellness at their places of business tend to have happier, healthier, more productive, and more loyal employees.
- Motivate. A little friendly competition often helps in this regard. Consider offering a weight-loss contest that encourages employees to team up and lose together, offering some sort of prize at the end. This helps employees gain both extrinsic and intrinsic rewards, and it fosters a community of healthy habits. Teams can support each other and try to do better than their co-workers. And if you bring in resources to help them do the contest safely and successfully, you’re supporting their efforts in the best way possible.
- Well-rounded “wellness.” Wellness isn’t just physical. It definitely includes emotional and mental components, so don’t focus solely on the physical. If you see employees getting mentally bogged down in the stress of a giant project, consider providing a “mental health day” where you give an unexpected day off, have a lunch-and-movie afternoon, or bring in a few office masseuses every so often. And it helps to simply check in and make sure employees feel they have what they need to do their work successfully. A good sit-down may open your eyes to new ideas of how to streamline a process or raise awareness of employees’ needs that you’re not meeting.
- Make the office wellness-friendly. If possible, don’t force a strict formal dress code for employees — it’s not easy to take that lunchtime walk in a suit and dress shoes. You don’t have to go to the other extreme and let everyone wear jeans and t-shirts if you want to remain professional, but comfortable employees tend to get more done. Other easy tips to consider:
- Keep the kitchen and cafeteria clear of junk food and offer healthy options on a regular basis.
- Encourage employees to take half an hour of downtime to relax if they need it, knowing they’ll come back refreshed and ready to work.
When you create a company that not only recognizes the need for wellness but makes it part of the culture, you’ll reap the benefits as employees come in feeling good and energized, ready to work. Make the necessary changes to boost wellness and improve your overall workforce. Read our related blog posts or reach out to our medical staffing team at Medical Professionals today!
Leave a Reply