The term “Employee well-being” covers the mental, physical and financial health of the workers in the organization. According to a recent survey, 58% of the world’s population spends one-third of their lives at the workplace. So, creating a work environment that supports the positive well-being of employees is crucial.
At present, there has been an increasing awareness among employers on the importance of workplace wellness. It has made more than 70% of the organizations have wellness programs on their annual agenda. But, it is yet to be known how far the wellness programs have improved the health, happiness, and production capacity of the employees at work.
Wellness programs, if implemented in the right way, on average, can decrease medical costs by 17%, increase the physical activity of the employees by 50% and improve employee engagement by 59%. Here are some suggestions to improve the well-being of employees in the workplace.
Maintaining Indoor Air-quality
In corporate offices, employees spend 90% of their time indoors. In the long run, it has a tremendous impact on their physical and mental health. As humans, your employees need plenty of sunlight and fresh air to be healthy. The indoor air quality becomes polluted due to carbon dioxide generated because of running air-conditioners, using detergents, cleaning products, and humidification.
To make the workplace healthier, choose to have open workspaces, more windows, and indoor plants. For cleaning purposes, use eco-friendly, non-toxic cleaning agents. Regular maintenance of air-conditioners and humidifiers becomes a must to maintain air quality.
Providing Ergonomic Furniture
Among workplace health issues, musculoskeletal disorders affect many employees. Corporate employees tied to their computers often report neck pain, back pain, joint pain, and knee pain that meddles with their productivity and quality of work. It affects blood circulation and inner organs also.
Let your office be small or big. It must have suitable ergonomic furniture to provide a healthy working environment. The computer tables and chairs must be ergonomically designed to provide comfortable seating while working. Install the screen at eye level and armrests at the keyboard level.
Supporting movement
To support employee wellbeing at work, make your employees move around the workplace to complete their assigned work. Let the employees walk at least for a while to reach the pantry or the canteen or the dining room to have their lunch or tea.
Let your employees take the stairs instead of using the lift to reach the floors above to meet their colleagues or attend official meetings. Instead of calling over to convey a message, allow your employees to walk and meet their co-workers in person.
To relax for a while and be out of stress, the employers can provide facilities to play table tennis or do gym exercises. This will help employees to maintain their physical and mental well-being. You can even hire a fitness professional to meet your employees and guide them to lead a healthy lifestyle by practicing yoga and gym exercises regularly.
Eating nutritious food
By providing nutritious food at the office canteen or pantry, employers can take care of the well-being of their employees. Fresh fruits, vegetables, green tea, and fruit juices help employees to get the right nutrition that will help them to work without getting tired.
Conduct regular workshops to let the employees know the importance of making healthy food at work and at home to be strong and healthy. In addition to food, employees must know how to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Scheduling health check-ups
In addition to providing a healthy work environment, it is also important to organize regular health checkups for your employees. Regular medical screenings will help to identify health issues in the initial stages and get them treated on time. Health wellness programs at the organizations will help employees to know how to maintain both physical and mental health.
Regular visits of counselors on a particular day to your office will provide much-needed emotional support to employees who face issues at the workplace. It will also help them to approach issues in the right way and get them resolved without affecting their mental health. Plan some time for your employees to get them involved in offering social work also. It will help them to understand their role in society and help others to be healthy and happy.
Encourage your employees to cycle or walk to work. It will provide them the time to relax and let their heart, blood vessels, and brains work efficiently. Physical activities help to reduce stress and lead a happy, stress-free life both at work and at home.
Conclusion
Happy and healthy employees prove to be more productive. Healthy workers are mentally strong and motivate others to do their best.
By providing a healthy work environment, employers help employees to maintain their health at its best. A clutter-free workplace promotes productivity and stress-free working hours. It brings a significant impact on the well-being of the employees without much strain.
