How healthy is your workplace? If employees are regularly calling in sick, or they look tired and stressed most of the time, then some important changes are needed. Encouraging employees to take an interest in their health is important, and making those changes could help create a much happier, healthier work environment.
Interested in making your workplace healthier? Take a look at the following suggestions.
Add an outdoor area
Many people will spend their whole days indoors once they get to work. This can lead to a lack of vitamin D, but also misses out on the opportunity for better mental health through being outdoors. Could your workplace add some outdoor seating to encourage teams to go outside? From having some areas to grab coffee or lunch to an outdoor meeting space, there are plenty of ways an outdoor area can be used by your employees.
If an outdoor space isn’t possible, try to encourage employees to work off-site from time to time to help them enjoy a change of scenery, as well as some fresh air.
Introduce flexible working
Flexible working has many benefits for businesses, and it’s at the top of many candidates’ wishlists when they’re looking at places to work. Flexible working can help employees to manage their days better, allowing them to juggle childcare and a tricky commute and other great benefits. Many businesses have found that employees work more productively when flexible working is in place, which could mean great things for your workplace.
Provide incentives and initiatives to get healthier
Having some health-related incentives in place could help encourage employees to take an active interest in their health. Providing a bike shelter and a bike loan scheme can be a great way to get your employees to use active travel methods and reduce the amount that they use their cars. You could also provide a discount on gym memberships, or host in-office fitness classes to get your employees moving and boost their fitness.
Encourage hygiene around the workplace
It’s easy for viruses and bugs to spread around the office, and once the winter flu season kicks in, you can find your office quickly devoid of team members! Putting up notices reminding employees of basic hygiene practices can be very useful to have around the office, as well as easily available desk wipes, hand sanitizers and more. If employees become sick, make sure they go home to prevent the spread to others. Self-care at work is extremely important and is something you should encourage across the board.
A healthy workplace not only benefits your employees but your business too. Sick days and absences cost money, while having team members who are stressed and unmotivated won’t help drive results. By focusing on creating a happy and healthy workplace, you can help transform your workplace for the better, so why not start now?