Healthy employees are the backbone of any organization. Despite this fact, very few employers are willing to invest in their workers’ well-being. including providing crystal awards for their achievements. According to an IBM study published in October 2020, less than half of American employees said their company supported their physical and emotional health. Consequently, this resulted in workers getting increasingly sick at their jobs with all signs pointing fingers at the deteriorating work environment.
Therefore, as a business owner, you cannot continue running your company while neglecting your employees’ needs. Each step you take towards their wellness will yield high profits and satisfied workers. If you’re curious to learn how, here’s what you should start doing:
- Ensure The Workplace Is Clean
In 2016, American researchers conducted a 13-month study and found that more than 4,000 surfaces in the office buildings were dirty. These include taps, microwaves, computer keyboards, and fridge doors. An unclean surface is a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses. Since Missouri is still dealing with the effects of the COVID-19 virus, with 299 cases on an average daily and hundreds hospitalized in Saint Louis, you can’t allow your workspace to stay filthy.
Cleaning offices is a multi-layered process. This cannot be handled by a janitor alone; you need a team of highly skilled professionals who can tackle the mess from top to bottom. The commercial cleaning services St Louis Missouri offers are trustworthy and can be personalized to meet your needs.
One such facility is an electrostatic treatment that disinfects the room from viruses and bacteria. The rest of your hygiene regime should include decluttering the office space, setting up sanitizer stations around the building, and getting the office deep cleaned once a month.
- Make Sick Leaves Part of the Workplace Culture
You should separate between paid time offs (PTOs) and sick leaves. Most employees don’t want to waste their paid leaves on an illness, so they’ll put off taking a holiday. Unwell workers cost enterprises money. When these workers show up with the flu or any contagious disease, it spreads, and their choice to stay behind and work longer hours causes presenteeism. This refers to a loss in productivity because employees cannot perform to their maximum capacity due to their health.
According to the Harvard Business Review, presenteeism costs the US economy upward of $100,000 annually. You also risk an outbreak if you continue allowing sick employees to show up to work. As a business owner, you must reassure your workers that their health and well-being are crucial to the office culture and encourage them to take time off. It will help if you make sick leave an official workplace policy so that it doesn’t get confused with PTOs and your employees don’t fear losing a precious paid holiday.
- Talk to Your Workers
Communication is a two-way street. You need to listen to your employees and ask them where they feel your company can improve in terms of wellness. Survey polls and suggestion boxes can help you narrow down what most of your staff wants. Ideas that are out of budget, like going on an international trip or a relaxing spa day, can get pinned down for later, but work on suggested proposals within your budget.
Part of listening to your employees is to encourage them and praise their efforts. About 60% of your staff will more likely stay with you if they feel appreciated. Your words of encouragement can boost morale, lift your employee’s spirit and give them the confidence to continue working for you.
- Have A Wellness Program
Employees cannot sit in one place all day. Idle sitting is bad for circulation and can make your staff feel lethargic. The lack of movement can also hurt their limbs, making them cramp up from staying in one place for too long. If you have the budget to invest in an office gym, you should go for it.
Other options include designating a spot for your workers to do yoga, substituting desks for a standing table, and offering discounts on local gyms. You can schedule a trainer to come in regularly and carry out light exercise sessions that are easy to do and follow—equipment like bouncy balls, stress balls, smaller weights, and hand massagers should be available around the office. Your staff should also be allowed to take jogging and walking breaks in between work.
- Pay Attention To Mental Health
More than 90% of employees feel stressed at work. This can be because of the workload, lack of rest, or the demanding schedule they must follow daily. If you notice your workers showing signs of fatigue, looking anxious or withdrawn from their peers, you need to act as a business owner. Mental health is a part of the wellness culture. When a worker isn’t all there mentally, it starts trickling into other aspects of their life. They may begin to skip work, miss deadlines, or fail to perform.
Mental health is a tricky subject that is best understood by a professional. So your first order of priority should be finding a reputable and qualified therapist who can dedicate time to work with your office employees.
You should ensure managers attend sensitivity training, which can help them better communicate with struggling employees. The staff can also look into a Missouri-based app called MindSupply, which provides guided meditation instructions and plays relaxing melodies and sleep sounds. Consider adding nap pods to your offices. These give employees space to rest and recoup, boosting their mental health. Allowing your staff to take quick naps is suitable for their health.
Final Thoughts
Your employees are an integral part of your company. Therefore, you must ensure that they’re doing well and can cope with the demands of a hectic workspace. Numerous factors contribute to an employee’s well-being. These include the cleanliness of the space around them, avaiability of sick days, and paying attention to their needs.
You should also encourage your staff to become more physically active by providing them with the tools to stay in shape. Don’t forget their mental well-being matters too. So anytime you see your worker struggling, learn how you can pitch in.