Söderberg & Partners Benefits
How to Improve Employee Health at Work (2024)
S&P Benefits
How to Improve Employee Health at Work (2024)
How to Improve Employee Health at Work (2024)
Supporting employee health in the workplace is an investment that yields many benefits for both employees and the organization as a whole. Firstly, a healthy work environment can reduce absenteeism among employees, thus decreasing both production losses and costs. Additionally, a healthy workplace often leads to increased efficiency and productivity since healthy and well-being employees are more engaged and motivated. A healthy work environment also contributes to reducing turnover by creating a positive and supportive workplace culture where employees thrive and want to stay. There are many benefits to working on employee health. But how do you do it? After all, health is a combination of various factors and can sometimes be difficult to grasp.
In this article, you will encounter some well-established strategies that you can use to improve employee health.
1.
Health Promotion Programs and Activities:
1.
Health Promotion Programs and Activities:
A good way to start is by offering various health promotion programs and activities such as wellness subsidies, exercise classes, health seminars, health challenges, or similar initiatives. There is a plethora of different activities that you can experiment with and see what is most popular. These types of activities help increase awareness about health and encourage employees to take active steps towards improving their well-being.
2.
Ergonomics in the Workplace:
2.
Ergonomics in the Workplace:
We sit down – far too much. This is especially true for many in the workplace. Working to create an ergonomic work environment can help reduce the risk of work-related injuries and improve employee well-being. You can actively work on adjusting workstations, providing ergonomic furniture, chairs, and technical equipment, as well as offering advice on proper posture and ergonomic work practices.
3.
Mental Health and Well-being:
3.
Mental Health and Well-being:
Health encompasses more than just physical well-being, and focusing on promoting mental health and well-being among employees is crucial for overall health. To make this sustainable in the long term, it’s good to start by focusing on organizational culture to avoid unnecessary stress, conflicts, or competition. Some practical ways to work on mental well-being include offering access to psychological support and various counseling services, organizing mindfulness and relaxation classes, and creating a supportive work environment where employees feel safe to discuss how they are actually feeling.
4.
Healthy Work Environment:
4.
Healthy Work Environment:
It’s also important to create a healthy work environment and support healthy habits in the workplace. One beneficial approach is to offer healthy food choices at the workplace, have a fruit bowl in the break room, encourage physical activity during the workday (e.g., taking a longer lunch break for exercise), and foster an organizational culture that values work-life balance.
5.
Occupational Health Care:
5.
Occupational Health Care:
Sometimes, more immediate assistance may be needed. In such cases, providing access to occupational health care to identify and address health problems early, as well as offering counseling and support, is always beneficial.
6.
Education and Resources:
6.
Education and Resources:
Providing education and resources on health and well-being can help your employees increase their knowledge and understanding of how they can improve their health sustainably – both during work hours and outside of work. Taking charge of and encouraging a focus on health has benefits that extend far beyond work hours. And often, health spreads – it “rubs off” on others in one’s proximity and in the workplace.
7.
Flexibility:
7.
Flexibility:
Offering flexible working hours and opportunities for remote work can promote a good balance between work and personal life. With flexibility, you support employee health as it often reduces stress in various stages of life (and work).
Now that we’ve covered several activities for promoting employee health, it’s also important to be aware of what can disrupt positive employee health. Here are some of the most common disturbances:
- Poor leadership (lack of a health strategy and specific goals for improving employee health).
- Focus on only one aspect of health (e.g., focusing on physical health and neglecting mental health, or vice versa).
- Inadequate communication (it’s important for employees to know about the activities and opportunities available in the workplace).
- “One size fits all” thinking (health is individual, so it’s important for activities to be flexible to meet the varying needs of individuals in the workplace).
- Short-term solutions (health is an ongoing concern and should be a recurring topic in management meetings and part of the health strategy).
- Failure to evaluate the offered activities (without measurement, it’s difficult to know if health interventions are effective. Therefore, always follow up on activities).
- High competition in the workplace (an unhealthy workplace with high competition negatively affects health as it creates a breeding ground for both conflicts and stress).
There are many more factors that can worsen employee health in the workplace than those specified above. A crucial cornerstone in promoting employee health is leadership. Being clear, open, flexible, and long-term in the activities carried out in the workplace to improve health is important. An employee benefits portal is an excellent platform that can facilitate increasing accessibility and flexibility in choosing health solutions that best suit each employee. And don’t forget the importance of being long-term – results are not always immediately visible.
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