Business leaders know how important it is to recruit the best people. This forms a small part of a successful enterprise. Even if you have the best talents on board, you would still lose them quickly when you’re not catering to their needs. Wellness is one of these needs you shouldn’t overlook no matter how big or small an operation you run.
More than improving productivity, ensuring the wellness of your workforce enables you to boost morale and retain people who exhibit leadership potential. What’s more, your organization benefits from an improved reputation among job seekers who are hunting for workplaces that emphasize employee engagement and health. Here’s your guide to how you can improve employee wellness and bring your business forward:
1. Create an engaging and collaborative environment
For the most part, it’s the physical environment that has the most significant impact on employee wellness, so much so that even the layout and the type of fixtures you have on-site could either diminish or elevate stress. Office spaces decades before followed a workplace layout that isolates employees from each other using cubicles. These were supposed to minimize distractions and allow employees to focus more on their tasks.
Businesses have known better ever since cubicles were found to be ineffective in improving productivity. Modern workplaces now focus on establishing more collaborative environments that allow employees to interact with each other and feel less constrained. Opting for shared workspaces, standing desks, and an open office layout offers opportunities to socialize, brainstorm, and take part in healthy interactions.
2. Allow more natural light in
Nothing can diminish workplace morale like forcing employees to work under poorly lit conditions. You may feel that cubicles may still be better than an open office concept, but you will need to make sure the work environment is infused with life. The best way you can do that is to open up the office to as much natural light as needed. Not only does this improve energy efficiency, but it also helps reduce eye strain and create a more lively atmosphere for your employees to thrive in.
If you need to invest in this improvement, consider enlarging your windows and pair them with thick curtains to block out excessive heat during summer. You might also want to add roof lights that allow natural light to flood the interior. This helps enlarge the work environment and reduce energy costs. Roof lights can also help reduce stress among employees. Consider reaching out to a service like Addlite to choose options to match the style and layout of your office space.
3. Provide mental health interventions
It won’t do an organization any good if it doesn’t acknowledge the impact of mental wellness on overall productivity. With the challenges your employees are facing within and outside the office, you need to provide them with the means to deal with stress and burnout. Aside from giving them ample time for rest during work hours, offering on-site services and facilities like massages, a meditation room, and a lounge where they can have coffee with co-workers.
You should also provide counseling services through the HR department. It matters to partner with professional therapists in setting this up. You should also make sure that the HMO you’re carrying also includes mental health provisions that link employees with licensed mental healthcare providers. You may want to review your current HMO provider and see if it has such provisions in store.
4. Initiate wellness programs and build facilities
When it comes to overall wellness, employees could benefit the most from knowing that fitness centers are within reach. For this reason, you may want to include a small gym within the office so your employees won’t have to travel far or endure a long commute. Build a space complete with equipment such as treadmills, rowing machines, and weights. It may seem too much, but having all these can provide employees with a convenient means to follow through with their workout plans.
While you’re at it, consider organizing weekly workout events. You can opt for after-work Zumba sessions or organize a seminar on CrossFit for beginners. If you don’t have much to invest in an on-site gym, consider partnering up with a local fitness center where employees can avail of a discount membership. What’s more, you can also organize fitness challenges or sports tournaments and offer free consultations with coaches.
5. Improve accessibility and convenience
Workplace wellness is also anchored on providing the right facilities that champion inclusivity and improve accessibility among certain groups. For instance, you can set up a nursing station for employees who are allowed babies younger than six months into the office. It’s also important to provide flexible work options to pregnant employees along with provisions for days off of work for doctor’s appointments.
For employees with disabilities, it matters to ensure the work environment is complete with features that enhance accessibility. This would mean providing ramps, handrails, as well as signs with Braille. It also matters if you could order ergonomic office equipment that puts less strain on their movements.
Endnote
Wellness forms a cornerstone of employee engagement, so make sure your organization follows through with these tips and champions the frontline people who run it.
