Flu season has come, and your overworked employees have begun dropping like flies. What’s more, you’ve noticed most stay fairly chained to their desks, and while they like watching The Amazing Race, none of them would ever consider doing it themselves. The company has unwittingly created an atmosphere of all work and no play/exercise, making them all dull boys, as it were. But do you really have the responsibility to get employees into a healthy frame of mind? You should.
- Healthy employees have more active minds, too. If you know anything about exercise, you know that movement gets the blood flowing, which gets the brain synapses firing. Thus, wellness promotes creativity and potential innovation as well. And an active brain does better at solving problems as well. When you have employees hyper-focused only on their specific tasks, it means they aren’t aware of potential problems–or solutions. Promoting overall wellness makes for sharper employees.
- Healthy employees help your bottom line. Want to cut down on rising healthcare costs? Foster wellness with your employees so they don’t have to take as much time off for illness or doctors’ visits. Some companies even lower employee contributions to their deductibles if they participate in a wellness program. In addition, those with the potential for chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity benefit from a wellness program that also includes education in how to prevent them from happening–thus cutting down on overall healthcare costs.
- How can you help? Get creative–encourage teams to participate in a company-based Amazing Race (with prizes at the end). Make it fun and collaborative, which gets people involved more readily. Encourage employees to take time during the workday to get outside, offer some sort of discounted gym membership, take a company day to go on a hike/ropes course/yoga retreat. No matter what you choose, creating a culture where wellness is both encouraged and appreciated helps employees see you view them as more than workers.
Healthier employees are happier employees, which spills over into both their personal and professional lives, thus creating a more successful, positive atmosphere for everybody. To find your next successful candidate, partner with the professional recruiters at PrideStaff Thousand Oaks/Ventura County.
