In the modern world, deadlines at work decide everyone’s fate. As a result, many employees experience physical and mental health problems that affect their productivity and general well-being. The NCBI claims that people who experience high levels of work-related stress are more likely to develop poor health conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases.

As an employer, you should be responsible for maintaining and improving employee health. In addition, a healthy workforce is not only helpful for the employees, but it’s also beneficial for your company. Improved employee health can boost output, reduce absenteeism, and help you create a happier workplace. So how can you effectively promote the physical and mental health of your employees?

There are simple and doctor-recommended activities that you can implement in your office work routine to improve both mental and physical employee health. Read and understand completely to create a more positive work environment.

Do These! 

1. Conduct Mindful Practices In The Workplace

Mental wellness is the foundation of employee health. One of the most efficient ways to improve employee mental health at work is through mindfulness. This simple technique can help your employees reduce stress and focus better while improving their overall health. Here’s how you can add mindfulness to your employees’ workday:

Add Short Walking Breaks

This can help them focus on their breathing. You can assign an office space where together employees can take short walks, sit by themselves quietly, and maybe even practice a few mindful breathing exercises.

This simple activity can help regulate their blood flow and breathing patterns, which can help them throughout the day to focus better on what needs to be done. 

2. Recognize and Address Stress

If your employees are too busy to care for themselves, maybe you should help them. Here are a few things to start with:

Conduct Stress-relief Workshops

You can hire mental health professionals to conduct these workshops once a month. These professions can help to identify the stress triggers and symptoms that are affecting your employees’ health. They can provide exercise plans or one-on-one sessions to help your employees control their anxiety, irritability, and mood swings. 

3. Establish Clear Boundaries

Set clear work time boundaries to maintain good employee health. Your employees don’t always have to stay late to finish additional work. Instead, you can encourage them to maintain a work-life balance. Plan a proper work chart for each employee and assign work equally to not overwhelm one person. 

Remember, when employees feel like they have control over their time and can prioritize their personal needs, they are more likely to be productive and engaged in their work. Prioritize their health, they are the most valuable assets to your company.

4. Encourage Regular Movements

A sedentary life is a curse to employee health. Our bodies require movement to stay flexible, active, focused, and happy.

You can conduct office wellness programs. These programs are designed with office-specific exercises and information to improve employees’ mental health, reduce muscle tension, improve blood circulation, and boost energy levels. With such training, your employees can learn to prioritize themselves while contributing equally to their work.

Click here if you need to learn more about wellness programs.

5. Prioritize ergonomics

Besides office wellness programs, you may also need to create a comfortable workspace and conduct ergonomic adjustments at your office, which can help employees maintain good posture and reduce strain. A few adjustments like this can help to improve employee health and productivity. Investing in adjustable chairs, standing desks, and ergonomic accessories can make a significant difference in employee well-being.

Don’t Do This!

1. Overemphasize Work at the Expense of Life

Don’t expect employees to respond to work communications after hours. Yes, work is important, but what good is an employee with no energy and productivity? After-work hours are the escape moments where a person can be with their original self. 

Between traveling and a 9-to-5 job, employees barely get the me-time. So instead of pressuring them with extra work, encourage them to use their vacation time. You may also consider offering flexible working hours or remote work options to employees a few times.

Try it, it’s the easiest way to treasure employee health.

2. Stigmatize Mental Health Issues In The Workplace 

It is possible that many of your employees, and even you at times, take the stress lightly. Mental health is important. Don’t consider it secondary to work. It is possible that many of your employees, and even you at times, take the stress lightly. 

“It might just be the workload”

“I’m fine, I just need to push myself”

“I’ll feel better after a cup of coffee”

We often say these things to ourselves every time we feel overwhelmed. But it’s dangerous to ignore stress. If not managed in time, it can be a threat to work and employee health.

Instead, offer access to counseling services or employee assistance programs to improve employee health.

3. Neglect the physical work environment

If your workspace has issues with lighting, air quality, or temperature it can negatively impact employee health and comfort. An employee who has to sit in front of a screen from 9 to 5 needs to ensure that they can see clearly, sit comfortably, and feel focused with no irritability. 

Investing in a healthy work environment is necessary for creating a productive and enjoyable workplace. 

4. Assume one size fits all 

Instead of offering the same health support for all employees over and over, may not address everyone’s unique needs. As an employer, you should take a look at who needs what. Using the same wellness plan from an earlier program can show negative results rather than benefiting anyone. Make sure to consistently conduct professional wellness programs to provide customized wellness plans to each employee. Everyone has different needs, so the solution needs to be different too, doesn’t it?

Make sure to provide a variety of options and cater to individual preferences and employee health goals. When they feel prioritized, they will be more interested in their work life, than just looking at it as an unending task.

 

Implement these dos and don’ts to foster a work culture that values and actively promotes employee health. Be the best example for your employees. Supporting employee health is not just about preventing health issues, it’s about creating a workplace where people can thrive both personally and professionally. 

All of these may be difficult to manage at once. So start small. Start by implementing one or two of these suggestions and build from there. Your employees will thank you.

Now that you know what do to, take the next step in supporting employee health. Book a consultation call with our team of physiotherapy and wellness experts! 

We can help you develop a comprehensive plan to improve employee health, boost productivity, and create a happier, healthier workplace. Don’t wait—your employees’ health is too important to ignore. Contact us today to schedule your consultation to start your journey toward easy success with a better workforce!