Health and well-being have been known as umbrella terms that encompass many aspects, such as physical health, mental well-being, happiness, comfort, and many others. In the workplace, health and well-being are defined as a state of contentment where employees are able to flourish.
When the term ‘health’ comes into the picture, most companies make the common mistake of just giving attention to employees’ physical health – companies do this by holding fitness classes every week, or simply offering free gym memberships for their employees. These efforts can be appreciated, but they are far from enough. Health and well-being are so much deeper than just going to exercise classes or the gym. Don’t make the common mistakes most companies make when it comes to ensuring employees’ health and well-being.
Here, we put forward seven practical ways to improve and cultivate a corporate culture that truly cares about the employees’ health and well-being.
Encourage Movement
During a workday, employees could spend upwards of eight to nine hours sitting down and typing on their keyboards. Nowadays, the world has been aware that sitting down for long periods of time is not healthy – research compared sitting down for eight hours a day without physical activity to be as bad as being obese or a smoker. By encouraging regular movements, such as providing standing desks, holding walking sessions, walking meetings, and many others, you are giving your employees multiple opportunities to move more.
Provide Healthier Options
Your company may provide snacks and coffee for free in the pantry, so why not choose healthier snacks and beverages? Some options include kombucha drink, veggie chips, fresh juice, hummus, and many others. Simply providing an endless supply of mineral water could be a first step in the right direction. When it comes to healthy snacks and beverages, the options are endless!
Provide Opportunities for Social Interaction
As social beings, humans generally feel happier and more at ease when trust and connection have been built with others in the community, which in this case is the workplace. By creating walking, jogging, footy, or badminton groups, employees are able to get fit and healthy while improving relationships with others. Who doesn’t enjoy hitting two birds with one stone?
Be Flexible
Part of ensuring employees’ mental well-being is stress level management. Even the happiest workers may get burnt out or mentally exhausted at times, which is normal and a part of being human. As companies, your support matters and can make a huge difference in the outcome. You may offer flexible working situations, such as work-from-home days, or even a half-day off when employees have hit their targets. Small rewards and appreciation matter way more than you may think. In some cases, providing employees with access to mental health professionals can be the wisest act you can do in order for them to jump back in full swing afterward.
Reward Healthy Habits
For those externally motivated people, participating in health or well-being sessions may not be worth it if they do not see any reward. Although companies may argue that being healthy and mentally well is for the good of the employees themselves, some individuals may be more motivated if there are other tangible benefits they can reap, such as a half-day off, custom design pens, personalised mugs NZ, and many others.
Send Care Packages
Especially with working from home becoming more of a norm, companies may neglect or forget to keep engagement levels high with their employees. Sending care packages or even office utensils to employees’ homes may induce feelings of warmth and cared for, which may motivate them to work with a happier heart. Not just that, sending personalised promotional items may act as a marketing tool, which may improve brand awareness.
What’s Next?
Nailing the art of cultivating a healthy and flourishing work culture may not be easy, but hopefully, the six ideas above can inspire your company to implement them for the sake of the employees.
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