The workplace is not a healthy place for a lot of people. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 40% of people experience mental health problems in the workplace. The American Psychological Association reports that one in five American adults experiences depression. The workplace can be stressful, and if you aren’t actively thinking about improving employee well-being, you’re doing it wrong. Well-being shouldn’t just concern your personal life-it’s a business imperative and every employee’s health must be considered at all costs.
Needless to say, employees are the backbone of any company. The best employees are the most productive, satisfied, and loyal. Conversely, the worst employees are the least productive, least satisfied, and least loyal. Attracting and retaining the best employees is key to an organization’s success.
The Important Reasons for Employee Well-Being
To improve the health and safety of the employee
The health of your company’s workforce is essential to your company’s success. Your employees make your company a success, but success also dictates how well your manpower does. If your number of concerns includes getting your employees to be healthier or staying safe during work, there are many things you can do to help. For starters, you can ensure a clean and sanitized working environment with the help of professionals who offer commercial cleaning in Acheson or wherever the office is located. Keeping the workstations and the floors spotless could be helpful in minimizing the risks of diseases. Likewise, improving ventilation can ensure they breathe fresh air. Maintaining the HVAC can also add to the indoor air quality.
Besides this, you could also provide incentives like coupons for them to purchase healthy food, health insurance coverage, gym memberships, and more. Apart from that, you could bring in a Skills Training Group to educate batches of employees on basic first-aid practices to provide assistance until medical professionals arrive. That could assure the well-being of workers as they will know what to do if there is an injury or other health emergency in the workplace.
According to a study published in the Journal of Health Economics, employees who have good health have lower absenteeism. These workers are also less likely to develop health problems that can cause reduced productivity, such as high blood pressure or diabetes. The study found that the health benefits of good employee behavior can be passed on to the business, resulting in decreased costs throughout the organization.
To decrease the absenteeism
When an employee is absent from work, the employer loses an opportunity to profit. Depending on the reason, there are different ways of handling the situation. However, not all of these methods are suitable for every company, as each firm has different goals. The costs of absenteeism are significant for any organization, but the impact on business is even more so. Absenteeism costs the U.S. economy about $150 billion a year, and this figure does not include the costs associated with sick leave, disability, or other issues. It is estimated that the average cost of absenteeism per employee is $1,000 per person per year.
To help improve productivity
Work is hard, and it always will be. That’s why so many people are turning to apps and tools to help boost their productivity. Sadly, there’s no “one size fits all” solution, but there are plenty of ways to make your workforce more efficient. First and foremost, you should ensure a clean work environment likely with the help of an efficient team of Office Cleaning professionals. This one step can help improve the productivity of everyone who works from the office as a clean space is certainly motivating.
Similarly, consider investing in ergonomic chairs and adjustable desks that can provide proper comfort and support for your employees. These ergonomically designed furniture can help reduce discomfort and fatigue. Therefore, allowing employees to work more efficiently with fewer distractions. Additionally, to reduce distractions and improve productivity, you could also invest in office blinds. These blinds can offer privacy when required and allow your employees to focus on their work without distractions. Likewise, to reduce distractions in the office consider asking your employees about what tends to distract them. This way you can come up with an effective solution and help improve productivity.
But how do you motivate those who are working from home? Maybe by offering them flexible work hours so that they can have a better work life balance or something similar, depending on what works for them. Believe it or not, there are tons of ways to boost productivity and you just need to hit the right string for that.
To reduce the health care cost
Health care costs are one of the biggest growing expenses business firms face, and by failing to take care of your employees, you are going to impact your bottom line. There is no question that healthcare costs are a huge drain on business profits and employees’ pocketbooks. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, one of the biggest expenses employers face is healthcare, with an average of $17,000 per worker. Reducing expenses within the healthcare sector is a necessary step in any company’s cost-saving plan.
Well-being in the workplace is a hot topic, with employers and employees alike keen on finding ways to make employees happy and healthy. Some companies go as far as to offer bonuses to staff based on the number of sick days they take, while others offer free food items to employees to encourage healthy choices.
Employees are the lifeblood of the business; they make the whole thing go around. They’re the ones that make the decisions, the ones that keep the organization running, and the ones that often leave the most damage when they go. Companies committed to employee well-being create the conditions that allow their employees to thrive and leave with the feeling that the organization values them.
