A healthy employee is a happy employee. Here are some helpful tips in terms of what you, as an employer, can do to maximize employee wellness within the workplace.
Maintain office air conditioning
An air conditioner that operates at full capacity vastly improves your employees’ comfort, ultimately enhancing their productivity and overall mood. However, did you know that a faulty or unmaintained air conditioning system can have significant negative effects on their health? A dirty air conditioner can exacerbate respiratory problems, especially in those who suffer from asthma or allergies. It can also lead to nasal congestion, frequent headaches, fatigue and irritated skin, claims Winter Park air conditioning repair company, Temperature Pro.
It is recommended that business owners have their office A/C systems serviced by a professional at least twice a year. Doing so will also help to enhance the longevity of the system. Did you know that most A/C systems can last for up to 20 years and possibly longer if they are maintained on a regular basis?
Grant them more freedom
Being stuck in an office, day in and day out, is a sure-fire way in which to extinguish even the most motivated, loyal employee’s creativity. Sometimes, it can pay off to give your employees more freedom in terms of where and how they work. Allowing them the flexibility to work from home a few days a week could lead to a substantial increase in overall productivity. If you are not keen on your workforce working remotely, another option is to introduce a flexi-hours system. In other words, each employee selects the specific hours that they wish to work. For instance, if they need to work in eight hours per day, they may choose to work from 11am – 7pm, or from 6am until 2pm.
Encourage a healthy lifestyle
Now is a great time to introduce an employee wellness program within your business. Wellness programs do not need to be complicated or costly to run. They can simply provide employees with more opportunities to lead healthier lifestyles. Consider introducing new, more nutritious foods at the office cafeteria, bring in a yoga instructor to give your employees a revitalizing yoga class during their lunch hour a couple of times a week, or host a weekly workshop focusing on a specific topic that seeks to maximize their health (for example, ‘how to manage stress’ or ‘how to get better quality sleep’).
Embrace an ‘open door policy’
One of the biggest contributing factors to health issues within the workplace is stress and general unhappiness. Your employees may be incredibly unhappy with a certain aspect of their working life but may feel anxious about bringing the problem up and openly discussing it with you unless you have directly stated that this is what you want them to do. In many cases, these unhappy employees may start looking for work elsewhere. As such, it is essential for the benefit of your employees and your business as a whole, to embrace an ‘open door policy’ and work hard on improving your one-on-one communication with each, and every one, of your employees.
Employee wellness is imperative for employee wellbeing and for the general day-to-day functioning of your business. So, make it a priority. You will be very glad that you did.
