Employee Wellness Really Matters

Improving the health of your employees goes beyond just offering insurance, a gym membership and enrollment in a wellness program as benefits. As a business professional, you and your company must realize the value in investing in your employees' well-being. Discover why employee wellness really matters over the long-term health of your firm.

1. Lower Turnover

Studies indicate that workers who feel supported by management tend to be healthier and are less likely to leave the company. Lowering turnover lowers the costs of hiring and training another employee. Employees who have good feelings towards management are also healthier, which means they use fewer sick days and less health insurance, and they experience less stress. When supervisors and executives promote employee wellness, the company saves money.

Managers, supervisors and executives must also set the example. Bosses should encourage employees to use their paid time off to relax, rejuvenate and recharge. However, the message is empty unless supervisors engage in these same activities. Think about offering a free exercise program that allows workers to exercise at the office for 30 minutes per day. That way, you can participate in the program with your team to foster a sense of camaraderie and set the example. Hold standing meetings once a week, walk around outside when talking to a team member one-on-one, or invest in fitness trackers for your team as ways to encourage employee wellness.

2. Increased Productivity

An important goal of employee wellness is to increase productivity. Healthy workers perform up to 25 percent better than those who are less healthy. Eating unhealthy foods and failing to exercise could decrease productivity by as much as 50 percent. Considering that American companies lose trillions of dollars each year due to lower productivity, it makes sense that healthy employees improve your business' bottom line.

Consider a holistic approach to employee wellness. This means offer programs that improve the overall wellness of as many workers as possible. Start with health insurance, but also offer free counseling sessions with licensed counselors. Have prevention programs that promote wellness and keep sick days at bay. If your company is big enough, set aside one room to use as an on-site gym. Stock your break room fridge or snack machines with health foods rather than standard candy bars and chips. There are plenty of opportunities to improve the wellness of your workers, all of which may lead to healthier workers and increased productivity.

3. Financial Wellness

Some employee stress may stem from financial worries. In addition to making sure your employees are paid what they're worth, think about offering classes on personal financial management. Financial literacy ranges from budgeting and spending money wisely to saving for retirement and managing credit. When your employees have the tools to manage their finances, they can manage their own stress levels better.

Employee wellness really matters because when your workers succeed, the company succeeds. Everyone wins in this scenario, and investing in employees goes a long way to building a supportive culture of loyal, healthy employees. How do you help improve your workers' well-being at the office?

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