Happy and healthy employees are productive, efficient and engaged. Happy and healthy employees will keep your customers happy and make you more money.
It really is that simple.
So how do you get your employees happy? Promote workplace wellness to reduce stress.
Workplace wellness programs
The modern-day workplace employee is suffering from unprecedented levels of stress with 1 in 3 people suffering from a stress related health problem at some point in their lives. And these are only the documented cases.
In this fast-paced world in which we live, employees are pulled in different directions constantly which causes excessive amounts of stress. Many families have two full-time working parents which means rushing to and from work, school or childcare pick-ups, all while trying to manage the demands of busy jobs. And now that we are connected to our technology seemingly 24/7, we are consuming information at a rate of knots, even in our so called ‘relaxation’ time. Our minds are always switch on and there is limited time for rest and rejuvenation.
We also know that tired minds and stressed out employees make mistakes, are not as productive and are less able to give the customers the service and experience your company wants. Stress also have an inverse relationship with innovation and creativity, so if you businesses is looking for the next big thing or new idea to keep you ahead of the game, your employees need to be happy!
Here is how focusing on workplace wellness will reduce employee stress and improve your bottom line:
- Offer truly flexible working: recognise and reward your employees on their performance and not the hours they spend in the office. If it takes the pressure of an employee to start a bit later, or leave a little early, it can make a world of difference to their output and improve their productivity when they are in the office. Employees will more likely to then put in longer hours during busy times – the more you ‘give’ the more you will get back.
- Ask your employees what they want? It seems obvious but many employers make the mistake of doing workplace wellness their way. When you engage your employees up front you will know what is important for them. Some just want recognition for the work they do. Some may want freedom to take an hour for lunch and exercise, while others might be more productive working from home one day a week.
- Be proactive and Balance out workloads: if employees have been working long hours on a project or campaign for several weeks, this is ok, but they will then need time to rest and rejuvenate. Offer them short working hours for the next week and ensure there is someone to do their work while they are out of the office.
- Healthy eating and exercise: Give you employees the opportunity to exercise at work and eat healthy. We know these have a positive impact on reducing stress, improving productivity and aiding innovation and creativity so why not do implement it today?
It all starts with a conversation and there is no one size fits all. Talk to your employees and engage a professional to work with you, understand your business and design a program that will ensure your employees are happy and healthy which will ensure your business success for many years to come.