There’s no denying that desk-bound and pedestrian work routines can be detrimental to employees’ well-being.
But this poses the question – what actions should organizations enforce to remedy this problem and make employees feel empowered to lead a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle at work?
Implementing and encouraging well-being in the workplace is the answer.
While it’s true that workplace wellness has been an important subject; however, 2020 brought this trend to the front and center for organizations worldwide.
According to the Global Wellness Institute, the workplace health and well-being trends in 2020 mainly hinged on safety and crisis management.
And in times of the deadly pandemic, these trends aren’t the least bit surprising.
The lines between work and life had crumbled for remote employees because of physical-distancing restrictions and pandemic-limited opportunities.
Also, as reported by a Gallup survey, the Covid-19 situation significantly influenced the lives of 45% of people.
Nonetheless, as things started to sort out at the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022, new wellness trends have been springing.
For instance, the 2021 workplace wellness trends centered on social connection and mental well-being. In contrast, the 2022 Global Wellness Institute trends emphasize leadership and general health education.
These facts and figures demonstrate the significance of meaningful wellness practices in the workplace.
Therefore, we have rounded up some of the actionable measures that organizations should integrate to overcome personal health inertia and create a culture of healthy, productive, and happy teams:
Develop a health and wellness program
Employers should create health and wellness programs based on the workforce’s needs. But before commencing these programs, organizations should screen employees.
For instance, healthcare organizations should conduct biometric screening and health risk assessments of their employees.
With the data obtained, healthcare professionals such as nurses can develop personalized wellness plans which are more effective than generalized ones.
However, before developing such programs, employers should encourage nurses to pursue online MSN programs to understand the health needs of employees and help transform workplace norms about wellness.
An MSN degree imparts thoughtful strategies about how to assuage the symptoms of burnout.
Not only this, but the advanced online degree equips nursing professionals with comprehensive knowledge of primary and secondary preventative care.
This way, nurses can determine whether employees are at risk of factors that may cause chronic illness.
And this can help organizations overcome the utilization of reactionary assistance, which, in turn, curtails employees’ healthcare costs.
Promote physical exercise
The nature of most, if not all, corporate jobs forces employees to sit all day in front of their desks. As a result, it gets pretty challenging for employees to carve out time for the workout.
However, physical exercise is a vital component of health and wellness.
So, motivate employees to get their bodies moving. For instance, try encouraging them to perform squats when brewing coffee in the break room or do simple stretch exercises.
However, employees who wish to go overboard can place hand weights and resistance bands near their desks to let go of a sedentary work routine.
Additionally, organizations can invite on-site yoga instructors twice every month to keep employees physically active.
Also, several local gyms might be willing to offer some discount if the manager signs up a specific number of employees.
Encourage healthy eating
Eliminating the temptation of unhealthy food can help organizations nurture health and wellness in the workplace.
If the cafeteria or vending machines offer junk food items such as candies, chips, and doughnuts, in that case, employees may resort to unhealthy options.
Since employees might not be willing to accept the drastic changes immediately, take small steps that can yield little gains.
One best approach is to fill the vending machine mostly with healthy snacks and add only a small portion of junk food items. For instance, swap candies with soft granola bars and replace drinks with water.
Alternatively, managers can ask every employee to share their favorite healthy food item recipe.
Then, once received, merge the best ones in a single document and create a cookbook or share it via email.
Or better yet, organizations can reward their diligent employees with meals – of course, offer healthy meals such as salads, tacos, etc.
Evaluate workload
As per the findings of the American Institute of Stress, occupational fears and pressures are the primary reasons for stress in adults.
Therefore, it’s critical to keep tabs on the employees’ workload.
For instance, figure out the answer to the following questions – are the employees pursuing higher education or working as classroom assistants?
Do they live with their families or share the apartment with roommates? Do they have to tend to eldercare or childcare responsibilities?
It can be difficult for employees to complete the regular workload in the circumstances like these, let alone the additional work.
Thus, employers should encourage open communication and look for ways to open up dialogues about the challenges and concerns at the workplace.
If the employees have been burning the midnight oil and feeling overwhelmed, encourage them to relax and enjoy their much-needed break.
This way, employees can re-energize, rejuvenate, and return with more enthusiasm.
Educate about mental and physical health
According to the statistics provided by WHO, approximately 300 million people worldwide suffer from the symptoms of depression.
With a staggering figure like this, it’s very likely some employees may suffer from mental health problems in silence.
Such employees feel reluctant to open up and speak about their condition because of the stigma associated with the term ‘mental health.’
Also, some, if not many, employees are unaware of the treatment options available.
Given this, raising awareness about mental health to foster workplace well-being makes sense. For instance, organizations can arrange counseling sessions for employees to cope with mental health challenges.
And while mental health, unquestionably, is essential, it’s equally important, if not more, to pay attention to physical health.
Organizations can share valuable information and various resources in their newsletters to promote the importance of physical wellness.
Final Words
Investing efforts to cultivate a culture of workplace wellness is investing in the most important asset – employees.
Unfortunately, more often than not, organizations circumscribe their workplace wellness programs to weekly steps challenges and yearly weight-loss competitions.
However, the most successful organizations are the ones that incorporate wellness measures into their everyday strategy.
It’s relevant to note that workplace wellness programs aren’t just about organizing well-being initiatives. Instead, it’s more about knowing employees’ behaviors and motivations.
The apprehension of employee behaviors and performance is a crucial element for the success of practically every organization.
Additionally, the readjustment of these programs in line with the ever-evolving business dynamics, for instance, the surge in remote work due to the pandemic, is also critical.
So, promoting workplace well-being is pivotal whether an organization decides to frequently send emails including healthy body and mind tips or incentivize exercise.
And the payoff: a conducive work environment with productive and efficient workers, a win-win situation for employees and employers alike.