5 ways to prioritize the health of your employees

As an employer, the health of your staff should be one of your top priorities. Working in an office for eight hours a day can have severe implications for one’s physical and mental health if proper care is not taken.

Many long-term office employees report back and neck problems from poor posture, vision issues from staring at screens, and mental health concerns due to overwork and stress it is something your should prioritize.

Taking steps to improve the wellbeing of your team will have myriad benefits for everyone involved. Not only will their quality of life dramatically improve, but they will be happier and more productive as a result. This heightened productivity will have a subsequent impact on your business’s bottom line, as well as positive implications for talent retention and recruitment. It’s a win-win situation for everyone, so there is no reason not to start prioritizing your employees’ health today. Here are five tips to get you started.

Talk to your staff

The best way to ensure you prioritize your employees health is to talk to them. Ask them for their feedback about what would make their lives easier and issues that need addressing. This will give you a new perspective on your office’s conditions and allow you to fix any problems. It will also show your team that you have their best interests at heart and that they can approach you about anything that’s bothering them.

Take mental health seriously

Mental health is a big issue in the workplace. Stress is one of the leading causes of mental health problems worldwide, and it is all too easy to succumb to if you have a negative work environment. Working too hard, unrealistic expectations, workplace disputes, and poor work-life balance can all contribute to feelings of stress. You don’t want your employees to feel miserable and unhappy at work, so you need to start taking this seriously. Make sure you give your team assistance with managing their workloads and provide avenues of help if they need it. Consider offering mental health days for those who need a break to recharge.

Provide a flexible working structure

Having a better work-life balance can benefit your employees’ health in numerous ways. Not only will it improve their mental wellbeing and reduce stress, but it will also give them more time and freedom to engage in healthy activities they might otherwise not have time for, such as exercise and cooking healthy meals. Give them the opportunity to work from home when needed or be flexible with their hours to manage other personal commitments.

Reacting properly in medical emergencies can change the game for your team. There are life-saving skills that employees can learn without disturbing their work or private life. As their employer, you can provide them with CPR and First Aid training completely online where they will obtain a legitimate certificate to perform these tasks.

Offer health benefits

Many companies provide health and dental insurance to their employees, but you could take this further by offering other perks such as wellness programs or vision benefits (learn more here).

Encourage good working habits

Sitting hunched over a screen for hours on end can be disastrous for your health, so make sure any bad habits are eliminated. Encourage your staff to take regular breaks to stand and stretch, as well as refraining from sitting too close to their screen.