Health and wellness are rapidly becoming a large part of our everyday life and society as a whole are eating healthier and exercising more. So, it comes as no surprise that creating a healthy workplace will lead to happier employees.
It is no secret that employees are the most important asset of every organisation. Creating a healthy workplace for these valued employees will increase productivity, reduce sick leave and lead to an all-round healthier and happier place to work.
Here, we have outlined our top tips for creating a healthy work environment in a way that is both easy to implement and cost effective:
Create A Healthy Physical Workspace
The physical workplace itself can majorly affect the wellbeing of employees. Thankfully, there are numerous simple ways to create a healthy and comfortable workspace that people feel happy to be in.
For example, having living plants in the office has been proven to cleanse the air and reduce stress levels. Also, having natural sunlight and fresh air can go a long way!
Social meeting spaces are a great way to get employees on their feet, improve employee engagement and enhance co-work relationships. Similarly, playing music will improve the workplace mood and stimulate creativity.
Encourage Exercise For A Healthy Workplace
Encouraging regular exercise will help employees develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Also, research has found that exercise stimulates the mind and leads to increases in creative thinking, so encouraging employees to regularly exercise is sure to have its benefits.
Perhaps organise a 20 minute walk each day and encourage walking meetings or introduce weekly exercise sessions such as yoga or spinning. Taking part in a team charity run or creating an employee sports team is also a great way to promote exercise and enhance positive work relationships. Installing bike racks outside of the work place and introducing a cycle-to-work scheme could also be a great way to get employees up and moving!
Provide Healthy Eating Options
Feasting on sugary doughnuts and birthday cake may be a long-standing and much-loved tradition of office culture but it certainly is not the healthiest. Offering free bowls of fruit or other healthy snacks which are high in fibre and low in calories might be just the push that employees need to curb their unhealthy eating habits.
Similarly, installing a water-cooler is a great way to increase a healthy lifestyle and is likely to dramatically reduce the amount of sugary soft drinks that employees consume on a daily basis.
Healthy Workplaces Offer Flexible Working Arrangements
Giving employees a choice of when and where they work can have a huge positive impact on their mental health and wellbeing. Studies show that employees who have flexible working arrangements are much more satisfied with their jobs than those with set working hours.
Even if it is just working from home one day a month or leaving early on a Friday, it can drastically improve the team’s overall workflow and work-life balance. It could also be beneficial to combine this flexible working arrangement with discounts for nearby sports facilities, gyms or exercise classes.
Encourage Employees To Take Regular Breaks
Taking short, regular breaks is far more beneficial than taking longer breaks, particularly for those working in front of computer screens on a daily basis. Encouraging employees to go out and get some fresh air, make a brew or go for a quick stroll will increase their productivity and creativity as well as preventing stress.
It is important to ensure that employees have at least one break in the morning and one in the afternoon in order to maintain a healthy and productive work day.
Healthier Employees Are Happier Employees
Creating a healthy workplace improves the physical and mental wellness of employees and allows them to thrive within the company. Also, studies show that employees care more about their company and strive to achieve more within their job if they truly believe that they are being well looked after within the workplace.
So, not only is creating a healthier workplace beneficial to all employees and colleagues but it is all beneficial for the company as a whole.
Get In Touch
If you are an employer or you work in HR and you want to learn more about creating a healthy workplace, or you are interested in how the Wellspace App can be advantageous to your business, you can contact us here for more information, or if you prefer, call us on 0808 178 0748.
We have an expert team of wellbeing professionals who will be delighted to chat to you and offer guidance surrounding an issue that will inevitably take place at some time or other within your organisation!
