According to a Gallup Survey, about 41% of employees call out sick because of health issues related to business or work. Imagine how unproductive a company is with employee’s calling out sick because their workload is creating stress that causes health implications.
We spend up to 60 hours a week at work; it is more time spent in our own homes. It is a perfect opportunity for organizations to recognize internal issues and resolve it with employee benefits and programs that support a healthy work-life balance.
Well Being Promoters
A company with a positive work environment starts from the top down; it includes executives to frontline workers. A well-being promoter is a person with enthusiasm in the office that is a visible leader expressing the importance of the health of workers. There is a presence of it while walking around the office:
- Fruit baskets in the lunch room
- Flat screens around the office promoting well-being programs
- Management in HR that visit new employees to see how their onboarding process is
Employees want to feel their employer cares rather than receiving a package of papers to select programs without a personalized experience.
Personalized Employee Benefits
An employee that has asthma with an employee benefit option offering medical assistance to cure health complications is happier than the professional that has a standard benefits program with their employer. The older members of the workforce that appreciate a salon experience or massage therapy on site in stressful work environments are initiatives to implement to show employees that you genuinely care.
Ask Employees what they Need
The first start to solving well-being programs at work is to survey or speak directly to employees at all levels (i.e., executives, customer service) to find out what they need to help them improve their health or stay healthy. For example, a company with young employees might want a Gym or game room in the building to shake off stress. An older workforce might want one paid personal day off work or 1 paid family day for emergencies.
The last decision to make is to create a well-being program executives believe suitable to be disappointed that employees are complaining because it is not helpful to their needs.
Mental Health Programs
According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness organization, “1 in 5 adults in the U.S.—43.8 million, or 18.5%—experiences mental illness in a given year.” It is likely that a high number of your employees are suffering silently with this problem. Mental health issues come from work-related stress, financial issues, and situations happening within a family.
An employer that offers a discount for psychologists for people that work in criminology and healthcare or other high stressed organizations need this to add to their programs.
Physical Activity Programs
Imagine attending an ergonomics/stretching class at work with a professional trainer to help with blood circulation. An employer that schedules a yoga class after work ends at no cost to employees or teams walk outside for a 15-minute break rather than smoking or playing on their mobile phone to stay entertained. Physical activity programs are an investment that can save employees time in going to the gym after work with a chance to spend more time with family.
