Why a healthy work environment is not a perk; it’s a necessity!

Hello and welcome to today’s blog on why a healthy work environment is not a perk; it’s a necessity. A healthy work environment is one that promotes mental, emotional, and physical health for all employees within the organization. It’s more than providing snacks in the break room or playing ping pong during lunchtime. A healthy workplace culture fosters employee engagement, productivity, and retention.

We live in an era where employers must recognize that investing in their employee's well-being has practical benefits beyond feeling good about themselves. A positive work environment drives creativity, innovation, and most importantly, profitability. In this podcast episode, we examine three key reasons why organizations should continue to promote a healthy work environment and how doing so benefits both employees and the company.

Reason #1: Healthier Employees are Happier Employee.?

Employees who receive support from their employers for their physical health tend to be more productive in the long run. According to a survey from Business Insider Intelligence in 2018, approximately 93% of workers link their happiness levels with whether or not they feel physically fit at work. Therefore, neglecting your employees' physical wellbeing would cripple organizational success.

A critical aspect of a productive working conditions includes access to healthcare services offered by companies on-site or at least have insurance coverage (that encompasses preventive care) for all its staff members. Employers can also positively impact employees' health by creating safe worksites through ergonomic programming aimed at reducing injuries; employee injury average rate decreases significantly when ergonomics programming is introduced into the workplace.

Another way to encourage healthier employees is by promoting consistent mental health resources you can offer them outside of medical services; some examples include therapy/counseling encounters free-of-charge or wellness programs like yoga sessions during break times. No matter how you decide to make your company's mental wellbeing part of your strategic corporate plan once prioritized as part of building better organizational cultures it will drive productivity in the long run.

Reason #2: Healthy Employees are More Effective ?

When employees’ well-being is considered, workers tend to exhibit excellent performance. These employees generate new ideas faster and better, resolve issues quickly, and provide better customer service experiences. In Accenture’s Trends in Global Employee Engagement Report (2019), the organization stressed that opportunities for personal growth, an acknowledgement of individual contributions by management, and organizational support of a work-life balance translate into higher levels of employee engagement.

Lower turnover rates are yet another unexpected benefit when staff members enjoy healthy working conditions. High attrition rates would strain team collaboration and decrease teamwork effectiveness within departments over time. A 2014 survey conducted on behalf of the American Psychological Association found that happier employees with more satisfying jobs stayed almost twice as long in employment as those who described their jobs as "just a paycheck" solely.

Staff investment profoundly influences their productivity indices. In addition to providing competitive remuneration packages, companies can also offer training courses aimed at upskilling its personnel or organizing workshops aimed at increasing flexibility related to sabbaticals or flexible schedules for crucial services like family care arrangements for dependents (especially true if schools/daycares close due to inclement weather). Polishing job performance values fostered through a continuing education program ensures key skills remain relevant throughout changing times impacting both employee satisfaction & workplace functions positively

Reason #3: Prioritizing Health Ensures Company Success?

Neglecting health-promoting initiatives can have serious drawbacks for your company leading to increased healthcare costs from insurance premiums by inexplicably avoidable illnesses; this increases absenteeism rates just in case management chooses not to incentivize employees as planned/enforce them rigorously. Such healthcare expenses also impact the business's profitability significantly.

Frequently absent personnel dealing with preventable sicknesses place additional workload onto others in their respective workplaces causing burnout which affects overall team morale adversely especially if it’s not addressed timely by HR Personnel at the compan. A study showed that healthcare costs of overweight employees could reach $51 billion in 2020.

Therefore, it's essential to remember that when your company, its stakeholders, and your own career prospects rely on its success you must outline clear objectives prioritizing employee health/mental wellbeing as a strategic initiative with defined goals and measurable outcomes for ensuring long-term sustainability. Guidelines that encourage staff participation in wellness programs or strategically designing office space environments can make a difference impacting workplace satisfaction positively.

Conclusion:

As we wind down our podcast episode, it’s noteworthy to remember that promoting a healthy work environment is not just limited to providing vitamins in the break room or modern ergonomic chairs and desks. A positive workplace culture fosters engagement leading to productivity, retaining valuable personnel effectively while shrugging off ballooning healthcare expenses related to preventable illnesses hurting organizational profitability.

It’s time for business leaders like you to invest more intentionally by making employee well-being part of the company's culture strategic initiatives with robust financial commitments capable of driving tangible behavioral change from within affecting employees' attitudes towards their job responsibilities positively. Ensuring improved quality-of-life metrics such as personal growth opportunities learning new skills regularly ensures companies thrive even in unsettling times like pandemics.

Thank you for reading this Blog on why a healthy work environment is not a perk; it’s an organizational necessity! For more subscribe our newsletter or do follow Geet Sharma