3

Healthy employees mean less unexpected sick days, higher productivity, and a more dependable workforce. When you take care of your employees, they are more likely to be happier and take care of your customers with greater care. Below are a few ideas of what you can do to encourage healthy employees.

Cater healthy lunches

Cater lunch for employees once a week or month to model a healthy meal. Your lunches can consist of simple dishes like turkey sandwiches and fresh mixed salad, or it could be hearty dishes like a tuna casserole or stew. Whatever you serve, make sure it’s a well-balanced meal with plenty of nutrients. Provide copies of the recipes for employees who want to recreate one of the healthy dishes at home.

Use incentives

Use incentives to encourage healthy employees and better habits. For example, instead of a small cash bonus for hitting a quota, provide a gym membership or gift basket of healthy snacks and vitamins. You can also offer small incentives and bonuses for little things, like a vitamin coupon for being on time for a meeting.

Instate a health program

If your office isn’t large enough to have a gym of its own for employees to use, try to instate a program wherein employees can enroll and gain benefits. You could have a nutritionist consult with employees interested in forming healthier diets, or host a yoga class once a month.

Allow flexible schedules

Flexible schedules allow employees to work during the time period they are most productive. This means that if an employee works best in the evening, they can come in later and get more sleep to boost their workday. Flexible schedules also allow employees time to prepare healthy meals during the day, and take morning walks.

Keep workspaces sanitized

Make sure your office spaces are regularly sanitized to avoid the spread of germs. Provide a well-stocked bathroom where employees can wash their hands and perform other hygienic tasks. You could also provide hand sanitize, alcohol or other cleaning supplies for when an employee wants to clean their workspaces.

Encourage physical activity

Physical activity may be difficult for some desk jobs, but there are ways you can achieve it. For example, you could have a few meetings outdoors, or have walking meetings when the topics can be discussed casually. Your office can also invest in standing desks, which allow employees to stretch their legs and stand up while working.

Healthy employees lead to happy employees, which lead to well-tended customers and a reliable system. Invest in any of these easy ways to encourage healthy habits today.

About the Author: Jocelyn Pick