What Healthy Work Habits Do You Promote?
Studies show that sitting for hours can be harmful to a person’s health, yet most businesses are “knowledge based” and so employees sit all day to do their work. Studies also show that healthy employees are more productive. So where does your company stand around promoting health within the workplace?
I have a client who has created a work space where he stands most of the day and works on his laptop. The shelf is elevated and houses his laptop, monitor, phone and other tools for work. He has two comfortable chairs when he needs a break or has a meeting. When he needs a break from standing, he brings his laptop over and sits and does his work.
Obviously, a manager can’t redesign a workplace to create the ideal work setting, but there are actions you can take now to promote healthy work habits with your team.
Check out this article by Susan Wilson Solovic on allBusiness.com: “Healthier Work Habits Can Enhance Your Small Business Success”
There are simple activities you can do throughout your work day to help alleviate stress, get fit, improve your overall health and enhance your business success. Here are my recommendations. (read more)
Set up time with your employees to discuss how to create a healthier work environment. Managers gets nervous doing this because they feel it will only raise their employee’s expectations and money is limited for most businesses. When managing employees, think about what the best work environment is for all team members to be productive. Explain to them that you have two goals….create a healthy work environment on a shoe string budget. Yes, you will invest some money but it doesn’t have to be alot.
The suggestions in the above article are really simple and with some degree of discipline can be implemented without costing a lot of money. For example, purchase water bottles for employees and do a marketing email blast on the health benefits of drinking plenty of water throughout the day. If they don’t like water, come up with creative solutions that hydrate each of your employees.
The possibilities are endless….just have to be willing to engage your employees and work together to build a healthy workplace. You may be surprised to find that the bottomline of your business gets better.
Be well,
Pat
