As the lifeblood of every company, employees matter. However, many companies mistakenly fixate on an employee’s paper performance while downplaying their physical and mental wellbeing. Because employees often feel like their work life and emotions belong in two different places, they can ignore or suppress their mental struggles in the workplace.
While people try to separate their well-being from their job, it’s not possible. Every day, employees’ performance will depend on how they are feeling to some degree. If they are depressed, anxious, or unwell, every part of their workday will get thrown off.
Therefore, employees’ emotional well-being should be at the forefront of employers’ minds for many reasons. It is not something that employers can ignore if they want a happy, motivated, high-performance workforce. But, what can employers do to ensure that their employees get the support they need?
One of the best ways for employers to tend to the wellness of their employees is through employee wellness programs. With the right employee wellness program, employers can dramatically improve the wellbeing of their workforce and also reap considerable financial benefits. In this blog, you’ll learn about the benefits of employee wellness programs and a valuable asset to your employee wellness programs.
Employee Health
The first benefit of an employee wellness program is its impact on the physical health of employees. By making resources that encourage physical activity accessible to employees, you can get them exercising and reduce their risk of long-term health problems. Finding ways to motivate employees to eat healthy foods can also result in positive long-term health outcomes.
In addition to positive physical health impacts, exercise and healthy eating can positively impact employees’ mental health. Proper nutrition and physical activities are some of the best ways to head off depression, anxiety, and a host of other mental health problems.
Productivity
Employees who are healthier–both physically and mentally–can be more productive in the workplace. Numerous studies have shown that healthier employees can focus on their work, collaborate with their coworkers, and contribute more to their place of work.
After all, if you are well-rested, eating well, and feeling great about your physical and mental health, you will likely be a much more valuable asset to the company than if you have not slept the night before or eaten breakfast that morning.
Morale
Employees who have employers who support their physical and mental health feel more valued than those employed by people who pay no attention to their well-being. Because they feel more valued, their morale and attitude in the workplace will likely improve.
If you show your employees that you care about them, they will be happier at work, be more willing to go above and beyond their roles, and spread their attitude to other employees, creating a happier, healthier workplace.
Reduced Healthcare Costs
Employees who are generally happier and healthier get sick less often. Even just a little bit of cardio every day can reduce the risk of death from health-related causes by more than 30%. In addition, eating healthfully and reducing stress in the workplace reduce employees’ risk of health problems.
With employees getting sick less often, they receive medical care less frequently. As a result, your company will have to pay fewer healthcare costs—making employee wellness programs potentially profitable.
Fresh Talent
Although the role and pay of a job are the two most important factors to most prospective employees, happy workplaces and employee wellness programs are becoming increasingly important. Nobody wants to work in a dull, depressing environment where they cannot wait to get home every day and dread going back to work on Monday.
Therefore, the most talented employees who have their pick of employers will choose the work environment that will make them happier. By including employee wellness programs in your workplace, you can attract top talent to your business.
Implementing an Employee Wellness Program
Employee wellness programs result in indisputable benefits for both employees and employers. On the employee side, they are happier and healthier, and feel valued. On the employer side, their employees are more efficient, have fewer expensive health problems, and attract new talent.
But, many businesses have yet to implement robust employee wellness programs. Or, they may need to overhaul their existing programs that are not doing as much as possible. If you want to implement or overhaul an employee wellness program, we recommend that you consider implementing HandsFree Health (HFH) Go as part of it.
HFH Go is a powerful app that pairs with hundreds of different health tracking devices. With HandsFree Health Go, your employees can track their health and their employee wellness program’s impact. Our app tracks critical medical data, combats medication non-adherence, and improves overall health.
With HandsFree Health Go, you can now provide your employees with a holistic solution for improved health and wellness for less than ever. If you want to learn more about HFH Go or schedule a free demo, click here.