Posted February 6th 2020 - Jason Desaulniers

According to the Mental Health Commission of Canada, approximately 500,000 employees are unable to come to work each week due to mental health concerns. Your employee’s well-being, both mentally and physically, is essential to maintaining a productive work environment. As a business owner or manager, observing your employee’s well-being can contribute to increased productivity and employee retention. Here are some ways to boost positivity and well-being within your workplace.  

Mental Health

Mental health awareness has grown immensely over the past few decades however there is still a stigma that revolves around this topic. It can be difficult for employees to admit or even recognize that their mental health has been compromised. As an employer, it is important to get to know your employees on a personal level and get some insight into their lives. By connecting with your employees you not only get a feel for when something may be off in their lives, but you also open up the opportunity for them to voice their concerns to you. This allows for any issues to be resolved before they turn into something bigger. It doesn’t take much—a quick chat with an employee about how their weekend went, or how their son’s hockey team is doing can build a workplace relationship that creates an understanding of a team member’s mental state. 

Vacation Time

Everyone needs time to relax and recharge their batteries. No matter how eager and dedicated your employees are, it is important to encourage them to periodically take time away from the workplace. This is especially true when workloads are high and deadlines are tight. Your employees may feel a sense of duty to stick around and contribute as best as they can. While this amount of dedication is an employer’s dream, it can be detrimental to the employee’s well-being and leave them feeling burnt out. By taking even a few days of vacation time, a worker can come back feeling refreshed and ready to take on the next big project.    

Get Active

The World Health Organization recommends regular and adequate physical activity in order to lower the risk of major heart diseases and health problems. It can be difficult for a full-time employee to incorporate physical activity into their day-to-day lives. Fortunately, there are some simple adjustments that can be made to the workplace in order to add some extra physical activity into the workday. Simple changes such as walking meetings and installing standing desks are great ways to keep the blood flowing and keep employees’ minds sharp. You could also implement events such as “daily step challenges” to provide a sense of competition while also increasing morale and employee well-being.  

Many offices even add a fun and quick workout regimen to their morning meetings. This involves all staff members doing quick exercises like jumping jacks and lunges. Not only will this kick start the brain, but it will make everyone laugh and it’s a great way to start the day on a positive note. 

Encourage Better Nutrition

It has been proven countless times that increased activity and proper nutrition lead to higher energy levels and better performance. By encouraging better eating habits in the workplace, employees are more likely to remain attentive and focused throughout the workday. At your next board meeting try swapping the donuts and pastries for a fruit tray or opt for vitamin water in the vending machine instead of pop. Another option to encourage better nutrition would be to host a staff event with a health and wellness coach as a guest speaker. Nutrition is often overlooked when it comes to your employee’s well-being, but it’s one of the most important parts. Obviously as an employer you are not solely responsible for your team’s eating habits, but it won’t hurt anyone to practise healthy eating around the office. 

Offer a Health Spending Account

Employees will always be more loyal if they know they are being protected. Offering your employee’s a great benefits package is a must if you want to retain your workforce. Consider setting up a Health Spending Account that covers a wide range of services not covered under traditional health care plans. Services such as Massage Therapy and Chiropractic sessions allow for workers to take the extra step in order to maintain their well-being. By opting in for a health spending account, not only do you create a better retention rate among your current workforce and become a sought after employer for potential prospects seeking employment, but the employee’s you currently have will have access to one more service that can help them keep their well-being in check. 

As an employer, you understand the importance of happy and healthy employees. While you have no control over their life-style outside of the office, you can easily encourage better mental and physical health at work. These are all things that the entire team can do together to build relationships and boost morale. It also shows your staff that you truly care about them and sets your whole team up for success.

If you don’t have great benefits in place for your employees yet, or you’re not sure that the plan you have is right for you, give us a call. Our team can look over your current plan and discuss new options (ones that include that health spending account we mentioned). Take care of your employee’s well-being and they will forever repay you with better work ethic, less stress and better attitudes.