When it comes to running a business, one of the most important things that you can do as an employer is care for your employees. Not only do you want to avoid any of your employees searching for a whiplash claims calculator, but having a healthy and happy workforce can also help add to your productivity as a whole – after all, a happy employee is more likely to not only complete their work, but to a higher standard. We’ve pulled together some of the best ways that you can look after your employees and their wellbeing, most of which are simple and easy to do. So, without further ado, here is our list of ways to look after your employees.
Show Interest
Showing an interest in your employees beyond the working hours can prove to be a beneficial way of not only improving their wellbeing, but keeping track of it too. While commenting on an employee’s new boyfriend or putting in your penny’s worth about their child’s education can be a step too far, taking some kind of interest in their personal life will help to improve the relationships in and out of work. Employees will feel valued and like you are genuinely interested in them as human beings as opposed to simply a way to keep your business running. Relating to your employees can also help remove the sense that you are above them. You may be on a higher wage and have more control over a business, but you are equal as a human being to them and acting otherwise can have an effect on an employee’s self-image, or how they feel about you as a boss.
Encourage Exercise
Try encouraging exercise by offering some kind of subsidised gym membership and ensuring that there is plenty of places in which your employees can keep a bike. If it’s possible, a showering facility and locker room can encourage employees to exercise before, during or after work to keep them up and about. This is especially important if your employees are usually desk-bound. Sitting in one place for the entirety of the work day, five or more days a week can have an effect on the body. Healthier and happier employees are going to be more productive, so offer incentives where you can.
Illness prevention
Preventing illness is going to benefit you and your employees far more than them taking off sick leave. See if you can offer on-site vaccinations during flu season, and check with your insurance provider and they may even cover the costs. Colds and flu are some of the worst illnesses that can pass through your workplace. They spread fast, and a vaccination could easily reduce a flu epidemic in your office. Offering this during work hours or on site during breaks will make staff more likely to have them if they don’t have to go out of their way.
Recognize Mental Health
Recognising the mental health of your employees can do wonders for ensuring that it doesn’t become a reason that they take time off of work. With over 9million working days as a whole being lost to stress, anxiety and depression, these illnesses are proving to be some of the biggest for employee absences. While depression and anxiety may be difficult to prevent to an extent, ensuring that your employees know that you understand that mental health is a genuine illness and will help them where they can will do wonders for encouraging them to come in if they’re feeling down. Providing support if they can’t come in can also help, whether that’s subsidised counselling or a completely free service if you can afford one.
Preventing stress is another way to keep your employees happy and in a good mental state. In fast-paced work environments, stress can be hard to prevent but with the right training and the right support, the effects of stress can most definitely be lessened. Look into giving your employees more regular, shorter breaks, especially if their job is highly demanding, and encourage them to actually take them. Having a break room is also important when it comes to your employee’s mental health. Taking breaks at a desk they’re at all day is counter-productive, whereas giving them a comfortable, relaxed break room will give them the fill experience of having a break and taking themselves away from the stress of their job for a few minutes.
Set up the workplace properly
The way you set up your workplace is another important part of looking after your employees. Let natural light in where you can, especially if your business is highly technology related. Natural light will boost mood, energy levels and productivity, without putting a strain on anyone’s eyes. Employees who are exposed to natural light during the day are more likely to sleep better at night and feel more revitalised in the morning for the work day. If your office doesn’t have many windows, consider moving! Getting the ergonomics right is another important factor. It might not sound like too big of a deal, but caring for your employee’s physical health is another way of avoiding unnecessary sick days. Up to date and correct health and safety procedures and ergonomically friendly equipment and workstations will ensure that your employee’s physical health and mental wellbeing stay in good shape and healthy.
Say thank you.
This may not seem like the best tip, but simply saying thank you to your employees can do wonders for their overall health and wellbeing. As humans, we like to feel appreciated and that, of course, translates into our work lives too. While your employees are being ‘thanked’ by getting paid for the work they are doing, it’s important that they know that you appreciate the work they are doing. A simple verbal thank you can often suffice in some cases, but if you want to go that step further you really can explore countless possibilities.
Whether it’s a simple thank you card for staying late, or an elaborate reward scheme that your employees can work to to their own wants and wishes, showing some sign of gratitude will make your employees feel wanted, needed, and that they aren’t doing the daily grind all for nothing. Besides, it will benefit you in the long run too – employees who are happier and healthier while feeling wanted and needed are likely to have higher energy levels and a better level of productivity.
