Healthy Workforce Obstacles

Illnesses are costing employers billions of dollars a year. It's not only illnesses that are in the way of productivity but employers are also seeing a rise in healthcare costs due to employees that are obese or smoking. Employees need to be in good health in order to provide proper production to their employers but they also need to reduce their dependency on health insurance if you are going to save money on premiums. Many employers have changed over to wellness programs and incentives as a way to encourage their employees to lose weight and get fit. The wellness programs are a step in the right direction but there are many other things that need to be done in order to cut down on rising healthcare costs and staff illnesses.

The problem many employers are facing is how do they start a wellness program and what can they legally do to employees that are not healthy and fit? You have a lot of employees that are obese or smokers and they are increasing the health insurance for everyone else. There is not a law against terminating these employees or not hiring them in the first place because of their risky personal habits.

Not only do you face an obstacle as to what you need to do with these employees you also have other situations that can be difficult to manage. Stress-related illnesses are one of the leading causes of employee absences. Too much stress weakens the immune system and makes you vulnerable to illnesses. Employers have certain expectations for their employees and they can be leading to a problem with stress-related illnesses. It is important to take notice of your own stress level and to notice the stress level of your staff in order to start taking steps to improve the issues.

Convenience foods like soda and candy from the vending machines are leading to obesity problems in the office but also can cause employees performance to decrease. These foods are high in sugar and actually leave an employee feeling sluggish. It is important to consider changing out the foods that are available in the vending machines in order to improve your employees eating habits and prevent them from having the sugar crash in the middle of the day.

Workplace depression and other mental illnesses are also on the rise and decreasing productivity. As an employer you need to be on the lookout for signs of depression with your employees. Call them into your office and talk to them or encourage them to seek out the help of a professional.A good HR representative can be beneficial as they can offer on-site counseling and other things that can help your staff members manage their mental illnesses in the workplace so it doesn't cause a decrease in production along with frustration by their co-workers.

On average every employee in the United States takes about 7.4 days of sick leave which can cost an employer close to $1,000 or more in production costs and compensation. The cost of illness is something that employers really need to start working on as employees will continue to take time off unless there are programs and other things in place that help to decrease workplace illnesses.

What are some things you can do? One of the best is to encourage exercise in the office. Healthy employees will boost productivity as they are thinking clearly and they have more energy. They are also less likely to visit the doctor so your health insurance premiums will decrease. Exercising in the office is also a great way to curb stress and to decrease the symptoms of depression and other mental disorders.