How the health of your employees affects your business

Some business owners think that employee wellness is simply a fad and does not really affect their business. They believe that employee wellness programs are a waste of money and are not a good investment. However, it has been shown that when business owners think this way they are taking a short sighted view of their business and their staff. Savvy business owners understand the importance of their employees and what they contribute to their business. The bottom line is that healthy employees are productive employees so business owners should do all they can to promote health and help their employees achieve their best selves. Here is what you need top know about how the health of your employees affects your business-

- When your employees are not healthy then absenteeism goes up-When your employees have less then optimal health they have to take time off to recover, go to the doctor, or take care of whatever the problem is. This means that when employees are not at work then the work is not getting done. This in turn translates to higher costs in sick leave, missed deadlines, poorer quality work, and the cost of replacing the employees or delegating the work until the employee returns.
- When your employees are not healthy this leads to confusion within the workplace-Whether you have a sick employee on the production line or someone in management who is out sick this leads to a breakdown in the operations of the company. This can seriously affect productivity since the person with the needed information may not be there, others cannot have questions answered and projects may even have to be put on hold. This can lead to confusion and unnecessary work having to be done which only translates into higher costs.
- When your employees are not healthy this leads to a poorer quality of work-Many business owners are concerned about the work their sick employees miss but an equally important problem is the unhealthy employees who report to work. If you have employees who are having health problems they are much more likely to be distracted or just not feel like working. This could actually be dangerous depending on the type of work that your business does. In addition, if your business handles long term projects having an employee with health problems handling it can mean a lower quality outcome versus having healthy and dedicated employees running the project.
Now that you know how your employees health affects your business it is important to realize that there are steps that you can take to correct any problems within your business. The following is only basic guidelines that can act as the foundation of an employee wellness program. There are many other components that can be added based on the needs and interest of your employees. Some basic components of employee wellness programs are-
- Fitness and exercise-Healthy employees are the ones that are moving. Everyone knows the benefits of exercise so it's important to provide your employees with the chance to get moving. There are a variety of options from putting in an onsite gym (small or large), adding bike and walking paths, and repainting and safely lighting stairwells (and then encouraging your employees to use them instead of the elevator).You may want to consider providing discount passes to a local gym.
- Weight loss and nutrition-Obesity is a major problem for employees and a major cost for many employers. Replacing the traditional donuts and sodas at company meetings, swapping out vending machines for healthier options, and providing cooking and nutrition classes can show your employees that you care about their health.