How to promote health in the workplace

Employers are beginning to realize just how important maintaining health workforce really is. Employees who are not healthy are a large drain on the resources of the company that they work for. Since most people who are employed, spend the majority of their day, in the workplace, it only makes sense, for employers to take the health of their employees into consideration. While it isn't always easy to promote health in the workplace, business owners who make the commitment to do so, are finding that the effort can pay off in big benefits. Here is what you need to know about how to promote health in the workplace-

- Recognize what the problem looks like-It can be overwhelming to consider all of the possible health problems that could be afflicting any particular group of employees. However, the most common health issues and problems that are found among employees are:
1. Poor nutritional choices leading to obesity
2. Smoking and alcohol abuse
3. Lack of physical activity
4. Poor stress management
5. Depression and other associated mental health issues
- Create solutions to the problems-Some employers have the resources to design and implement a full scale wellness program. Other employers, because of their size, lack of budget and even logistics will have to focus on one or two aspects of employee health. You will need to take the time to determine what the most prevalent problems are among your staff, and then find solutions to the problems. While you may feel discouraged that you cannot implement a full scale wellness program, the good news is that you may not have to. Employers who offer the right solutions, to their employee's health issues, can have the same if not better results, then companies that offer a full scale wellness program, and best of all do it, for a lot less money. For example-If you are a small company, you may not have any workers who are smokers, so offering a smoking cessation program would be a waste of time and money anyway. However, just about everyone need to improve their diet to some degree, so by offering better choices in the company vending machines and offering once a month demonstrations and cooking classes, to promote making better food choices, can pay off in employees who are losing weight and getting healthier!
- Change the company culture-Too often employees do things at work "because that's how it's always been done". If your staff meeting have always included donuts and pastries, or if everyone always takes the elevator, and forgoes the stairs, then chances are, without some motivation, your employees will continue on with that. However, if management wants to promote health, then certain changes will need to be made. Substituting pastries for a fruit plate at meetings and offering rewards, for employees who take the highest number of stairs during the week, are small ways to promote health. Your employees will not only reap the benefits of these healthier changes, but will feel more loyal to a company that has their health, as a concern.
- Understand that it takes time-Many times the management of a business implements a new wellness program and then becomes frustrated about a lack of results, and yanks the program. It is important to understand that any changes in promoting health, in the workplace take time. Your employees will need to understand that you have a made a long lasting commitment, to helping them improve their health. Only when they feel that this isn't "just another program" will they begin to respond. In addition, you need to keep in mind that it takes time, for anyone to make significant and permanent changes to their health. However, for businesses that are willing to stick with it, the pay off can be big, when they have a healthier and happier workforce.