Why having healthy employees matters

Running a business can be a challenge everyday. Employers find that they must be concerned about a wide variety of things on an everyday basis. This is especially true when it comes to employees. Employers must be concerned about salary, production, overtime, health insurance etc. and the list goes on and one. However, employers are finding that the one thing that should be added to the list, and often isn't, is the state of their employees health. Employers have to come to realize that the health of their employees has a direct connection to the profitability of their business. Here is why having healthy employees' matters-

• Healthy employees can mean a healthy business-Successful employers understand that their employees are their most valuable asset. Your employees are the driving force as to whether your business succeeds or not. Employers should view their employees as an extension as themselves, since the reason your hired employees in the first place, is usually because there was too much for you to do alone.Savvy employers make their employees health a priority. The bottom line is that healthy employees are more productive employees. They have been found to have more energy, concentration, patience and skill in whatever job they are doing. Healthy employees have also been found to make less mistakes and work faster, meaning that the employer does not have to spend time and money, redoing work. It goes almost with saying that the healthier an employee is, the less sick time he or she will take. Not only does this save the employer money in not having to pay sick time, but also means that the employee will be on the job and completing their work.
• Sick employees cost their employer money-Employees who are sick cost their employer a lot of money. This means that the unhealthier an employee is, the more money, he or she, costs their employer. Not only will they cost their employer sick leave, they also represent the costs of lower productivity and replacement costs while they are out sick. In addition, when sick employees come to work (which they often do), they represent an increased risk of infecting other employees. This means that the costs of being sick can grow exponentially.This can spiral into a downward cycle of higher health costs, lower productivity and more down time. Another major way that sick employees cost money is through the use of their health care. A sick employee is going to be using their health far more often, then their healthier counterparts. Studies have shown that employees, who are sick often, suffer from long-term illness, smoke or who are overweight, cost substantially more then their healthier co-workers, in terms of health insurance costs. Healthy employees use less health insurance, costing the employer less in premiums and resulting in a cost savings, for everyone.
• Healthier employees have higher morale-Employers should understand that there are several intangible benefits to having a healthier workforce. Companies that make employee health a priority also report a much higher level of morale. This translates into employees who feel that their employer cares about them and their well being. Employees will often react to this feeling with increased levels of company loyalty that show up in job production and a higher quality of work. In addition, healthier employees report a much higher level of job satisfaction. This shows up in a lower employee turnover rate, for the employer. Since the costs of recruiting, hiring and training new employees is extremely high, employers should do all they can to avoid this. Focusing on employee health can help make this happen.