The workplace is a busy and demanding environment, and employee health and wellbeing can often be overlooked as a priority. However, disease prevention and workplace health are essential aspects of creating an environment that promotes employee wellbeing. By taking proactive steps to prioritize health, employers can ensure their workforce is safe, healthy, and productive. In this article, we discuss how disease prevention and workplace health can improve employee wellbeing.

1. Employers: Invest in Employee Health and Wellbeing

Employers looking to improve their employee wellbeing need to understand that it takes more than just a few days at an office gym to get the job done. Creating a culture where wellness isn’t an afterthought and employees are valued is key. Here are some ways employers can take important steps to invest in employee health and wellness:

• Encourage Regular Exercise – Set up discounted gym memberships or host regular company outings to local activity centers. Healthy employees are often more productive, and they are also more likely to stay with the company longer.
• Provide Supportive Work Environments – Ensure that employees are able to take adequate breaks and lunches, have time to stretch, and maintain reasonable workloads. Add flexible working hours as a way to allow for more vacation or personal time to focus on wellbeing.
• Offer Wellness Programs – Create initiatives such as health screenings, on-site yoga classes, or group runs. These activities can help reduce stress levels, provide time for self-care and act as a reminder of how important employee health is.
• Encourage Healthy Eating Habits – Make sure employee canteens have healthy options and that vending machines are filled with nutritious snacks. Provide smoothie and snack days to build in an extra dose of nutrition.
• Provide Mental Health Support – Invest in private counseling, therapy, or other mental health services that can help employees cope with whatever issues they are facing. Be sure to provide enough coverage for employees to get the help they need.

Having a workplace culture focused on healthy habits and well-being can have a substantial impact on productivity, morale, and employee retention. That is why it is important for employers to invest in the health of their employees. From providing wellness programs to encouraging healthy eating, employers should commit to creating a supportive environment for their staff.

2. Preventing the Spread of Disease at Work

Stopping the spread of infection at work is vital to keeping your employees safe and healthy. Here are several approaches to help prevent the spread of disease:

• Limit in-person interaction – Utilize remote work options where possible, limit group meetings and events, and practice social distancing when working face-to-face with coworkers or visiting clients.
• Encourage frequent handwashing – Place reminders throughout the office, such as on doors, walls, and workspaces. Make sure you’re stocked up on soap and hand sanitizer and that it’s easily accessible.
• Frequently wipe down and sanitize surfaces – Give precedence to surfaces with high traffic and ensure that they are cleaned and sanitized on a regular basis. Establish a schedule for wiping down commonly touched areas, such as doorknobs, countertops, desks, and phone handsets.
• Provide protective gear – Offer employees protective equipment such as masks and gloves, especially if they are required to interact with customers and colleagues in person.

Enforcing a clear policy is just as important as the measures you are taking to prevent the spread of disease. Make sure that you’re clear with your employees about expectations and requirements. Regularly communicate any changes or updates that may occur and ensure that safety protocols are strictly followed. By taking all the right steps and clearly communicating expectations, you can confidently protect your team and your business from the spread of disease.

3. Lifelong Habits for Long-Term Workplace Health

The workplace is your second home, and your health should always be your first priority. Implement small, manageable habits into your daily routines to ensure your long-term wellbeing. Here are some ideas:

• Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and energised throughout the day.
• Spread periods of physical activity evenly throughout the workday. Walking meetings are a great way to combine activity, fresh air and work discussions all in one go!
• Stick to a nutritious diet and aim to cook meals at home to avoid binge eating on calorie-rich snacks.
• When working with electronics, take regular breaks to stretch and rest your eyes.

A good work-life balance is important to staying sane and grounded at work and beyond. After-work yoga classes, weekend hikes, and outdoor activities with friends can reduce stress, spark creativity and lift your soul.

Finally, make sure you get enough sleep! According to a Gallup study in 2016, 40% of people in the US don’t get the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep a night. Lack of sleep can hamper your performance and lead to unhappiness. Set boundaries, plan ahead, and get to bed earlier to make yourself feel refreshed in the morning.

4. Restoring Resilience: The Benefits of Mental Health Interventions

Rebuilding mental strength is necessary for reducing the negative impacts of mental health challenges. It can be beneficial to go beyond just dealing with symptoms and start finding ways to find stability and even thrive. Mental health interventions can play an important role in helping to develop resilience.

An important part of mental health intervention involves understanding yourself, the various challenges you face, and finding ways to apply your personal strengths. This can include identifying areas of stress and learning how to manage them. It can also involve finding supports and techniques for making changes and implementing them in your life.

• Exploring your internal coping resources
• Identifying and lowering stress levels
• Engaging in meaningful activities, or reconnecting to your own interests and values

The benefit of mental health interventions is not simply about managing symptoms. Their purpose is also to support individuals in reconnecting with their own resilience and developing their own set of resources to live a meaningful life. Ultimately, mental health interventions can help to restore resilience, allowing individuals to positively move forward and continue to thrive.

5. Maintaining a Positive Work Environment: Engaging Employees Towards Wellness

When it comes to keeping a healthy and positive work environment, keeping your employees engaged around wellness goals is an important factor that cannot be ignored. Here are five helpful ways to encourage your employees to stay focused on their own physical and mental wellbeing.

1. Make Wellness a Priority in Your Organization

• Set aside time for team-building activities that promote health and wellness
• Require regular wellness check-ins with employees and managers
• Develop comprehensive wellness policies that prioritize physical and mental health

The importance of making wellness a priority in your organization cannot be understated. When employees are encouraged to take time to focus on their own wellbeing, they feel valued and appreciated. Not only does this boost morale, but it also helps to keep employees on track and productive while in the workplace.

2. Offer Wellness Benefits

• Subsidize gym memberships
• Provide healthy snacks in the office
• Offer mental and physical health services

By offering wellness benefits such as gym memberships, healthy snacks, and mental health services, you show employees that their own wellbeing is important to you as an employer. This can be a huge incentive for employees to take care of themselves and stay engaged in wellness activities.

3. Foster an Open Dialogue

• Encourage employees to share their unique experiences and perspectives
• Listen and proactively respond to employee feedback
• Promote active and constructive communication

One of the best ways to ensure that employees are staying positive and healthy is to foster an environment of open dialogue and collaboration. This means actively listening to employee feedback and being responsive to their needs. With open communication and employee involvement, your organization can create a supportive community that is focused on promoting wellness.

At work, investing in employee wellbeing doesn’t have to be a costly endeavor. Rather, with intentional strategies, such as promoting disease prevention and workplace health, employers can make a positive impact on the health of their employees, while also achieving improved productivity and morale. So, let’s STOP the spread of lifestyle-related diseases and make health and wellbeing a priority – both in and outside the workplace.