Let’s face it: productivity won't see improvement through punitive measures or stricter policies; in fact, these approaches may be counterproductive to your goals. We live in an age where job-hopping and quiet quitting are the most prevalent trends among the U.S. workforce. Proactively addressing these challenges is not only necessary to maintain current productivity levels but also to enhance them.
Research shows a direct correlation between employee well-being and productivity. This means that by nurturing a workplace culture that prioritizes the health and wellness of your employees, you can expect an enhancement of your business’s productivity levels.
How Employee Well-Being Impacts Your Business
Employee well-being has a direct impact on your bottom line. It impacts employee engagement, retention, and productivity and encompasses many factors within the work environment. These factors range from health and safety to work culture, work-life balance, and overall job satisfaction.
While the primary responsibility lies with you as an employer to establish the tone and formulate policies that promote your staff's well-being, it's equally important that every member of your team actively contributes to creating a healthy workplace culture. Prioritizing and investing in employee happiness and health can yield substantial benefits across the board, ultimately strengthening your organization's performance and financial outcomes.
Guiding Principles
If you're aiming to create a positive impact, launching a wellness initiative, when thoughtfully implemented, can be a significant step forward. Choosing what to include and which areas to focus on can take time and effort. However, a few principles should form the foundation of whatever strategies you choose to adopt:
- Prioritizing physical health
- Promoting mental health
- Addressing financial stability
These core ideas can serve as a compass to guide your efforts in improving your team's well-being.
Physical health
Exercise has a positive impact on employee productivity, aids in fostering creative thinking, and enhances problem-solving abilities. Research shows that employees who engage in moderate exercise, such as walking or bike riding, tend to produce higher-quality work and perform better than those who don't.
Prioritizing physical health within your organization doesn't mean pushing everyone to run a marathon. Instead, it involves implementing programs encouraging physical fitness and healthy eating, which can significantly contribute to your team's overall well-being. These programs may include offerings such as gym memberships and nutrition and wellness courses.
GMS' metabolic wellness program offers an excellent solution for business owners seeking to support their employees in adopting a more active and healthier lifestyle. This program is rooted in science and offers personalized dietary guidance and temporary supplementation to assist individuals in cultivating healthier habits. With the added benefit of weekly one-on-one sessions with medical practitioners, tailored meal plans, access to educational resources, and a supportive community, your employees will be well-equipped to achieve their fitness objectives.
Mental health
More than 15% of working-age adults live with a mental health disorder. These disorders can vary in severity but substantially impact employee productivity, absenteeism, and overall capacity. According to the World Health Organization, depression and anxiety alone result in the loss of an astounding twelve billion working days every year. While addressing mental health is not solely the responsibility of employers, offering initiatives such as employee assistance programs (EAPs) or counseling services can be a valuable and supportive step toward promoting employee well-being.
Safeguarding mental health also includes developing and executing policies that empower employees to seek assistance or report issues impacting their work, such as resource shortages, inappropriate workplace conduct, or harassment. By implementing these policies and procedures, you can directly influence the overall health of your workplace culture, which in turn greatly benefits the mental well-being of your employees. In fact, research has shown that a healthy workplace culture is associated with higher engagement and lower stress and depression levels.
Financial health
Employees facing financial stress are more inclined to seek alternative employment opportunities, have a higher likelihood of experiencing accidents, and tend to take more sick days. These factors can lead to financial repercussions for your organization and decrease employee morale and well-being.
To effectively address this, it's essential to offer competitive compensation packages that encompass salaries and benefits adequately reflecting the market value of your staff's skills and contributions. Regularly reviewing and making necessary adjustments to these packages demonstrates your commitment to their financial stability.
Additionally, consider tools like FinFit. FinFit provides a comprehensive suite of products, resources, and tools designed to help individuals establish financial stability within their households. Their platform offers early wage access and emergency funding options, along with a wealth of educational resources, personalized coaching, and budgeting tools. These services empower individuals to proactively prepare for the future and create a financial safety net to handle unexpected crises, ultimately reducing stress and enhancing their overall economic well-being.
Principles In Practice
There are many different strategies you could implement to improve your staff’s well-being. However, it’s best to gather your team's input to pinpoint your specific company's needs. In the meantime, the following are a few ideas to help get you started:
- Offer manager training. Managers play a significant role in the health and wellness of your staff. Managers impact employee mental health 69% more than doctors or therapists. Providing resources to leadership development programs is essential for equipping managers with the necessary skills to effectively lead and inspire their teams. By fostering strong leadership capabilities, organizations can enhance team performance, employee engagement, and overall productivity, resulting in a more thriving and resilient workforce.
- Offer flexible work. In light of the evolving workforce, it's essential to acknowledge that many employees now place a high value on flexibility. Providing alternatives such as remote work, flexible scheduling, or compressed workweeks can positively impact job satisfaction and contribute to higher employee retention rates.
- Promote work-life balance. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies have adopted remote and hybrid work styles. While this marks progress toward fostering a flexible work culture, it also means more employees have access to work at home and may be tempted (or asked) to work during off hours or while they’re technically out of the office. Thus, it is equally crucial to prioritize promoting a healthy work-life balance. Encouraging employees to maximize their breaks, utilize their vacation time, and unplug from work during their off-hours not only nurtures their well-being but also cultivates lasting job satisfaction and fosters loyalty to the organization.
- Ensure clear and manageable workloads. Similar to work-life balance, ensure your staff understands their role and responsibilities. Studies indicate that employees experiencing workplace stress often report it affecting their home life (71%) and overall well-being (64%). While occasional anxiety is inevitable, and periods of heavier workloads may necessitate adaptability and ambiguity, it's crucial not to normalize this as an everyday aspect of your organizational culture and workflow. Striking a balance between clear expectations and the flexibility to navigate challenging times is vital to fostering a sustainable and healthy work environment.
- Prioritize inclusivity. An inclusive culture fosters a sense of belonging among employees and taps into the collective wisdom of individuals from various backgrounds and experiences. This diversity of thought and perspective can lead to more innovative problem-solving, improved decision-making, and, ultimately, heightened productivity within your organization.
Telemedicine Saves You Time And Money
Healthy employees are good for every business. Telemedicine gets employees in contact with doctors for a free consultation, helping them avoid time-consuming visits to the doctor or unnecessary trips to the emergency room (ER). As part of our premier employee benefits administration services, GMS helps employers by offering telehealth services through Teladoc. Telemedicine saves you and your employees valuable time and money through prompt, convenient access to licensed physicians based right in the U.S.
Affordable, convenient health care consultations with licensed physicians are only a phone call or mouse click away through Telehealth. Contact us today and start investing in your team!