We know that wellness programs benefit employees and they are equally good for businesses.
The productivity and profits will improve with the health of your employees because a healthy mind and body are capable of achieving a lot more.
There’s nothing more difficult than running a business with a team of unhealthy and unmotivated employees. If they are not physically or mentally fit, they will not be able to perform at their best.
Let’s look at the reasons why it is important for companies to invest in the health of their employees:
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Increased productivity:
According to research published at the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, there is a strong connection between cognitive and physical health. This means you need to be physically healthy to perform your best at work.
Employee wellness programs are the best way to make sure that your workers are healthy. These programs promote healthcare awareness. They also motivate the employees to improve their lifestyle in order to make the most out of their time at work.
According to the study, the employees who participated in wellness programs produced an additional 10.3 hours per year as compared to non-participants. Each participant also added an additional $353 to the annual revenue earned by the company.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that the loss of productivity resulting from health problems cost US businesses around $1,685 per employee each year. This makes a total loss of $225.8 billion annually.
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Reduction in healthcare cost
When companies invest in employees’ wellness program, they promote a healthier environment to work. Since the workplace is no longer a stressful environment to work in, employees stay physically and mentally healthy.
Stress also takes a toll on the body. Employees with greater workload fall sick the most. When you invest in an employee wellness program, you introduce your team to healthy habits that increase their productivity. This benefits both the employer and the employees.
When the employees are healthy, the company needs to spare only a small percentage to pay for the medical bills of workers. According to a study published at Health Affairs, the companies with employee wellness programs experienced more reduction in health costs as compared to the companies without one. Moreover, a reduction in risk factors of chronic diseases among employees was also seen.
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Increased presenteeism
The major reason why companies urge employee fitness is to reduce absenteeism. Healthier staff means lesser sick leaves. Lesser leaves assure more productivity. Poor health leads to absenteeism. It also puts the employees at a high risk of chronic diseases.
A sedentary lifestyle is also one of the major reasons why employees develop body fat and other health diseases. In order to keep its staff healthy, the company should invest in employee wellness programs. These staff health and fitness programs won’t just keep your workforce healthier but will also create a healthy working environment.
Encouraging employees to practice good health habits will keep them healthy and active. It will also reduce the risk of common illnesses. When your employees are healthy, they would spend more time adding to the overall business’s growth.
Employee wellness programs such as regular exercise or other physical activities have a very positive impact on the overall well-being of the workforce.
A study published in a 2012 issue of The Lancet found that lack of physical activity kills and costs more than smoking. However, according to recent studies, an hour of physical activity each day can prevent the effects of a sedentary lifestyle. By incorporating physical wellness programs at the workplace you can promote healthy practices while growing your business.
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Positive changes in employees’ behavior
Bringing positive changes in your employees’ behavior can be hard. However, according to recent research conducted by the US federal government, employee fitness program can lead to positive changes in employee behavior. This eventually brings positivity to the overall work environment.
A healthy body also promotes optimistic thinking. Increased physical activity, healthier diets, lower intake of fats and reduction in body weight impacts your personality in a positive way. It also makes you more confident and your mood lightens.
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Employees’ retention
Employee wellness programs are considered one of the biggest incentives that companies should offer. Some of these fitness programs include on-site gyms. Many experts believe incorporating a gym into the workspace will prove to be a great retention tool for some companies.
For example, if the incorporation of the wellness program is well received by the employees, they will stay fit and perform better. This will also lead to their physical as well as cognitive improvement. It will motivate them to work harder and they wouldn’t think about switching to a new job unless the new company offers better incentives.
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Team building
According to fitness experts, working out together builds a stronger team. It helps in retaining employees and motivating them to work harder.
One of the best ways to build a strong relationship among team members is to let them spend their free time at the gym. It will relieve their stress and they would be able to discuss their ideas in a less stressful environment. They can even discuss their project while working out. It will also improve internal relationships and keep the environment of the office healthy.
Conclusion
Investing in employees’ fitness has various benefits. Among them is a healthier body that promotes cognitive development. When you introduce such programs into the workplace, you add to the profit and performance of the company.
These wellness programs also help in reducing the number of annual sick leaves, improve workplace environment, and retain hardworking employees. Take your business to the next level. Introduce an employees’ fitness program today.
