Concerns regarding productivity and efficiency at work now often center on employee wellness. Recognizing the link between performance and health is essential to establishing a productive workplace for staff members. Establishing a health-conscious culture may help firms become much more productive and provide better results overall.
This article explores how employee health can impact workplace productivity and also offers some tips on what employers can do about it.
The Link Between Health and Productivity
The connection between health and productivity is well-established through many studies and research. Workers that are in good health typically exhibit greater levels of engagement, better attention, and more vitality. On the other hand, ill health might result in more presenteeism and absenteeism as well as decreased productivity overall.
The company benefits from investing in employee wellness in addition to the personnel. Employees that are in good health are more likely to be driven, effective, and dedicated to their jobs.
What Is the Loss of Employee Productivity?
Employers lose $530 billion annually as a result of health-related productivity losses, according to estimates from the World Economic Forum. The primary expense resulting from poor employee health is lost productivity. For businesses, healthcare costs offered for unhealthy employees are also prohibitively high and have been rising over the past ten years.
Physical Health and Productivity
Physical health is the foundation of overall wellbeing and directly influences productivity. Employees in good physical health are less likely to suffer from chronic illnesses that can impair their ability to work. Higher energy levels and improved focus are correlated with physical health, which includes regular exercise, a balanced diet, and enough sleep.
Employees that are physically fit have a lower risk of diseases and injuries, taking fewer sick day leaves. Companies may encourage physical wellbeing by:
- Providing access to fitness facilities
- Organizing health screenings
- Promoting active lifestyles through wellness programs
Doing some kind of physical exercise or even something as simple as stretching has shown significant results in this area. Forbes mentions that when a manufacturing business allows its workers to stretch before starting a shift, work-related accidents are reduced by 50%. This further reduces workers’ compensation expenses by $800,000. This is a significant amount for small and medium businesses and even large-sized startups.
How Do You Encourage Employees to Eat Healthy?
Eating healthy is a significant part of physical health and overall wellbeing. Without the right diet, employees can gain excessive weight, develop chronic illnesses, become poorly nourished, etc. All these factors can result in poor employee health and, thus, lost productivity and revenue.
Employers can encourage the staff to eat healthy by providing the right options in the cafeteria or kitchen. They can also lower the cost and increase the accessibility of these healthful solutions relative to other options. Creating educational programs to inform employees about how the food they consume will impact their health and work is also an ideal choice.
Through these educational programs, employers should also focus on stating that workers should not try to take any shortcuts. For instance, obesity is an adverse problem that can lead to numerous health conditions if not managed effectively. This does not imply, however, that people should use any arbitrary medications to lose weight.
Many people use medications like Ozempic and Wegovy in an attempt to lose weight. As rightly stated by PBS, it is one of the biggest health stories emerging recently. However, these medications can have many risks involved that can outweigh the minimal benefits.
As noted by TorHoerman Law, Ozempic was actually approved for treating type 2 diabetes. People have been using it for its weight loss effects, which are positively seen by some individuals. However, these effects come with their own risks, such as:
- Bowel movement issues
- Gastroparesis
- Gallbladder disease
- Vomiting
Due to such side effects that are not clearly mentioned on the labels, people are suing the manufacturer for their sufferings. If you have faced any such issues, you can also join them by hiring an Ozempic lawyer. An attorney can help you build a case that can help you win and get fair compensation for your sufferings.
Besides educating the employees about healthy diet and good health, employers should also inform them about such issues.
Mental Health and Productivity
Mental health has a big impact on how people feel, think, and work at work. Anxiety, despair, and burnout are among the problems that can arise from poor mental health and have a detrimental effect on productivity. Mental health problems can cause difficulty in concentrating, making decisions, and managing time effectively.
According to research, there is substantial evidence linking poor mental health to decreased productivity. This research associated depression and/or anxiety with higher presenteeism and absenteeism rates. However, the exact processes via which mental illness reduces productivity are not clearly known yet.
Emotional Wellbeing and Productivity
Emotional wellbeing is another critical factor influencing workplace productivity. Employees who are emotionally balanced are better equipped to handle work-related stress and maintain positive relationships with colleagues. Emotional wellbeing impacts how employees interact with others, resolve conflicts, and respond to challenges.
A supportive workplace culture that values empathy, respect, and understanding can enhance emotional wellbeing. Employers can nurture such an environment by providing training on emotional intelligence, encouraging work-life balance, and recognizing employees’ efforts and achievements.
Workers are more likely to be engaged, cooperative, and driven to contribute to the success of the company when they get emotional support.
What Do Employees Feel About Their Emotional Wellbeing at Work?
Out of the more than 5,000 respondents, one-third of the workforce stated that they place the most value on emotional wellbeing. Physical wellbeing came in third at 13%, while financial wellness came in second at 23%. Furthermore, more respondents than any other dimension (95%) said that emotional wellbeing had an influence on their productivity.
What Employers Can Do to Improve Employee Health?
One of the primary ways employers can support physical health is by creating a workplace environment that encourages regular physical activity. This can be accomplished by setting up group exercise programs, providing on-site fitness centers, or providing gym membership subsidies.
Comprehensive mental health initiatives, such as counseling services, employee assistance programs (EAPs), and stress management courses, can be implemented by employers. It’s critical to promote an environment of transparency and support for mental health concerns.
Creating a welcoming and upbeat work environment helps promote emotional wellness. Employers might support social gatherings and team-building exercises that nurture strong interpersonal bonds and a sense of community among staff members. Acknowledging and recognizing workers’ accomplishments and efforts may help improve their mental health and morale.
A McKinsey & Company survey found six changeable drivers that can help employers improve employee health. These six drivers are:
- Social connection
- Attitudes and beliefs
- Productive activity
- Stress
- Economic stability
- Sleep
Enhancing worker health and happiness might generate between $3.7 trillion and $11.7 trillion in economic value worldwide.
The well-being of employees significantly affects productivity at work. Employers may promote a work environment that promotes employees’ wellness by comprehending and treating the mental, emotional, and physical elements of health. This ultimately results in increased output, less absenteeism, and a more driven staff.
Not only is it morally right to invest in employee health, but it’s also a wise economic move that may pay off handsomely. Prioritizing health is essential for nurturing a productive and thriving workplace.