Most businesses would agree that employee health and wellbeing is important. Without that, it’s hard to ensure your staff are capable, happy in their jobs, and able to do their best work. The money you invest in staff wellbeing can pay for itself, in money you would have lost from staff sickness or burnout, or perhaps just a higher turnover rate. That’s before we even mention the many downstream cultural effects that come from a happy office or workplace, where people are more inclined to do good work, to do more than the bare minimum, and to continue on in your business and raise the ranks.
But as with climate and green initiatives, it’s easy to pay lip service to the topic of wellbeing without investing in genuine, structural and important upgrades. So, in this post, we’re going to discuss some of the most steadfast investments you can make towards employee health. These should be measures you can point to and publish in your yearly report, and perhaps even win staff satisfaction awards for, which is great for attracting the best talent out there.
A Bicycle Scheme
Cycle schemes make commuting a bit easier for those who want to move away from crowded buses or trains but can’t justify or have considered the cost of a new bike on their own. It’s a practice a lot of people think about but never follow through on, so having it as a workplace option can take away that hesitation, and once someone gives it a go, they often stick with it. That’s not because they suddenly become a cyclist, but because it just feels better getting some fresh air before and after work instead of sitting in traffic that doesn’t move.
It helps if there’s a safe place to lock the bike, not solely a rusty rack on the side of the building. If there’s a working shower and somewhere to keep a change of clothes too, then more people start to see it as doable instead of just idealistic, but this isn’t essential. However, just like a morning coffee some morning exercise can have your people ready to rock as soon as they show up.
Air Conditioning & Humidifiers
If a room feels stale or stuffy for more than an hour, people start to get irritated without knowing why, and this can lead to worse health outcomes and ennui. Some places try to fix it with a fan in the corner or by cracking open a few windows, which can help, but you may find a better option with good HVAC.
Good air conditioning helps hold the temperature steady and can ensure even heatwaves are workable, and a humidifier can stop the dry scratchy feeling that creeps in during winter when the heat’s been running too long, or if you have that dry heat which can be uncomfortable. This is where a system with in-duct humidifiers can be worth your investment.
Standing Desks & Ergonomic Furniture
The wrong chair can mess up someone’s back in a week, and we often see old ones with the padding worn out and the wheels half-stuck in offices that haven’t invested in this for a while. People rarely speak up about it either, they just adjust themselves all day, shifting around, standing up more than they need to, and going home with a sore neck that gets worse every week.
Invest in adjustable desks, as they help people stay comfortable because they can stand up and tap away. One person might like to sit low with their screen tilted up, but someone else might want to stand for an hour in the afternoon just to stretch out, and having those options is worthwhile. If the furniture fits the way people work, they don’t have to think about it, and when they don’t think about it, they’re not distracted or frustrated by it either.
Catering Or Nutritional Snacks, Filtered Water, Coffee
Most people don’t pack a perfect lunch, they might just grab what’s nearby or skip meals entirely, but you have the chance to encourage better habits. Offices that keep a few decent snacks around, fruit that hasn’t gone soft or packets of nuts or something simple like oat bars, tend to have fewer people dragging by mid-afternoon.
Clean filtered water that doesn’t taste metallic or chalky with a good central unit is also a good investment, coffee that’s drinkable without loading it with sugar is also good, as t helps people settle into their day without a mid-morning slump hitting so hard. Regardless, you can’t tell people how to eat or drink, but you can offer a clean kitchen with a few worthwhile provisions.
Flexible & Remote Working Patterns
Not everyone has the same needs in a job, and if you can accommodate extra needs, you may be surprised how well staff respond. Offering a kind of flexibility doesn’t mean the work drops off, it usually just means people get it done on their terms instead of squeezing it between other distractions.
Remote days help with that kind of need. Someone who’s got a long commute or a school run to juggle might be able to give more to their work when they’re not thinking about the clock every second. Of course, for the people who like being in the office, the space stays calmer because fewer people are forced to be there all the time.
Healthcare & Insurance
Knowing there’s support available if your health takes a hit changes how safe a workplace feels. This is most appropriate to the USA of course, but in some positions, private healthcare is considered a great benefit even in countries like the UK. This means a physio visit after a shoulder strain or just having a number to call for mental health support without needing permission, can remove pressure to keep pushing through something that really needs attention.
With this advice, we hope you can more easily make a steadfast investment in the welbeing of your staff, from all angles. A few tangible steps can make more of a difference than you think.