Print   RSS

Do Your Workers Fit in?

Dave Thomas

February 05, 2015

As any man or woman who runs a small business knows, there are myriad of responsibilities that come with the title of business owner.

From choosing and retaining the best employees to making sure your company’s financial health remains good, many hours can be consumed in a day. As a result, some small business owners may lose sight of one of the biggest priorities any company should have, making sure its employees come to work healthy and happy.

Sure, some will tell you that the business owner is only responsible for what the employee does while on the clock, with the rest of the time being none of their business. While that is true in large degree, small business owners only stand to benefit by having workers who are both healthy and happy.

So, how can your company accomplish this?

Encourage Better Health

One of the best ways to encourage better health in the workplace is by having a corporate wellness plan in place.

In doing so, you put in motion the plan of workers being able to have a yearly wellness exam, hopefully catch any issues before they become a major problem, and encourage workers to stay healthy not only for their own good, but the good of your company.

Now, your first thought may be that a corporate wellness plan will be too costly for your company, thinking that is money that can be better spent elsewhere. If that is the case, lose that idea.

It is no big secret that sick days due to illness, injury, surgeries etc. oftentimes wind up costing both the small business owner and the employee a sizable amount of money. If you have a corporate wellness plan in place, you lessen the odds that many of your employees will fall victim to illness and injury, simply due to the fact that they should be in better overall shape from regular doctor visits.

If you’re still toying with the idea of a corporate wellness plan, look at some other ideas that can fill the void at least for now. They include:

• Promoting fitness outside the office – While some of your employees may already be doing this, it never hurts to encourage your workers to workout outside the office. This can include taking 10-15 minute walks during breaks, going for a run on their lunch break, walking after work etc. By all means, do not be pushy with this, let the employees be totally behind these ideas;
• Gym memberships – It is not uncommon these days for businesses to offer their employees gym memberships as part of their amenities. Along with promoting better health, such memberships can lead to more interaction among employees who choose to go to the gym together before or after work;
• Office exercises – Don’t be surprised if you walk into a business in 2015 and find a treadmill, small weights, and other such exercise equipment. More companies are encouraging light workouts during the work day. Not only is it a good physical activity, but it gives employees a break from their computer screens and other work-related tasks at hand;
• Rewards for not missing work – Even though you do not want workers showing up on their “death bed” from colds, the flu and other illnesses, rewarding them for staying healthy and not missing any or little work is yet another incentive. The rewards can be in the form of money, vouchers/coupons to area businesses and so on.

As a small business owner, your employees are your first and most important investment.

Make sure you give them as many opportunities to be healthy and happy employees.

 Feedback   Submit Article