Does the wellbeing and health of your employees matter to your business? Absolutely! They matter in so many different ways. This article explores why every business owner should care about their staff’s health and wellbeing. Keep reading below to find out more!
Employee wellbeing and health are finally taking centre stage in the business world. For many years, employee wellness was seen as a responsibility of the HR department rather than an essential part of business strategy.
However, this is rapidly changing as business owners are becoming more involved in protecting their employees’ wellbeing as it benefits both their workforce and their business. Entrepreneurs and HR professionals finally understand that unhealthy, unhappy, and ungagged employees are only a drag on productivity and innovation.
So, today, the business world understands that for a thriving company, you need thriving employees. Continue reading below to find out the exact reasons why businesses should care more about employee health and wellbeing.
Healthy employees are productive.
Data backs this one up. It shows that happy employees are up to 20% more productive than unhappy employees.
Now, think about it: just how happy can you be when you’re sick, feeling pain, or stressed? Probably not very. Well, it’s the same for your employees. When they are not feeling well mentally and physically, they can’t be happy. Therefore, they can’t be productive, meaning that your business is likely losing a lot of money.
Sure, the happiness of your employees doesn’t only rely on their wellbeing. However, them feeling mentally and physically good is a key aspect.
Failing to do so can cost your business a lot of money.
Failing to protect your workforce’s health and wellbeing can be a pretty expensive mistake.
First of all, keep in mind that, as an employer, you have the legal duty of care that forces you to protect your employees from accidents and injuries. As the experts from HowMuchCompensation explain, “In case your business doesn’t meet health and safety legislation and one of your employees is injured in an accident at work, they can claim workers’ compensation for an injury which can cost your business a lot of money”.
What’s more, even if such a dramatic accident doesn’t happen and ends up in an employee getting injured badly, paid sick days are also a financial burden for your business.
Plus, sick days are also incredibly distracting and emotionally destabilizing for your employees. And, it may take a long time for a sick employee to recover and become productive again. Plus, a missing employee from the team because of an illness or an injury can also affect the entire team’s productivity.
Happy employees make happy customers.
It is well-known in the business world that happy employees lead to happy customers. It makes total sense: happy employees are more productive, efficient, helpful, and creative. These are all key factors in doing their job better and satisfying your business’s customers.
In contrast, sick or unhappy employees can negatively impact productivity, turnover, the business’s overall efficiency, and ultimately, your customers’ opinions about your business.
So, by caring for your workforce’s wellbeing and health, you also contribute to how your business succeeds in satisfying its customers. Bottom line, as long as you keep your employees healthy and happy, you’ll stay in business.
Satisfied employees are loyal.
When you care about your workforce’s health and wellbeing, you also ensure that your employees will stick around for longer. Healthy and happy employees are more loyal to the companies they work for than those who feel unappreciated by their employers.
Let’s be honest: miserable workplaces that show no respect to their workforce, underpay their employees or overwork them don’t retain employees. It’s very simple: when morale is low, employees will start looking for other opportunities, especially if they are top employees who know their worth.
In contrast, happy employees are loyal ones. If they like their office, their role, feel appreciated, cared for, and are comfortable with their colleagues, they are simply a lot less likely to look for another job.
We’ve already established that caring for your employees’ health and wellbeing is a key factor in how happy they are to work for you. So, while they are at the workplace, protect your employees’ mental and physical wellbeing.
Gain a good reputation as an employer.
Another great reason why caring for your employees’ overall wellbeing is that you’ll get yourself a good reputation as an employer. Your business can benefit from word-of-mouth, not only when it comes to customers. It can also benefit from it when it comes to attracting top talent.
Caring for your employees, in many ways, be it offering great employee benefits, not overworking your staff, or perks like healthcare benefits, will make working at your company more tempting.
A top-industry employer is always desirable for a very talented workforce. So, by caring for your current employees, you also help gain a great reputation that will help your business attract the most talented employees in the market. Needless to say, attracting a top workforce is going to be a strong competitive edge.
Best ways to encourage better employee health
Caring for your employees’ wellbeing and health is not a one-step process. It can be a pretty complicated process, especially depending on the nature of your business and industry. However, there are a few simple ways to encourage better employee health that all business owners can start using right now:
- Identify potential safety hazards in your workplace and find solutions to resolve them.
- Don’t overwork or overstress your employees with impossible deadlines.
- Encourage healthy eating (provide employees with fresh fruits and vegetables at the office).
- Allow sick employees to stay or work from home to protect their peers and to recover faster.
- Provide top-quality protective equipment (particularly if your business is in a high-risk industry such as construction, mining, manufacturing, health services, or warehousing).
- Provide proper education and training materials.
- Encourage employees to share their concerns on both mental and physical health so that you can provide them with solutions.
