Most employees are working between 1040 and 2080 hours a year in an office setting, depending on if they are working part-time or full-time. That is a lot of time sitting being that there are 8760 hour in a year. That is 11.8% to 23.7% of the time. WOW! Almost 25% of a year sitting! This not taking into consideration overtime or project work those employees may do.
We wonder why American workers find it difficult to find time to squeeze in trips to the gym. With health-related expenses costing companies millions of dollars a year, employers should be doing everything in their power to keep their employees fit and healthy.
Let’s look to see what could be done to improve employee health overall:
Here are 4 simple ideas of things employers can do to keep their health care costs down.
- Decide what kind of culture your firm and employees want to have.
This can be done through collaboration of departments and make a fun spirit amongst peers. Provide the space for healthy living.
- Investigate what you are promoting. What does your organization supply in your vending machines? Do you put our fruit or donuts for team meetings?
- Make sure your leaders are on board. When the management of a company promotes healthy living, it is easier for everyone else to jump on board.
- Make health easy. Encourage others by putting in a gym or walking path and praise employees for their healthy choices through words of affirmation.
- Find a buddy amongst the ranks.
- Put together fun workplace initiatives such as a walking or running group.
- Drum up a team weight maintenance or fat loss program during the holidays.
- Sign up a team for a recreation league and accept all players who want to be healthy.
- Invite local health and wellness professionals to host workshops and cooking demos.
- Get buy in.
- Ask your teams what they want to accomplish in living a healthy lifestyle through surveys or opinion boxes.
- Help them identify the hurdles that may come up and set up a collaborative time to help them over the hurdles
- Don’t push the unmotivated employee to change if they don’t want to. Work with the willing.
- Give free information.
- Set up a company intranet page that showcases healthy living articles, workouts, social media pages, ideas, success stories and even a chat area for others to collaborate on and off business hours.
- Make it worth their while.
- Employees will do a lot for a little recognition and praise.
- If you so feel inclined,make a contest with some layers of prizes or incentives they can win for doing what you want them to…being healthy.
You’ll have buy in, if everyone that supports your company initiative wants to truly live a healthy lifestyle. So be all in and get well and stay well. You are worth it.
Warmest regards,
Stacia