5 Best Ways to Boost Employee Wellbeing in 2020
Ways to boost employee wellbeing: in our lifetime, we spend a staggering 90,000 hours at work so it’s crucial our workplace goes the extra mile to take care of our wellbeing.
When businesses look after their employees, they find a boost in productivity, engagement, and loyalty which are key ingredients to running a successful company.
Are you a business owner who’s not sure how to boost employee wellbeing?
If so, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s everything you need to know.
What Do We Mean By “Wellbeing?”
Before we dive into improving employees well being, it’s important to understand what we mean by the popular term.
Cambridge dictionary defines it as the state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy.
Wellbeing doesn’t just cover physical health but also mood and cognition, so you consider their overall quality of life.
And remember, nurturing happy employees in an enjoyable workplace means better results in the long run.
5 Ways to Boost Your Employee’s Well-Being
There are many ways to focus on wellbeing in the workplace. For example:
Encourage Mental Health Awareness
A fantastic employee wellbeing program is EAP counseling, an Employee Assistance Program that helps with personal or work-related issues that could impact their performance, health, and mental wellbeing.
For instance, employees who suffer from chronic stress are more prone to illness, so they take more time off work to recover.
Research shows that in the U.S, around $260 billion are lost in output because of absenteeism.
This shows how it’s crucial for businesses to understand how this impacts their organization and rise to prevent it.
You can do this by creating a “Wellbeing Working Group” so enthusiastic volunteers can design, publicize, and monitor wellbeing activities.
You should turn several employees into “Wellbeing Champions” so they can organize and deliver parts of the wellbeing program.
This is an effective way to discuss mental and physical health to ensure employees are getting the care that they need.
Consider Unlimited Vacation
Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean all your employees will collect paychecks while lounging on a beach in Costa Rica.
Instead, it lets employees take as much time off as they wish, as long as they get the job done.
It works because you prove that you trust your employees to do the right thing by your company, which they will appreciate, and show you in dazzling results.
This is a perfect example of when employee well being is taken seriously.
Allocate Remote Days Throughout the Year 
A similar strategy is to switch up the standard 9 to 5 workdays by encouraging employees to work remotely once a week.
According to a study, remote employees work 1.4 more days per month, adding up to three more weeks of work per year.
Your employees will consider the flexibility a token of your trust which will improve their emotional workplace wellbeing.
Further, when employees are bogged down with endless meetings and lengthy workdays, it can result in burnout which is terrible for your team’s health.
You can reduce burnout by offering sabbaticals to certain individuals after a length of time. Employees who spend three to five years at your company should be entitled to eight weeks off to travel or work on their side hustle.
This proves you care about employees enriching their personal lives which will bring forth new ideas and fresh perspectives when they return.
Get Everybody Moving
A CDC report found only 23% of Americans get enough exercise. A fantastic way to tackle a sedentary lifestyle is by encouraging your employees to keep moving.
For instance, standing while you work burns calories as you tense your leg, core, and back muscles to stay balanced.
You could even introduce walking meetings because being outside and increased blood flow enhances focus and sparks creativity.
Or inspire employees to cycle to work even if its once or twice a week. Not only does this give your team a great morning boost but it saves the planet and gas money.
If any of your employees have longer commutes, they can combine public transport with cycling so it’s less intense.
Another idea is incorporating a fitness challenge to encourage friendly competition.
For instance, you could hand out fitness trackers so everyone can log their steps daily and award a winner each week.
Create a Garden
Collaborate with your team to grow a worksite garden to reap physical and stress-relieving benefits.
Worksite gardens are a terrific way to discuss new ideas, boost morale, and strengthen relationships between colleagues.
You can encourage healthy eating by taking part in a vegan challenge. A 2019 study found those who ate mostly plant-based foods were 32% less likely to die from heart disease.
Not only does vegan food give you crucial nutrients but it also promotes mindful eating so your team eats lighter and better.
If eating vegan for a week is too difficult, ease into it one day a week and notice the change in your team.
That’s How to Boost Employee Wellbeing 
Encouraging employee wellbeing is the key to having a happy, healthy, and productive team. The best part is that you don’t need to splurge on wellbeing campaigns, and instead make adjustments to your current work life.
For instance, offer employees the chance to work from home occasionally, participate in walking meetings, and even start a worksite garden to encourage healthy eating.
As a business owner, it’s your responsibility to take care of your employees and create a positive environment where others would love to work. Good luck!
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