The working life can be difficult, that’s for sure. Not only is the average person expected to give up 40 hours of their life – per week – to work and earn money, but we also need to juggle personal commitments alongside. Taking this into consideration, it’s no surprise that nearly a third of adults (30%) feel stressed ten or more days a month. Ouch, that’s far too many…
As an employer, you should always be looking for new ways to encourage health and wellness both inside and outside of the workplace. Not only will doing so benefit your staff and make them happier, but it can also benefit your business.
If you’re looking for inspiration, here are 6 workplace wellness initiatives that your team will love.
1. Free (healthy) snacks and beverages
An employer who cares about keeping their staff fuelled throughout the day – without asking them for the necessary funds to make it happen – is an employer that employees will work hard to impress. In the workplace, create designated stations that offer free (healthy!) snacks and beverages for employees to enjoy at their leisure.
2. Yoga classes
Yoga has many, many benefits – there’s a reason why so many people are talking about it! In fact, 300,000 to 460,000 people are taking part in yoga classes each week. This activity incorporates meditation and breathing, both of which can improve a person’s mental well-being. Trust us, everyone’s a winner if you encourage or host yoga sessions for your employees.
3. Free gym memberships
A healthy body quite often leads to a healthy mind. We’re certain that your employees would feel motivated and inspired with a free gym membership initiative. Keeping in shape can be expensive, so much so that the average Brit doesn’t bother because they feel like they can’t afford the luxury.
4. Life insurance
Your team will massively benefit from knowing that you care about them so much that you have business life insurance for employees in place. Deliver long-term financial protection and immediate access to mental health support (EAP) and watch your staff flourish in the workplace.
5. ‘Stop Smoking’ sessions
Smoking is bad for you, full stop. We don’t have to actually tell you that, do we? Not only is smoking incredibly harmful on the body, but it can also cost you (the employer) money if you allow your staff to take regular cigarette breaks while on the clock.
Put a stop to both by giving your team access to free ‘stop smoking’ sessions to help them kick the habit.
6. Regular staff activities
As an employer, you should aim to have regular staff activities once a month or once every quarter. By doing so, you’ll give your team the opportunity to unwind and let their hair down, and get to know each other away from the desk and computer screen.
To ensure everybody gets a chance to do something that they like, create polls or ask for anonymous suggestions. This is good for employee wellness, of course, and we’re sure that each member of your team will love it!
