Workplace Wellness Tips to Munch for Breakfast

How important do you think “wellness” is in the workplace? We say it’s extremely vital — good health is good business.

What your workers are feeling speaks volumes of the strength and sustainability of your company. As such, promoting their wellness is not just good for them, it’s good for your burgeoning business as well.

Albeit, it might take some time to get there, but not impossible. With a real shift in behavior and thinking, you can set the tone for your business.

Here are some workplace wellness tips to embody work-life harmony and happiness in the office.

What is Workplace Wellness?

Workplace wellness relates to activities and policies designed to improve workplace health. It’s the promotion of employee positive health, in all aspects of their working profile, from having a quality physical working environment to supporting fitness programs and healthy behavior among employees.

Workplace Wellness Tips: What Should Owners of Small Businesses Do to Ensure the Safety of Their Workers?

The strength of an organization is built on employees. Thus, protecting and fostering their health and safety is something companies should be focusing on.

If an employee gets sick of worst, gets injured at work, financial impacts are imminent. These numbers can be quite damaging, especially for small businesses.

In light of this, here are important measures small companies should consider to ensure a healthy working environment.

What Are 7 Safe Work Practices?

There is NO such thing as One-Size-Fits-All in Business

Your culture, industry, work, and location are not going to be the same as the next organization. Say, wedding planning has different needs from someone who runs an e-commerce store.

When you’re crafting plans around workplace safety or risk management, you have to weigh in preferences, circumstances and what is of utmost importance for your business and your employees.

Along with a legal perspective, there should be a good blend of what the organization and the people need.
It’s a Two-Way Communication.

Two-way communication helps ideas flow freely in both directions in the office, building trust and engagement.

That’s why when you’re encouraging safety programs, two-way communication is necessary to establish sustainable processes at all levels of your company. Information becomes transparent and the workers get to be involved.
Mental Health is Important as Physical Health, Even More So.

The impact of the pandemic on employee mental wellness was a pain point across all industries. This is why you should not disregard mental health when ensuring the health and safety of your human resource.

Openly encourage employees to talk about mental health, let it be a topic and educate them. Show you care, by offering community activities and family time. You can even extend flexible working hours, at times. These are just some key steps that you can take to increase work-life balance and productivity.
Workplace Wellness as Part of Company Culture

Workplace health and safety must be central to company culture.

Small businesses can start easy and slow, by defining responsibilities, developing health and safety procedures that work, and involving and holding everyone accountable.

Employees and employers can take active roles in ensuring a healthy working environment and making sure it’s carried on.

And as for small business owners, they can commit to expanding their efforts when managing workplace wellness.
Moving Together as a Team and Establishing a Safety Committee

When you’re making decisions on health and safety, the best way to go about it is to get everyone involved, both, employers and employees.

For starters, hear out the needs of the team, especially the ones on the frontline. Next, mandate daily-check ins and reporting. Then, finally, create a safety and health committee to prompt your efforts.

Having a “team mentality” doesn’t only show commitment but also allows the company to move cohesively. If everyone is stepping into a role, it’s easier to monitor, train and support.
Promote and Update Safety Measures and Training

As the boss, it is your responsibility to maintain a healthy and safe workplace.

At all costs, you should ensure that safety measures and training are regularly updated. Since technology and work processes are constantly evolving, you should plan accordingly on how to deal with the possible risks accompanied by these changes.

To help you go around this task, we’re breaking down the 6 safety tips in the workplace.

What Are the 6 Safety Tips in the Workplace?
- Know the Risks
  
  The inherent risks of your job depend on your working environment. It’s vital for you to understand this so that you can take the proper steps to maintain your safety.
- Know Your Workplace Exits
  
  In the event of an evacuation, every employee should have quick and easy access to emergency exits.
- Be Aware of Your Surroundings
  
  Disasters and accidents can happen instantly, especially when you least expect them to, so take better notice when things are out of the ordinary.
- Take Better Breaks at Work
  
  Pushing through your daily tasks when you have nothing left in the tank strains your work performance.
  
  Take better breaks to help you recharge; stay fresh and keep your focus when you return to work.
- Report Unsafe Conditions
  
  If you want to prevent accidents from ever happening, you have to report unsafe conditions or hazardous behaviors once you noticed them.
- NO Shortcuts on Procedures
  
  Workplace procedures are there to keep employees safe. Take for instance, when you’re using heavy equipment, instructions are critical and should not be overlooked for shortcuts.
  
  So, be sure to keep in line with the guidelines and use it correctly.
Have Safety Guidelines at the Forefront
It’s easy to forget about safety guidelines when you’re too immersed in your daily minutia.

To help foster a safety culture, as such that it becomes instinctive, you can establish regular engagement through meetings or newsletters.

Trust us, constantly reminding workers that the company has their best interest will plant a lasting seed in their memory.

How Can You Maintain a Healthy Workplace?

What do you think makes up a great office environment? Is it the big compensation? Your job title?

Umph, no, it’s a healthy workplace. It’s a setting where employees are being cared for, regardless of whether they’re working full-time, part-time or remote.

Though many companies strive to promote wellness, it’s still hard to put it into practice, especially now, with outsourcing.

To get to that workplace haven of a healthy workplace environment, here are some steps that you can follow.

Healthy Boundaries

With more competition, thanks to the modern marketing approach, it’s easy to get lost at work.

Especially for virtual assistants with time zone differentials, it can become a habit to overwork. Just remember to say “NO” when it’s taking a toll on your well-being.

Whatever you do, learn to set some boundaries between work time and nonwork time. At the end of a workday, make a goal of signing off your working brain.

Find time to relax and recharge, and you’ll be surprised how that helps your productivity.
Everyday Appreciation Counts!

Remember the time you received a shout-out of appreciation for good work from your boss, and how it made you feel? You felt awesome. Ultimately, it gave you confidence and made you feel valued.

Recognition is a feature of a healthy workplace, and in fact, around 82% of employees wish they received more.

So, be sure that shoutout echoes through the workplace walls, be specific and advertise that behavior you want everyone to repeat.
Workspace Matters…Even If It’s Virtual

Yes, an attractive office workspace can keep employees motivated and consequently, promote their well-being.

So, you should invest in making your workstation a great place to be. It doesn’t matter if it’s a work-from-home setting, create an office that’s stimulating to work at.

Clear the clutter, get sunlight and put something green — sure enough, it’ll invigorate mood and productivity.
Give Voice to Employees

The only way you can help employees be better at their work is if you give them the opportunity to express themselves.

Feedback is important to gain insight, break bad habits and reinforce positive behavior.
Stay Connected and Be Social

Fact: We spend more hours at work than we do at home.

So, it’s only fitting to build a strong connection with your employees and co-workers when you’re spending this much time with them. Though this might prove a challenge for businesses in a hybrid environment, it can still be done through leveraging technology.