When it comes to showing up every day to the work that your job demands, the best way to motivate people is with health and wellness. When people are happy, secure, and healthy, they want to show up every morning. They want to earn the money that they make. Of course, the job may not be for the person, but if it is something they want to do there are plenty of ways to motivate people. The role of workplace wellness falls on both the employee and the employer. Below are some factors that workplace wellness plays in reducing absenteeism.
Time Off
As much as we need people working, we also need them to rest. Time off is as necessary as time on. When employees don’t have free time, they burn out. They won’t be happy to do the job. However, when employees get enough rest, have enough time to do what’s important in their lives, and return to work ready to get a job done, the work improves. There are a lot of ways that time off improves the work that people are doing. Time off is essential.
Vacation Days
Beyond standard time off, vacation days are still necessary. Everyone needs to get away from home. Experiencing something new enrichens our lives. A break after a busy year can rejuvenate your soul and invigorate your spirit. When you experience wanderlust, you will be inspired to improve your life and create great memories. Vacation days are necessary. They are one way to help employees enjoy their lives and take a break from the grind.
Sick Days
The ability to take time off when you’re sick is pivotal to ensuring that people will show up when they’re feeling well. You need to be understanding when people are sick. Paying for their sick days and providing a certain number of them will prevent absenteeism. It’s important to separate normal time off, vacation days, and sick days. Compartmentalizing these things is crucial.
On-Site Gym
A great wellness program to support in the office is the on-site gym. When people are taking care of their bodies, they are also taking care of their minds. Exercise keeps people moving. It provides more energy, not less. It keeps the engine going. Working out regularly is necessary for everyone. Human beings are active species. If you aren’t putting in physical exercise, the mind only lags.
One great way to encourage health and well-being is to put in an on-site gym so that people can exercise before work, after work, or during their break. This provides an active atmosphere that helps people excel in their personal and professional lives.
Yoga Classes
Like installing a gym, you can have yoga classes available. One great way to encourage calm, health, and thoughtfulness is to encourage something like yoga. You can even make the class during work hours on a Friday, allowing for people to take a break before the weekend when the pressure isn’t as high as it is on Monday morning. Even if it isn’t yoga, encouraging physical and mental wellness will only benefit your workplace.
Be Clear About the Terms
Whatever you are hiring for, it’s crucial to be clear about the terms of their employment. Fixed term employment isn’t necessarily bad for someone who is trying to make some money quickly. Still, it’s important to be upfront about what you are hiring them for. When you are clear about the terms, the hours, and the conditions of the job, you won’t have to deal with absenteeism. The employees will see the light at the end of the tunnel and be capable of doing the work necessary.
Offer Catered Lunch
One thing that everyone loves is catered lunch. When you are trying to encourage wellness while reducing absent workers, a great thing to do is offer them a free healthy meal. You don’t have to feed your employees pizza or burgers. Instead, cater something that is tasty while offering health. You can plan on doing this Friday or Monday. When you are trying to make sure workers feel valued it’s a good idea to buy lunch for your employees or to offer food allowance benefits.
Allow Remote Work
Another way to offer wellness while cultivating productivity is to allow remote work. These days, remote work has become something of a norm. It’s a good idea to compromise between remote and home work by asking workers to come in a certain amount of the week. This can lower stress by eliminating the commute and offering an alternative to office life. The studies are clear that productivity doesn’t necessarily go down. People need variety. Health is moderation. Remote work can encourage this with many employees.
Free Mental Health Counseling
Perhaps the best wellness program to offer at work is mental health counseling. Have you ever thought about hiring a therapist or psychotherapy specialist for one day a week? You can fill their appointments for the day and allow your employees to sign up.
Whether they just need someone to talk to or need support to get out of an abusive situation, offering an anonymous place to talk about their problems is a great wellness method. Of course, management should not be able to get information from the therapist who is hired. It should remain anonymous.
When it comes to workplace wellness, a balance needs to be struck. Management should take the time to get to know the people who are working for them. Everyone needs something a little different to be well. We all have different needs and different lives. The point is to create an environment that encourages health.
You should put in the effort to create a healthy atmosphere. Between exercise, eating well, encouraging rest and relaxation, and offering mental health counseling, you can find the best way to help your employees feel motivated. When you are trying to reduce absenteeism, you must start with providing the right conditions to show up. Then, if someone is absent you will know that they have had every opportunity to show up to work.
