Health and Wellness in the Workplace
Health and wellness in the workplace is crucial to business success. Healthy employees are more productive and they cost less. The quality of health is intimately connected to the quality of life. Companies that promote healthy lifestyle habits for employees to improve their health, often take the success of the company to heart and are likely to be absent less often for health related reasons. Employers are now offering a wide range of wellness initiatives; such as health risk screenings and assessments, healthy food choices in cafeterias and vending machines; weigh management programs on-site at employers' expense, subsidized or discounted off-site fitness courses, smoking cessation programs,
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Employees who are
able to maintain emotional stability are more tolerant and get along better with their co-workers. Investing in health prevention decreases turnover of personnel, decreases the number of long and short-term disabilities and boosts productivity. Hosting health related activities in the workplace demonstrates the employers concern for the well-being of their employees as well as their personal value.
There are many benefits of a healthy lifestyle, being in good health reduces the risk of illness, physical condition is enhanced, improved posture and balance, the ability to relax and control stress, the power to reach and maintain normal weight as well as a positive surge in energy and improved self-esteem. Employers who endorse a strong health and wellness program will have a healthier workforce, and a healthier workforce becomes a more productive workforce. Employees who maintain a healthy lifestyle usually exhibit higher performance, liveliness and more enthusiasm. These employees perceive themselves as more competent in handling life situations and define health as a high-level sense of balance and are likely to be absent less than 10 days per year. Employers are always looking for passionate, smart, entrepreneurial and motivated employees. When wellness becomes part of the workplace culture,
An employee can help reduce the cost of health cost by doing several things. There has been an outcry from organizations due to the rising number of competitors with high expenses catering for health benefits during employment periods and on retiring. The employee can be of great help by being participative in the programs set by their employers to benefit more from other advantages far from health costs (Kerzner, 2013). Some of the choices an employee may consider to help control health costs are by boosting consumerism, use technology to manage benefits, and indulge in fitness and health programs.
Allow employees to register for company-sponsored classes and programs to help them manage their weight, reduce stress, stop smoking, and manage other health
The Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010 to make sure that most people had medical insurance. With this new healthcare system came the responsibility that individuals would have to take initiatives to try to stay or get healthy. The preventative care portion included in the Affordable Car Act is a big item and very important in health care reform and very positive for the American people. Wellness in the workplace has become a very important issue to help reduce companies medical cost, and to help employees get on track to know their numbers, get healthy, and have a positive healthy mental attitude. Many employees do not understand or know how to get healthy and live a healthy lifestyle. With the rising cost of healthcare relating to
The aim of this case based study, is to Promote Health and behaviour changes within the work place,
The Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010, with the intent of ensuring that most people in the United States have medical insurance. With this new healthcare system came the responsibility that individuals would have to take initiatives in an effort to stay healthy or at the least, increase their level of activity and health awareness, making them more responsible for their own wellness. The preventative care portion included in the Affordable Care Act is one of the fundamental items of the law and is a particularly meaningful, very positive attribute in health care reform for the American people. Wellness in the workplace has become an essential issue to help reduce companies’ medical cost, and to help employees get on track to know their numbers, get healthy, and have a positive healthy mental attitude. Many employees do not understand or know how to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle. With the rising cost of healthcare, especially relating to people not taking care of their bodies, wellness in the workplace has become even more critical. Author Lori Breiner (2007) “believes wellness in the workplace has economic benefits for organizations, because if workers are healthy, they miss less time from work.” Breiner’s theory would suggest that better health increases productivity and profits in the workplace.
In recent years, health has become an increasing concern as obesity rates climb around the world, and especially in the United States. According to the World Health Organization (2015), obesity rates have doubled since the 1980s and will continue to rise if this trend continues. There are many factors that contribute to this obesity epidemic, which include larger portion sizes, more processed foods, changes in technology, and fewer jobs that require manual work. As waist sizes are growing, so are concerns for the future of our world and action is being taken by many companies to improve the health of their employees. In recent years laws have been passed through the Affordable Care Act to promote wellness programs in the workplace.
This article analyzes how workplace health promotion programs aids in prevention strategies. Berry and Mirabito share how critical it is to emphasize whole-person wellness rather than focusing solely on physical health. Including
General motors have a great wellness program that keeps their workforce healthy. They use a program called LifeSteps which helps employees identify controllable health risk.
Foremost, the healthier a society is, the more productive employees are, which boosts revenue. When an employee’s health is in question, an employer may actually lose 77 percent of productivity, making the loss greater than that of health care expenses. These numbers go up with the combination of lack of exercise, 96 percent loss, and unhealthy eating habits, 93 percent loss, said a study from Brigham Young University, according to an article in a 2012 Education Letter. The study included “those who did not believe their workplace environment would support them in becoming physically and emotionally healthier were more likely to
When a business hires an employee they are looking for a person to do a job to the best of their ability and poor health could hinder those efforts. When a person is inattentive and lackadaisical during a work day they are wasting that companies time. Employers should be encouraged to set into place requirements for exercise and healthy eating of all their employees to ensure the utmost productivity of that company. Companies with cafeterias could make sure that only or mostly heathy food is served for breakfasts or lunches. They could also have exercise classes available for employees at lunch time, if they have the space. Or they could try to arrange a discount deal for employees at a nearby gym. This way they would be encouraging employees to be healthy and also helping to keep the business
I agree with Author Natalie Clarkson’s opinions about promoting reading cultures to improve workplace wellbeing. In addition to this, it helps them learn new business information and it improves their knowledge and thinking capabilities. Promoting on the job reading encourages communication between workers and it assists employees with improving their relationship with the company. This activity also helps workers feel comfortable working on collaborated tasks and it motivates them to stay in their jobs. Promoting on the job reading aid employees with using new approaches that improve the outcome of their tasks. These actions also help companies increase their revenue and aids them plan and produce successful business projects. Promoting on
Health and wellness in the work place is a vital part to a company’s success. Employees who are healthier and more productive are less likely to call out from sickness. There are not many companies that have affordable health care coverage for employees. More companies should make healthcare affordable for their employees and their family. Research has been done on how effective health and wellness programs can be in the workplace. Throughout the reading these points will be discussed. The effectiveness of health and wellness in the workplace will also be spoken of. Health and wellness activities in the workplace will be a positive move for companies and employees.
Another of the wellness fundamentals that we have previously highlighted is environment. That is making work a great environment to be in and work in.
Research indicates that employers can increase employee retention, increase employee productivity, and reduce employee healthcare costs by implementing a workplace wellness program.
Health and wellness in the workplace is crucial to business success. Increasingly, it is recognized that the workplace itself has a powerful affect on people’s health. When people are satisfied with their job, they are more productive and tend to be healthier. When employees feel that the environment at work is negative, they feel stressed. Stress has a large impact on employee mental and physical health, and in turn, on productivity. Companies that promote healthy lifestyle habits for employees to improve their health, often take the success of the company to heart and are likely to be absent less often for health related reasons.