Today I’m delighted to have a guest post from Melitta Hardenberg the founder of Fit & Focused.
Fit & Focused specializes in employee wellbeing programs to promote a healthy workplace because Those that are Fit for Life are Focused for Business.
Enjoy.
How healthy are you as a business, team or company?
The latest research shows that healthy employees are also wealthy employees, meaning simply, they are happier, more productive, take fewer sick days, are more innovative and bring more dollars than their less healthy colleagues.
It is said that sitting is the new smoking. Australians are now sitting more than they are sleeping and it’s having a major impact on the health of employees. According to a study published in Circulation inactivity is linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes and all forms of chronic illness.
A stress and wellbeing survey released by the Australian Psychological Society reveals that 75% of Australian’s believe workplace stress negatively impacts their physical health, and 68% believe it impacts their mental health.
With nearly 1 in 2 Australians suffering from mental health at some point in their lives, and sick leave that is now costing Australian businesses $28 billion dollars every year in lost wages and productivity, Australian business can no longer afford to do nothing.
The big companies know this.
Google admitted they had an M&M addiction when a senior leader walked the floor to see glass jars full of M&M’s all over the place. Now they cover up the unhealthy choices and leave things like pistachio nuts in see through jars to encourage employees make better choices
SAS Technology company offers its employees seminars and eduction for improving confidence, finance management, coping with stress, and countless other wellbeing topics.
Accenture promotes a healthy workspace by promoting 10,000 steps per day per employee and builds in flex time to support the staff wanting to achieve their health goals.
An Australian Tech company gave it’s employees 1 day a month to work on what ever they wanted. There was just one rule, something had to be delivered. (In fact, they called it FedEx days – Delivery guaranteed). This one day a month was not only the most productive, it was the most innovative. 20% of new products came from this one day a month.
What about a local company, even the Richmond Fellowship is installing moveable desks that can move up so employees can stand instead of sitting during the day.
Don’t just think physical health, great companies extend their health policies to social and community health.
Like CHC Healthcare in the US, promotes social & Community health by hosting annual blood donor days, and the green committee drives employees to reduce their carbon footprint.
NAB promotes community volunteering and promotes all staff to take two paid volunteer days to contribute to a community project of their choice.
I can already hear you saying, “That’s great for the big guys in town, but I’m just a small business. What can I do?”
You don’t have to be a big business to have a health make over. No matter your size you can get a health upgrade now, and it doesn’t have to cost money.
Top tips to upgrade the health of your business now.
Get moving
Make inactivity your enemy! Start by promoting physical movement, whether its stand up sales meetings, or walk and talk sales meetings. Promote movement everyday within your business. Start a movement challenge, 10,000 steps everyday, and best of all you can download pedometer apps on smart phones for no cost.
Improve your Eat-Q
Ditch the company biscuits and promote healthy snacks within the office, nuts and seeds, fruit and vegetables. Cover up the candy and put the fresh produce on display. Build team events around nutritious cooking. Introduce foodie Friday, pick a vegetable that is pretty uncommon and challenge the team to make something nutritious together.
Invest in Social & Community Health
Promote community volunteering within your organisation, instead of hitting the pub for a lunch with the team, volunteer at a soup kitchen for a few hours. It will bring the team together, allow for down time, social connection and community investment.
You don’t have to spend money, just get creative. Get your health upgrade now.
Written by Melitta Hardenberg.
