Creating a Healthy Workplace Culture

Workplace culture is all about the employees and what they need to be productive and successful in your company. Ensuring that employees are healthy is the first step to receiving the benefits of a positive workplace culture. But creating a healthy workplace culture goes beyond healthcare costs. Focusing on the actual health of the employees, allowing creativity, giving support and creating an office ebb and flow that will point your workplace culture in a healthier direction.

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Actual HealthThe first step to creating a healthy workplace is to focus on improving the actual health of the employees there. Matt McClellan, author of “How to create a healthy workplace culture” on Smart Business, commented in his article, “Focusing on keeping healthcare costs at bay is not the best strategy. Instead, companies should adopt a strategy to stop disease within the work force before it even starts.”Providing better benefits is one option, but there are so many more things you can do to promote health in the workplace. If you have a cafeteria, provide healthy or organic options. Support the use of standing desks or chair elimination. Promote walking to lunch or taking the stairs instead of an elevator. You can also make green changes to your office to bring nature indoors.CreativityAllow your workplace to become a center of creativity. This come in many forms, from the art on your walls to creating a collaborative, modular space. Give your employees the chance to bounce ideas off each other and come up with something innovative. According to Chron, when employees feel stagnant at their jobs, it causes stress and disinterest. Giving employees a chance to get inventive creates energy.Ebb and FlowThe atmosphere of your workplace needs to have some ebb and flow to it. There needs to be a structure so employees feel confident and happy about what they are doing. Chron explains employees should know their roles and the direction the business is going, saying, “Plan a structure that will allow employees to lean upon it while they ascend to new heights in their work.”Yet many businesses mistake structure for stifling. Employees need some degree of flexibility, whether it is with a unique office design, a schedule that promotes work-life balance or unstructured office routines. British Columbia’s Ministry of Health highlights some of the benefits of a flexible work environment, including lower stress that leads to diseases and health conditions.SupportBritish Columbia’s Ministry of Health also reports having a supportive work environment can boost morale, improve job performance and make it easier for businesses to attract and retain employees. Maintain an open and supportive line of communication between management and employees. They should feel comfortable coming to management about any problems with assignments, projects, staff members or personal life issues that affect work.Workplace health goes above and beyond healthcare costs. Making changes to your workplace culture to be a relaxing and supportive environment with additional health-focused benefits can greatly improve employee productivity and well-being.