Health and job performance are well known to be related: healthy and happy employees will be more productive and more focused at work. Still, there are many companies who operate on older principles of labor, overemphasizing competition and deadlines to the detriment to their employees and their businesses output.
If you are looking for a way to transition into a more worker friendly environment, but not sure you are ready for any large scale changes, then consider the following small changes you can make around the office.
Fresh Fruit
Diet is an incredibly important component of a healthier life. While some companies include bonuses for eating healthy, or offer reimbursement on dietary programs, there are simpler ways.
By providing an offering of fresh fruit in your break room to your employees free of charge, you are encouraging them to eat a little healthier and showing your appreciation for their hard work
Puppies
About 40 million people, or 18% of Americans suffer from anxiety, making it the most common mental illness in America. In an office setting, this can be crippling both to the culture of the workplace and to the quality and speed of your companies output.
While there are any number of treatment options for Anxiety, one of the easiest to implement as an employer is to allow dogs into the office. Whether this is a pet?s welcome environment, or simply a weekly event, the presence of animals has long been used to help mitigate the effects of anxiety and promote a healthier life.
You-time
Companies like google pioneered the concept of 20% time, the idea that a certain portion of your day should be spent on pet projects and cultivating the office community. While at first giving your employees such a large part of their day to focus on things outside of their immediate tasks might seem anathema to you, many companies have found that the innovations and renewed focus that come from this ?personal? time have greatly outweighed any cost.
Walk and Talk
If you ever watched the West Wing, you are familiar with the walk and talk, mobile meetings as the characters walked from one destination to the next. It was helpful because it distracted the viewer from the long, uneventful conversations the characters were having with lots of movement.
If you find your meetings are unproductive and unfocused, try the walk and talk method. Take your employees for a stroll around the block or to a park. The fresh air and sunlight will help them stay healthy and allow you break up the tedium of sedentary desk work.
Small changes can go a long way to foster a healthier life of your employs, which will help raise the productivity and health of your business.