Staggering numbers of workers are finding themselves spending their days in offices. As computers and services become more and more important, the way that a lot of businesses work is changing along with it, leaving fewer jobs available which involve working on their feet.
Of course, for some people, this is a dream come true. For others, though, sitting down all the time will present some health concerns which have to be addressed by the employer. To give you an idea of what can go into making a modern office healthier, this post will be exploring some of the work which goes into it, covering each of the areas which need to be on your mind.
Fitness
As the first part of this to consider, fitness is crucial in any sort of work environment, even when they don’t involve much moving around. People who are fitter will usually have far more energy than those who are unfit, making it easier for them to work long days without trailing off towards the end.
Along with this, it is also easier to stay focused when you are fit, as your brain will be getting everything it needs. Exercise is crucial to this part of life. Of course, though, in an office environment, getting enough of the stuff can be a real challenge, leaving millions of people without the ability to walk uphill without getting out of breath.
There are some simple tools which can be used when you want to improve people’s fitness in your office. A lot of modern companies have been trailing desks which can be raised and lowered, giving their employees the chance to stand for some of their working days.
Not only does this improve posture and circulation, but it can also make someone fitter, as they will be using far more energy than if they were sat down. In extreme cases, bosses have tried using exercise powered computers and desks, though these tools are often very expensive, and can make your team very unhappy.
If you’d like the provide the means they take their exercise further, you have a couple of routes which can be followed to help everyone get the workouts they need. Giving out gym passes to your team will be fairly expensive, but you will probably be able to work out a deal with one of your local options to make it more affordable. Alternatively, though, you could also think about building your own gym.
If you have spare space in your office, investing in a few exercise machines could be a great way to enable your workers to focus more on their fitness. Having the chance to exercise within easy reach works well when it comes to lazy people.
Food & Nutrition
While exercise is important in a balanced lifestyle, the food you eat will often have a much larger impact on your health. Working in an office makes it very easy to be lazy with food, with team members regularly eating from fast food places and the snacks which are found in the kitchen being unhealthy. A lot of leading researchers believe that this is a major cause of the obesity epidemic being experienced in a lot of countries. It can be hard for employees to keep their diet in the right shape when their office isn’t near any places to get their hands on the right stuff, and this leaves a lot of people in a bad condition.
Education is a large part of maintaining a good diet, as you simply can’t balance out what you eat unless you know how to do it. A lot of people have never been taught about this area, and will only learn it for themselves if they are very dedicated to their health, but this is rarely the case. It is nice and easy to give people a head start in this area, providing short classes to everyone which will give them the chance to learn about their bodies. A lot of workplaces don’t offer this sort of support, though it doesn’t have to cost a huge amount, and you can often find resources online which won’t cost you anything.
One of the key challenges a lot of employees face when they are trying to eat well is the lack of available healthy food when they are at work. Most offices only have basic kitchens, making it hard to prepare much more than a microwave meal. The local restaurants are likely to be filled with junk food, too. To combat this, it’s becoming more and more common for offices to provide food to their teams. Paying a food truck to swing by each day won’t be too expensive, and this perk can often attract better candidates to your roles. When you are throwing healthy food at your team, they will have little choice to eat it.
While you can’t control what people do in their own home, you have the right to choose what goes on within the buildings your business owns. Banning unhealthy food can seem like a big step to take, but will often have a big impact on your team’s diets, and will often only be met with a small amount of resistance. Along with helping to control people’s food, you should also think about drinks. Providing sugary beverages to your team is never a good idea, with flavoured water and other healthier options always being better for health. It will be very hard for your team to function properly if they aren’t eating the right kind of food.
Health
As the last part of this to think about, the medical health of your team is also something which should concern you as an employer. It doesn’t take much for someone to get hurt or suffer from an illness, impacting their work when they either end up having to stay at home or can’t perform like they used to. Some people don’t take enough care of themselves in this area. While it isn’t your responsibility to care about this for them, it will be in your interest to make sure that your whole team is nice and healthy. You can find some examples of the areas which need to be covered here below.
Physical Health: Your body’s condition makes up for a large part of your overall health. Having a condition like diabetes, for example, will impact someone’s whole body when they don’t have it under control. This can make it hard for people to work, causing discomfort and distractions, while also keeping them at home far too much. Telehealth companies have been popping up all over the world over the last few years. Offering online medical support, they can give your employees health advice from their desks. Not only is this an affordable way to keep people healthy, but it will also provide yet another benefit to put on your job adverts.
Injuries: There are some medical issues which don’t come as the result of your body malfunctioning or being attacked by a disease. Instead, injuries are caused by physical interaction, and can often occur in busy offices. Having good insurance for your team is very important here. Along with covering medical fees, this will help to get them back on their feet nice and quickly. The best kinds of injury are those which never happen at all, though. Building an office which is nice and safe only takes a little bit of policy making and training, and this is an important part of this side of your company.
Mental Health: Working in an office and living in a city puts a lot of strain on modern humans. Some people are happy to live in environments like this, while others will find it very hard, and this can make balancing their mental health incredibly tricky. When someone is suffering with depression, stress, or any other mental health issue, their work will always feel the impact. To overcome this issue, some businesses will have regular screenings in their offices, giving a professional the chance to talk to everyone. It can be hard to notice a problem like this when you don’t have the right skills to do it.
With all of this in mind, you should be feeling well prepared to turn your office into the healthiest workplace it can possibly be. As time goes on, this sort of effort is becoming increasingly important, especially as it gets harder for people to monitor their health at home. When people are healthy, they will always be able to work better than those who are struggling with their bodies, finding it far easier to maintain focus and concentrate on the important aspects of their jobs.
This means that while this will be good for your team, it will also be very good for you, often providing a far better return than simply training employees or making them work for rewards. Of course, though, everyone boss will want to take their own path, and this is just one of many.
