How Your Small Businesses Can Protect Employee Health and Wellbeing

Taking care of the health and wellbeing of your employees is something that every business, big or small, should prioritize. When employees get sick, the efficiency and routine of your business will be disrupted, which could affect your reputation and profits in return. Recent events have heightened the importance of this essential practice, especially for small businesses that need to adapt their ways and try to resume business with clients and customers in order to survive past the covid-19 pandemic. Today, we will be taking a look at how your small business can protect employee health and wellbeing. 

Allow Regular Breaks 

Stress can lead to poor mental health and it can weaken the immune system, making people more susceptible to illness. So, you should not overwhelm or overwork your employees. As well as offering your own advice and support, you should let your employees take regular breaks during their day and you should not overwork them during the week. In return, your office environment will be happier, healthier and more productive. 

Improve Office Cleanliness 

Prevention is better than a cure. Keeping the work environment clean is a crucial part of protecting the health of your employees. You should have the office cleaned on a regular basis, cleaning products should be readily available to your staff, and you should practice good all-round self-care. A lot of germs spread through the air, which can make many employees sick. Installing a UV Air Sanitizer will purify and improve indoor air quality, reducing the spread of airborne illnesses. 

Make Yourself Available 

Communication is key to happy and healthy work relationships. Your small business will require a lot of your time, but you should make yourself available to the team helping your business grow and thrive. When a member of your team can communicate with you, it will make them feel more comfortable and gives them a chance to highlight areas that need improvement. You should encourage conversations and cultivate a company culture of openness and acceptance. 

Conduct Regular Meetings

Conducting regular meetings to educate, train and communicate with employees is a great way to improve employee health and wellbeing. During these team meetings, you can educate your staff on the importance of practicing good hygiene and communicating with members of your team. You can train them on how to take care of their hygiene, physical and mental health and can use the time to highlight areas that need improvement. 

Offer Employee Rewards 

Rewarding your employees is a highly effective way to motivate them and will encourage them to follow the rules. You can offer employee rewards for healthy behavior, such as a cycle/walk to work scheme, for following hygiene rules put in place, and pushing others to do so. You should also offer them discounts on things that will improve their health, such as gym access, money off wellness products and healthy lunch/snack choices in the office canteen/vending machines. 

Taking care of the health and wellbeing of your employees will improve the efficiency and reputation of your business. It doesn’t have to cost your small business much either and the money you do invest will be made up in the profits you make.

James Lang
 

James is the Editor of Small Business Sense. His background includes freelance ghostwriting about things that impact SMEs, startups, freelancers and entrepreneurs. He hasn't had a boss in more than six years, and hopes his content will help you fire yours.