While it’s ultimately up to your employees what lifestyle choices they make, there remain worthwhile ways for you to gently nudge these people in a healthier direction.
That’s no small boon, given that a healthier workforce can often be a more energetic, focused and productive workforce, too. Many of your employees are probably already eager to adopt healthier habits but currently struggling to make the transition, at least without stumbling – in which case, you could help them by acting on all of the following pieces of advice…
Provide healthy snacks in the office
In a survey highlighted by MinuteHack, 72.8% of professionals expressed their belief that their job had adversely affected their eating habits; 36.4% of this segment reported having put on weight as a result.
One culprit – cited by 28% – was co-workers bringing unhealthy snacks into the workplace. However, you could counter this by placing nutritious snacks – like almonds and cereal bars – in any vending machine your office has and stocking its kitchen with fresh fruit.
Give your workers enough time to exercise
Though experts recommend working out 4-5 times a week, 31.6% of professionals have admitted to only exercising once or twice a week, while 24% have said they don’t work out at all.
One big reason is that workers often struggle to squeeze exercise sessions into their busy schedules. However, you could help to remedy this situation by offering flexi-time, where staff are able to start or finish work earlier to free up more time for exercising.
Make speakerphones, shoulder cradles and headsets available in the office
Why? They are all recommended by Alan Hedge, an ergonomics professor at Cornell University, as accessories useful for helping to prevent tension neck syndrome (TNS).
As quoted by WebMD, Hedge warns that TNS “can cause neck and shoulder pain, muscle tightness, and tenderness.” Therefore, he advises that workers should use the above-mentioned hardware when speaking to anyone, such as a client or an out-of-the-office work colleague, on the phone.
Share advice for guarding against eyestrain
This condition can too easily affect people who spend long periods of time in front of their computers. Eyestrain can lead to headaches and difficulty concentrating, says the University of California at Davis.
For each of your workers regularly using a computer, share this advice from Hedge: “The distance to the screen from your eyes should be about an arm’s length away.” If the worker can’t read the screen from that distance, they should just increase the font size on it.
Offer insurance that incentivizes workers to improve their wellbeing
Offering employees health-related insurance doesn’t just have to be a nice perk for them – it can also inspire your staff to more frequently engage in activities that would bode well for their health.
For example, when you take out YuLife insurance for your employees, they could use the YuLife app to record healthy activities and receive rewards in the form of YuCoin. This is a currency that can be spent on products from various big-name brands.
