Workplace Ethics Advice

The following was submitted by Myrah Abrar as a guest blog.

In the past few years, the work culture has drastically changed, and organizations are actively working towards improving their work environment. Employee preferences have changed; they expect their employers to provide flexibility, openness, and comfort in the workplace.

The traditional workplace norms have evolved, and organizations are looking for ways to improve employees' experience. One main reason is that employee performance is highly dependent upon the work culture and environment. Another is that competition is stiff, and to attract the best talent, organizations must give employees the perks they expect.

The overall performance of an organization is dependent on how motivated the staff is; research shows that:

• Happy employees are more productive
• The environment has a positive effect on employee morale
• Employee growth depends on the cultural environment of the organization

As employees spend most of their time at the workplace, it becomes a responsibility of the organizations to promote wellness in work culture, so people stay focused on their health. Sitting for long hours, staring into screens all day can affect one's health, which is not sustainable in the long term.

Stats and Figures

Various factors come into play when it comes to motivating the workforce in an organization. Statistics prove that wellness in the workplace can improve employee productivity. Let's have a look at a few stats:

• Companies with a wellness culture report 37% lower absenteeism levels, up to 65% lower employee turnover, 10% higher customer satisfaction; 21% higher productivity, and 22% higher profitability.
• Companies that do not pay attention to wellness face reduced productivity by 17%
• 59% of organizations believe paying attention to the wellness of employees can help them save cost
• 67% of companies with wellness programs report their employees more satisfied

5 Ways to Foster a Wellness Culture in the Workplace

There are several ways through which you can foster a wellness culture in your organization and promote wellness. Whether you are a Digital Marketing Services provider or a manufacturing company, you need to foster a wellness culture that prioritizes your employees.

This article will focus on 5 ways through which you can foster wellness culture in the workplace:

1.      Inspiring workplaces

It is essential for employee wellness to have a clean, peaceful, and inspiring workplace where employees feel happy and satisfied. Having a well-designed and properly maintained workspace can help both the personal and professional performance of the workforce.

It is important to train the employees to keep their surroundings clean and well-kept. It would be best if you told them to have their stuff organized on their desks. These norms in an office will help create an organized and maintained workspace, which is also good for the employees' mental health.

The following ways can help encourage employees to be more organized and disciplined:

• Sort:

The employees must be given the training to keep their desks organized and clean. They must only put the stuff that is of use to avoid clutter.

• Standardize:

The workplace must have standards, so the employees know the protocols to carry out activities. This will induce principles and promote efficiency and effectiveness.

2.      Employees Are Motivated Health-Wise

People tend to ignore their health, especially when they are immersed in work, which is why you should promote healthy activities in the workplace. Actively motivate and engage employees in fitness and exercise.

Several workspaces have their own gym facilities where the employees can easily work out in breaks. This kind of health center facilities and gyms helps promote physical exercise, which is important for your employees' wellness.

Healthy employees are happier and satisfied with their workplace. Healthy employees are less likely to stay absent or take leaves from work and are less likely to feel stressed under strict deadlines.

As a responsible organization, you can provide vouchers for healthcare facilities, organize incentive-based competitions, organize inter-department sports competitions, and have a dedicated sports club in the office.

3.      Multi-Level Leadership

Promoting multi-level leadership is also important to promote wellness culture in the workplace. Top-level management is mostly too occupied to pay attention to wellness programs, so middle-level managers need to promote such a culture.

When the employees observe the management patterns, it automatically influences their behavior and practices, as well as they, look up to leaders to improve themselves. Develop a culture where managers and leaders are also invested in wellness and fitness.

4.      Small And Achievable Steps

To be healthy, you don't need to jog for miles every morning or go for trekking or hiking every other day. Promoting wellness in small steps is important to encourage people to choose healthy habits. The simpler you will keep the employees' plans, the more likely it is for them to engage with those plans.

You can simply categorize plans like yoga, aerobics, walk, gym, etc. so the employees can choose the one that works for them. The idea is not to force the employee, but to engage them in a way that they enjoy the process and feel motivated to take care of their health. Similarly, you can also hold seminars and invite healthcare professionals for a talk with your employees.

5.      Look Into Wellness Programs That Consider Ergonomics.

Not all issues can be resolved with physical activities and wellness programs. For instance, sciatica pain is a result of sitting for prolonged hours in the same position. People spend a long time traveling to work and then sit all day in front of screens.

It is important that you take care of the employees while considering the ergonomics.

• Introduce standing desks to avoid long hours of sitting in one place
• Revolving chairs
• Exercise balls at desks
• ergonomic keyboards, mice, and counters 

To Sum it Up

These are some of the ways you can promote wellness in the office space and enhance the employees' productivity working at your organization. The wellness culture will also increase employee satisfaction, which is an important aspect to retain your workforce. The healthier your workforce, the products would be your output. Every organization needs to educate the employees in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Author Bio:

Myrah Abrar is a computer science graduate with a passion for web development and digital marketing. She writes blog articles for Dynamologic Solutions.

Posted by Steven Mintz, aka Ethics Sage, on October 20, 2020. You can sign up for our newsletter and learn more about Dr. Mintz’s activities at: https://www.stevenmintzethics.com/. Follow him on Facebook and on Twitter .