July 26, 2023

10 tips for promoting health and wellness in your workplace

Keeping your employees safe means ensuring they’re physically and mentally prepared to work. Wellness programs are one of the best investments you can make as an employer to help your employees be healthier, safer and more productive on the job. We previously shared the benefits of workplace wellness programs and want to help policyholders get started or improve their own program.

Whether you launch a robust workplace wellness program or simply make small improvements along the way, you can take steps toward building a healthier workforce. Here are 10 ways you can get started today:

1. Help your employees eat healthier. Swap out the candy bowl for fresh fruit. The American Heart Association recommends most adults consume about 4 cups of fresh fruit daily. Help employees get theirs in with free apples, oranges and bananas.
2. Encourage hydration. Dehydration can make employees feel groggy, cranky and hungry. Encourage employees to rehydrate without sugary beverages by providing water coolers, offering reusable water bottles customized with your company’s logo or keeping the refrigerator stocked with water.
3. Promote stretch breaks. Encourage employees to give their muscles the attention they need, especially if they are working physically demanding jobs. Stretching reduces stress and helps break up the day so that employees are more productive. Walking is also a good way for office employees to stay active throughout the day.
4. Offer vaccinations on site. Getting a flu shot reduces your risks of contracting the illness and can keep your employees from missing work. If covering the cost of flu shots is not in the budget, consider offering a discount, or give employees tips on when and where they can get a flu shot on their own.
5. Provide cleaning and health supplies. Stock up on hand sanitizer, anti-bacterial wipes and tissues. Having these items readily available helps to prevent spreading germs and sickness.
6. Start a fitness challenge. Bring healthy competition to the workplace with a low-cost fitness challenge. We’ve seen challenges ranging from step tracking to going one week without using the elevator.
7. Provide health screenings. A wellness screening can identify potential health concerns by checking blood glucose levels, blood pressure, Body Mass Index (BMI) and cholesterol. Motivate employees to improve their results with an incentive such as a gift card, catered lunch or raffle prize.
8. Help your employees quit tobacco. According to the American Cancer Society, smoking is the leading cause of preventable death. The organization offers many resources to help you stay away from tobacco or support others in quitting.
9. Encourage stress management. Stress can reduce productivity and lead to health problems. Help employees deal with stress by encouraging them to take breaks during the workday and use their vacation time. Consider setting up coloring books, puzzles or meditation rooms for employees to use on their breaks.
10. Remind employees to stay home when sick. Avoiding the use of a sick day is not worth the risk of spreading germs to others. Make sure that employees who are ill and contagious stay home to recover.

Implementing one of these 10 tips can help you get started with wellness in your workplace or expand your current program. You can find more resources by logging in to your policyholder account at texasmutual.com and selecting the Safety tab. If you have any questions or need assistance accessing the safety and employer resources catalog, contact our safety services support center at 844-WORKSAFE (967-5723) or safety@texasmutual.com.