There are a plethora of ideas and suggestions on how to improve the wellbeing of your staff. Nearly all of them will work to a greater or lesser degree because, so long as you are doing something to improve wellbeing at work (rather than not actually doing anything!), you’ll find there will be some results.
We’ve trawled through and selected a handful of really simple tips that almost any organisation can use and we know from experience that they’ll be really effective…
Frequent breaks
Sitting at your desk for long periods of time is not good for your health. Encourage your staff to take a 5 minute break every so often, away from their computer, or do a few simple desk exercises and this can give the needed boost, lifting morale and improving productivity. Here’s some excercises you can do at or near your desk.
Drink water
It is well known that water is needed for good general health. Encourage staff to keep hydration levels up whilst at work by providing convenient water machines or making sure they have a bottle of water to keep by them during the day. Refillable bottles are more environmentally friendly and cheaper in the long term. Here are top 10 facts about drinking water.
Go for a walk
Walking is an excellent way to keep fit and improve staff wellbeing at work. Try arranging a walking group on lunch breaks to walk around the block or do some other physical activity as this is also great for team building. The general rule is little and often and this is much more manageable in the working day. Here are some useful walking tips from BUPA.
Free fruit
A gesture as small as providing free fruit once a week can give your staff a clear message that you care about their health and wellbeing. It encourages a healthy diet, reduces the need to resort to other less healthy snacks and actually provides your staff with a natural, healthy boost of vitamins and minerals. Find out how to get fruitboxes delivered to your office
Office plants
You’ll be surprised at how even a small investment in plants and greenery can have an amazing effect on the look at feel of the office environment. Living plants have been proved to help improve the air quality through removing harmful toxins from the air and replacing them with oxygen and increased humidity. And they look great too! Find out why plants are good for staff wellbeing.
Workstation assessment
Ensure every employee’s desk is fit for purpose and that they have a workstation that suits their needs. Using the right ergonomic products is a proactive way of reducing the risk of an employee developing workstation related pain and injuries. A simple checklist can help to make sure you have assessed their needs correctly. Here is a brief guide from the HSE.
These tips are not much more than common sense but it is surprising how many organisations don’t pay enough attention to the wellbeing of their staff at work. If you treat these tips as a starting point you can be sure to see a positive result. There are many more initiatives than can be implemented as you fulfill your role of caring for the wellbeing of your staff.
A recent post was published about the benefits of embracing Biophilic Design in the workplace and this is another aspect that would be well worth considering as part of any staff wellbeing initiatives. If you’d like to discuss your requirements and ideas please don’t hesitate to contact us.
