Subtle tips to create to a healthier and more productive workforce

Australians are getting fatter and unhealthier; if you’re a small business owner, the implications of this could be bad news. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reports that 16% of men and 17% of women are now classified as obese, while a further 42% of men and 25% of women are classified as overweight. The results of this for the workplace are reduced productivity, more time lost to sick leave, and increased health and safety issues.

So how can small businesses encourage their workers to buy into a healthier lifestyle?

The first step is raise awareness of opportunities to be physically active at work. Start slowly, encouraging workers to:

Walk to colleagues’ desks instead of using internal mail or telephones,
Take the stairs instead of the lift,
Park cars at the far end of the car park,
Walk or cycle all or part of the way to and from work,
Go for a group walk at lunch time.

The next step is to persuade your staff why it’s worthwhile for them to make these changes. Incentives are a great way to motivate people, and they work particularly well if you have a small team. Try purchasing pedometers for your staff members and setting up challenges for them: 10,000 steps a day, or a team ‘Big Walk’ scenario, where staff walk the equivalent distance from, say, Brisbane to Sydney, plotting their progress on a daily basis. Individuals can compete to achieve the longest distance, with winners going into a monthly draw.

Remember that any program designed to encourage a healthier lifestyle should be looked at holistically. Getting workers to exercise more is great, but what they use to fuel their bodies also needs reassessing:

Ensure that your office canteen offers healthy meal options;
Look into stocking it your office vending machine with healthy snacks;
Have a variety of fresh seasonal fruit delivered to the office each day;
Keep a supply of free yoghurts in the office fridge;
Provide a variety of herbal and green teas in the office kitchen;
Replace the soft drink vending machine with a filtered water cooler.

These are simple and relatively easy changes to make, but there are further simple steps you can take to ensure the long-term success of your health program:

Support company sports teams and encourage both the competitors and the rest of the staff to ‘get behind their team’;
Allow people time off to go to the gym, if there is one nearby;
Promote active travel to work by providing bike racks as well as showers and locker facilities, if possible;
Provide lunchtime classes in yoga or Pilates, or, if that’s not possible, find out where your nearest classes take place and leave brochures in the office kitchen;
Provide education programs in healthy eating and nutrition;
Sponsor employees and teams to take part in physical challenges, such as the Bridge to Brisbane or the City Raid Adventure race;
Organise group lunchtime activities such as a walk or healthy picnic in the park;
Take part in National Health Days, such as World No Tobacco Day, Ride to Work day, or Walk to Work day—make these days into festive work events by offering staff prizes and fun activities on the day;
Change the way you celebrate birthdays in the office—instead of cake, order a fruit and nut bouquet for staff to enjoy, and give massage vouchers as gifts instead of chocolates.

Introducing a health program to the workplace should take into account the age, gender, weight and fitness levels of the staff, and people should be encouraged to have a go without feeling intimidated or uncomfortable. Although you should always be mindful of possible problems some staff members may have with physical activity, awareness of what other people are doing will encourage even the most unfit member of staff to want to get healthier. By encouraging camaraderie and team challenges, everyone can get swept up in the excitement of friendly competition and a chance to interact socially with their workmates.

Launching your own fully integrated workplace health program will have huge benefits for your business. Increase the health and happiness of your employees, and you’ll increase your productivity and your profits.

Author Bio: Sally Symonds has many strings to her bow – healthy life mentor, motivator, speaker, corporate consultant, company director and more. In the business world, Sally is regularly engaged as a highly regarded consultant in corporate communication & presentation skills. Her enthralled clients have ranged from national and international companies to media identities, actors and other creative artists. In August 2010 she published her first book, “50 Steps to Lose 50kg . . . And Keep It Off”. More information about Sally can be found at www.sallysymonds.com.au.

Be Sociable, Share!