Working Well
[Wellness Poll] What one thing would make your workplace healthier?
I recently came across a fascinating article published by Big Think for Business. The article featured research by Reebok in partnership with Censuswide looking at the life of an average person in pure numbers. What really hit home was the number of hours we spend “sitting at work”.
Assuming one lives to age 71, the average person spends:
- 33% of life at work and 7,709 days sitting
- 41% on a technological device = 10,625 days
- 0.69% exercising = 180 days
- 6.8% socializing with friends = 1,765 days
Wellness Starts at Work
This data, while likely skewed coming from a shoe company, does make a pretty powerful point that given how little leisure time we have, lifestyle changes need to start at and be supported by the workplace. We all know the health hazards of sitting and stress.
Workplace norms that encourage walking breaks, healthy eating, more physical activity, respect, positivity and stress management help employees AND have a huge impact on absenteeism and productivity.
Working Well
According to findings from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans Workplace Wellness 2017 Survey Report, employers with wellness programs reported:
- 52.6% decrease in absenteeism
- 66% increased productivity
- 67% higher employee satisfaction/engagement
A recent Harvard study backs this up showing an investment in wellness returns two to five times the cost to the bottom line; medical costs fall $3.27 for every dollar spent on wellness and absenteeism costs fall by about $2.73 for every dollar spent.
What one thing would make your workplace healthier? [poll]
The Workplace Wellness report revealed 75% of employers are offering wellness programs more to improve employee well-being and less to reduce health care costs. In fact, only one in four employers said the main reason for offering wellness initiatives was to control/reduce health-related costs.
Successful programs should be designed for employees, not to them with wellness going beyond just the physical. Organizations with this holistic mentality are experiencing the biggest improvements in workforce health, productivity and morale.
What one thing would make your workplace healthier? [take the poll]
In next week’s blog, we’ll summarize the poll results and share 4 things your company can do to kick-start your wellness initiatives!
Lori is the VP of Recognition for CSI International Inc. She has a MBA with a minor in Human Resources, is a Certified Recognition Professional and member of the SHRM blog squad. Prior to joining CSI STARS, she worked at Mercer Human Resource Consulting and Youthography, a youth market research agency. Connect with CSI STARS on LinkedIn to learn how we cultivate a workforce that loves coming to work.
