Employee welfare should be a key concern for any business owner or manager, yet many companies still neglect to fulfill their duty of care. A happy and healthy workforce is vital to maintaining a productive and profitable company, so not only does it help your employees out – it makes economic sense too. There are so many easy ways to improve the welfare of your employees, and here are just a few of them:

1. Offer addiction support

One way to improve employee welfare is to offer addiction support. Addiction can have a devastating effect on an individual’s health and well-being, as well as their work performance. If your company carries out regular drug testing, like this 5 panel urine drug test near St Louis, you can help employees overcome their addiction and get back on track.

2. Invest in your workplace

Investing in the place your employees work dramatically improves welfare. Ergonomic furniture, for example, reduces strain and pain when sitting at a desk all day, while good lighting helps to protect everyone’s eyesight. Access to the outdoors is also essential, but you should ensure good ventilation indoors too. Meanwhile, the temperature is a critical factor in keeping employees healthy, so keep it at a comfortable level where possible.

3. Promote a healthy work-life balance

Promoting a healthy work-life balance is essential for employee welfare. Employees who feel overworked or stressed are more likely to experience health problems or burnout. Encouraging employees to take breaks, book a holiday and avoid work at home can help employees define their work life from their home life, which will help them feel refreshed each day.

4. Provide mental health support

Mental health problems can have a profound effect on an individual’s ability to work, as well as their overall well-being. You can help employees lead happier, healthier lives while boosting their productivity by offering support. It’s also important to support employees in times of crisis, like a death, divorce, or break-up.

Employees will appreciate knowing that their company cares about them and is there for them during difficult times, not pressuring them to get back to work before they’re ready.

5. Encourage an active lifestyle.

We all need at least an hour of exercise daily to stay healthy, but many find it hard to achieve. By subsidizing gym memberships or providing on-site fitness facilities, you can help employees stay healthy and fit, boosting morale and output. Even 20 minutes of compulsory yoga per day will help! Encouraging active travel, such as walking or cycling to work, is also an excellent way for employees to exercise, helping reduce staff illness and absence.

6. Subsidize healthy meals

Subsidizing healthy food encourages employees to eat better and maintain a healthy weight. Healthy eating improves employee health, and good nutrition aids concentration. So, stop with the doughnuts and pizza, and offer proper breakfasts and lunches instead!

7. Offer flexible working hours.

HR teams hate flexible working hours, but your workforce will love them. Flexible working hours allow employees to manage their time and commitments outside work better. We all have things we need to do outside of work, so if your employees struggle to find time to care for an elderly parent or book a doctor’s appointment, Flexi working can improve work-life balance and reduce stress levels.

8. Celebrate diversity

A diverse workforce is healthy, but an even healthier workforce feels celebrated for its differences. At the very least, your company should celebrate Pride Month and Black History Month. Still, in 2022 you should be going further and providing gender-neutral toilets, addressing the gender/racial pay gap, and decorating for multiple religious holidays, not just Christmas.

9. Extend maternity/paternity leave

Maternity and paternity leave doesn’t have to be kept at the legal minimum – you’re free to offer longer if you want to. This is especially useful for households where both parents work, which is now the norm. Times have changed, and families no longer function as they did in 1950s America. Women work, and same-sex couples need alternative arrangements, so you should consider changing things to stay ahead of the curve.

10. Provide childcare

Similarly, providing child care is another excellent way to improve employee welfare. It can help employees with young children better balance their work and family responsibilities and reduce absenteeism and turnover. As mentioned above, most parents now work, while single-parent families are much more common than they used to be, so providing child care can also improve morale and productivity for tired parents.

Conclusion

These are just a few of the many ways that businesses can improve employee welfare. Companies can create a happier, more productive workforce by investing in their employees’ health and well-being. It just makes sense!