14 Sep Workplace Wellness

For many professionals, practicing wellness feels like a personal initiative to be pursued in one’s free time, or not at all. The traditional workplace is often an obstacle in the journey towards wellness, with long, sedentary hours in the office and convenience-based meal planning. But work culture is changing, and employers are starting to see the benefits of incorporating wellness into the work environment.

What is workplace wellness?

Workplace wellness involves creating an environment that bolsters productivity and encourages healthy living through physical, mental, and social wellness. A company that prioritizes wellness provides employees with resources, amenities, and benefits that promote fulfilling and healthy habits. The CDC Foundation lent its expertise to this culture-changing initiative by developing a model for business owners, giving employers the opportunity to create workplaces that foster a healthier, more productive labor force. With this blueprint, companies can utilize everything from office design to technology to cultivate a wellness-focused work environment.

Design plays a major role in workplace wellness. When designing an office space, developers are now imagining buildings with inhouse fitness centers and common areas equipped to serve as venues for nutrition and wellness seminars. Even providing additional workstation options in office design contributes to workplace wellness. Desks built for standing, and desks that include treadmill or bicycle components allow employees to fight stagnation and incorporate physical activity into their daily routine.

Benefits of workplace wellness

Companies that offer the opportunity to practice wellness at work, and reward healthy habits, attract new talent and improve morale among current employees. Research clearly shows that wellness-focused work environments increase productivity and in turn, profitability. Healthy employees take less time off and maximize their time more efficiently while in the office. Offering opportunities to better the physical, mental, and social wellness of your workforce increases output and shows employees that your organization cares about the overall wellbeing of the team.

Wellness in the workplace is no longer a passing fad. Office culture has never been a more significant consideration for job seekers and investing in wellness is an integral piece of that puzzle. Providing opportunities for personal growth, healthy lifestyle choices, team building, and physical engagement, makes for a stronger workforce and a more successful organization.