Cultivating the workplace environment to revolve around healthy habits is ideal for any thriving company. Having happier and healthier workers has been linked to increased productivity, motivation, and work output, helping any company succeed or improve more.
As a business leader or executive, you can ensure everyone in the workplace achieves better health and morale by adding these essential things.
Water Coolers with Proper Filtration
Adding water coolers in the office allows employees to stay hydrated throughout the workday, maintaining their highest productivity levels. You can increase these coolers’ health benefits even further by adding in water filtration systems, ensuring everyone in your office has access to free and clean drinking water at all times.
Moreover, having a water cooler at the workplace encourages more interaction between employees, improving communication and familiarity, fostering a more positive work atmosphere where everyone can benefit from.
Hand Sanitation Stations
Although washing hands with soap and water is the ideal way of keeping your hands clean and rid of germs, it isn’t always viable, especially for office workers. A simple and great alternative to this is using hand sanitizer, which WHO and CDC dub as one of the best tools available to avoid getting sick and spreading germs at the office.
Adding hand sanitation stations throughout the office encourages employees to improve their hand hygiene, resulting in a healthier working environment. The best way to ensure your employees comply and regularly use these stations is by placing them at accessible locations, such as entryways, cafeterias, and bathrooms.
Plexiglass/Dividers
Adding plexiglass or dividers at the workplace encourages employees to organize and keep their places tidy, preventing their things from getting lost, reducing stress. These can also keep workers safe by giving them some form of barrier against peers that are sick. Additionally, staff can personalize their workspaces, which has been proven to improve well-being.
Water Heater at the Washroom
Water heaters supply heated water to your office’s washroom taps and plumbing fixtures on-demand, meaning employees can have access to hot water whenever they’d like. It can help increase handwashing effectiveness as its high temperatures can kill more pathogens than washing hands with cold water. It’s best to opt for tankless water heaters since you can install them anywhere and are cheaper, saving you money while promoting better health in the workplace.
First Aid Stations at Every Department or Floor
When medical emergencies or injuries occur in the office, having a first aid station can be the difference between preventing an injury or visiting the emergency room. That’s why it’s best to have a first aid station at every department or floor in your office. It provides employees with the necessary items needed when someone gets injured, providing immediate medical attention to a person suffering from injury or illness.
Every first aid station needs antibiotics, rubbing alcohol, antiseptics, burn ointments, sterile pads, adhesive tapes, triangular bandages, and a contact list of emergency services.
A Company Nurse
According to the AAOHN, having a company nurse can bring down your injury and illness costs up to 40% in the workplace. That’s because with a nurse on standby, you can ensure injured or sick employees get tended to immediately, promoting employee health and morale.
A common excuse that many professionals cite for not being in good shape is not having enough time nor energy to commit to healthier habits. Although its effects will vary per person, adding the workplace essentials mentioned to your office will promote better health, happiness, and productivity.
