Health & Safety Hacks For Your Business

If you run a business of any kind where you employ people, it is your responsibility to ensure that your employees are protected. Though your immediate health and safety policy is important, it should also be a key concern of yours that they are working in an environment that promotes healthy living where possible. Though you obviously don’t want to intrude on their lives too much, encouraging healthy living is both a positive thing for them and for your business as a whole. With this in mind, let’s take a look at a few ways that you can improve your company with regards to health and safety.

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Put in Place a Clear Policy

Health and safety starts with a clear policy that follows all the guidelines that have been set out in your field. You need to make sure that you have gone through all the potential hazards that could occur in your company and have put in place adequate measure to protect the wellbeing of your employees. If you require your employees to work in potentially hazardous situations, you may need to provide them with certain personal protective equipment or have put in place passive fall protection. Enlisting the support of someone who is an expert in the field can make sure that you have covered all your bases. When your policy has been agreed, it is essential that you run through everything with your employees so everyone is on the same page. If an accident does occur, everyone should be fully versed in the best way to respond. Not only is this essential for your employees, it should also be a central pillar in the continued running of your business.

Reduce Stress Where Possible

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Most jobs involve some degree of stress, but if you pile too much pressure on your employees, this can have a detrimental effect on their performance at work and lead to increased levels of absenteeism. Studies have shown that stress is the biggest cause of work absences, so the damage that could be done to your company is quite clear. Just a few of the workplace factors that can affect employees’ stress levels include managerial style, work content, number of hours, workload and uncertainty in the job role. The two ways that you can tackle workplace stress as an employer are prevention and intervention. Prevention involves taking steps to improve conditions in the work environment, while intervention involves the treatment of staff members that become unwell. Ultimately, as a responsible employer, you should always be taking steps to reduce workplace stress wherever possible.

Encourage Healthy Eating

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Rather than having days where everyone brings in unhealthy snacks, instead you could have a healthy eating day once or twice a month. This could involve one member of the team bringing something in themselves or you could even invest some money to put the cost on the company. Stocking the office with fresh fruit on a regular basis doesn’t have to be a hugely expensive expenditure, but it really could make all the difference with regards to the health of your employees.

Host an After-Work Fitness Class

If you have enough space in your office, it is a nice idea to host an after-work fitness class. Contact a local yoga or gym instructor and advertise the session with your employees. If you take part in the session yourself, you will help to set a good example amongst your team. As well as encouraging a healthier lifestyle, this kind of perk goes down very well with employees. Meditation and yoga have been shown to reduce stress levels and also improve sleep quality so the knock-on effects could be very positive for both your employees’ health and your business. You could also look into discounted group memberships at local gyms which are often an option for businesses.

Explore Other Methods of Boosting Wellbeing

There is plenty of research being done at the moment showing the various innovative ways that employers can boost the wellbeing of their employees. For example, you could invest in adjustable desks so that your employees have the option of standing during the day if they are feeling uncomfortable. Research has shown that standing on a periodic basis can help to mitigate fatigue and discomfort. You can also encourage a culture that allows your employees to take regular breaks during the day to get away from screens and walk around. Not only will this encourage a more active lifestyle, it also helps to boost productivity.