Are You Keeping Your Staff’s Health in Check?
As a businessperson or the owner of a company, one of the pressing things you should look into is your employees’ health. It is not only a part of the code of ethics; it is also a statute mandated by the law.
Around 70% of workers do not have insurance coverage in case of occupational injuries and diseases. This statistic details the number of people who must depend on their savings to see them through any sickness.
Employee health ought to be one of the topmost concerns for all employers. You can also find the best business Insurance Quotes for Manufacturers.
Taking Care of Your Employees’ Mental Health
When it comes to determining an individuals’ productivity, his/her mental wellbeing oftentimes takes precedence over physical health. As per data by Statista, by 2017, every seventh Indian was affected by mental health illness in some form or the other.
Further, the stigma surrounding mental health makes it more difficult for individuals to seek proper treatment for it.
So, what can you, as an employer, do to improve the mental wellbeing of your employees?
Here are a few employee safety tips to keep mental health issues at bay.
- Spread awareness about mental health in your workplace
If employee safety is foremost in your mind, then encourage your employees to be more vocal about their mental health struggles.
Most people will not talk about it at all.
They may be afraid of being side-lined when it comes to promotions and work. So, to put them at their ease, start the conversation on mental health first.
2. Hire a counsellor
Hiring a counsellor may be an easy way to get your staff to open up about what is troubling them. If this is not feasible for you to arrange for an in-house counsellor, then finance the appointment. Your employees should know that the organisation stands by them in their hour of need.
3. Insist on employees taking their stipulated vacation
Often the quickest fix to get out of a mental rut can be a vacation.
Vacations can deal with burnout and shoddy work life. A trip to the mountains or the beach can re-energise people instantly. Overworked employees can benefit from you insisting on compulsory leave. In this way, employee safety is taken care of appropriately.
4 . Address discrimination
In case your employees are facing negative response from co-workers, after admitting to mental health issues, you have to stand by them. Be firm that your organisation will not stand for any negativity. Also, encourage those facing discrimination to speak up about it. Assure them that their complaints won’t go unnoticed.
5. Prioritise Your Staff’s Physical Health!
A healthy individual increases the productivity of the workplace.
Given the sedentary lifestyle of most employees nowadays, the rate in the rise of lifestyle diseases has become pretty worrisome. Long hours at the desk, unhealthy eating habits and a general lack of exercise are the primary contributors to these afflictions.
Since employee health and safety are at the top of your mind, take a look through these tips to ensure that your staff does not fall prey to these diseases.
6. Develop a smoke-free workplace and actively discourage smoking
Take the lead when it comes to making your workplace a smoke-free zone. Discourage smoking in the cafeteria or workspace. Set up posters examining the risks of lung cancer. In India, the lung cancer rate is 6.9% irrespective of sex. This is quite a grave situation, and as an employer, you should do your bit towards mitigating it.
7.Facilitate proper comfort and insist on good posture
To avoid your employees from getting a question mark back, insist on good posture.
What else can you do? Invest in good chairs and minimise the time your employees spend in front of the screen. Ensure your employees have healthy desk habits to prevent the onset of aches and pains.
8. Encourage more physical exercise
Spread awareness in the workplace regarding the importance of physical health.
Hold regular medical check-ups for all senior employees to ensure that the stress of the job does not affect them negatively. Highly stressful jobs tend to increase the chance of diabetes, heart disease, and lifestyle diseases,among others.
During this pandemic situation, send out a safety message to employees. Warn them of all possible complications that can arise and highlight any contingency plans you may have come up with to protect their health.
Assure them of your support and offer thema work-from-home option.
Let your staff know that the safety and security of employees are at the top of your list.