Arizona small businesses that want to lower their costs for group health insurance should prioritize employee wellness initiatives. Why? Because healthy employees are happy employees. And happy employees create happy profit margins. But that is not all. Keep reading to learn more about why your small business should prioritize employee wellness.
Employee Wellness Initiatives Promote Physical and Mental Health
The core of every effective wellness initiative is helping employees to replace unhealthy choices with healthy behaviors. This may include encouraging a more balanced diet and exercise, getting more sleepy, and teaching healthy ways to handle stress and depression.
Studies show that employees who participate in wellness programs have healthier lifestyles. They eat more nutritious foods, drink less, smoke less and exercise more often - all of which improve their quality of life by reducing stress and depression.
But while making changes for a short time may be easier for some employees, maintaining these changes over a sustained period can be much more challenging. Because of this, employers must develop a long-term wellness plan for employees that includes support, encouragement, and incentives for continuing on a healthy path.
Prioritize Employee Wellness to Decrease Sick Days
It just makes sense. The healthier your employees are, the less likely they will get sick. Healthy lifestyles boost immune systems, and immune systems running at their peak are better able to fight viruses. This means your employees are calling in sick less often.
Additionally, Arizona companies that promote participation in wellness programs generally have happier employees. Employees who enjoy their jobs and connect with their coworkers want to be at work, not at home. This is one reason why many companies encourage having a friend at work.
Improve Productivity
We all have days when our motivation to complete the task at hand is low or, in some cases, completely non-existent. While occasionally having these days is understandable, your bottom line will suffer if your employees are continuously unproductive.
What can you do if you have noticed this trend toward presenteeism (being physically present at work but not focused on your job) amongst your employees? Implement and prioritize employee wellness initiatives.
Just as a physically healthy employee is less likely to miss work due to sickness, an employee who eats a nutritious diet, exercises and maintains a good sleep schedule is less likely to be distracted on the job.
Arizona employers can also address the issue of presenteeism by allowing more flexible work schedules and locations. A parent who has a sick child at home is less likely to be productive away from that child than if they were able to work from home while the child sleeps. Employees with flexible work schedules that allow time for activities outside the office are more productive and "present" while on the job.
Wellness Programs Show Your Employees You Care
Prioritizing your employees' wellness program is not just about motivating them to be healthier. You're sending the message that they're an essential member of the company's team.
Employees know when they're appreciated, and knowing that they are welcome and valued in your organization can go a long way toward keeping them around long-term. After all, while they might find another job somewhere else, will that company value them as much as their current employer? Feeling appreciated also increases the chances that these individuals will recommend their current employers to friends or associates, helping recruit additional talent in the future.
Prioritize Employee Wellness Initiatives to Save on Group Health Insurance Costs
There are as many benefits to Arizona employers to prioritize employee wellness as there are ways to do so. From formal, in-person initiatives to online options to simple hydration challenges, placing a high value on the health of your employees will improve morale and loyalty.
And best of all? Employers will save money on group health insurance costs, salaries, benefits, and workers' compensation premiums with fewer employees having chronic diseases and a low risk for less serious illnesses.