2017 presents changes for corporate organizations in terms of employee health and wellness trends. After all, health is an indispensable ingredient that directly impacts a worker’s level of productivity in the workplace.
With so many goals and challenges that companies need to tackle, companies regardless of size and nature need to invest in various strategies that are aimed towards holistically improving employee health. If you are a business owner, manager, or a member of your organization’s HR department, here are 4 trends you need to look out for this year.
However, it’s important to put in mind that no matter the health and wellness strategies you adopt for your workers, what matters most is that they cater to their every need and integrate with their current lifestyles. Let’s get started, shall we?
The Use of Fitness Trackers to Monitor Employee Health Goals
It’s no secret that fitness trackers are dominating the health industry. While we hear of individual fitness enthusiasts using wearable devices that track calories burned, heart rate, blood pressure, and more, employers are now drastically incorporating the use of these technological tools into their wellness programs.
In fact, a study published by ABI Research in 2013 reveals that by the year 2018, the number of fitness trackers used in the workplace all over the world will exceed 13 million.
What companies are doing is that they set health goals that employees need to meet on a daily or weekly basis and track them through their fitness devices. As a leader or manager, you can reward your workers who meet certain health milestones.
Stock Your Office Kitchen with Healthy Snacks
One of the simplest and most practical health and wellness trends to keep your employees energized and sustain their bodies with a variety of healthy snacks is to make sure to stock your office with nutrient-rich snack foods.
Try to explore easy-to-prepare foods that contain a mix of protein, complex carbs, and fiber such as sweet potatoes, nuts, and other organic varieties. You may even want to look into an office snack delivery service to stock up on healthy treats.
Another trend that’s common among millennials in 2017 is that they base their choice of snacks on the impact of these foods on the quality of their lives. For example, before millennial consumers pick snacks, they check whether these are processed or not and contain vitamins and ingredients that are good for them.
Transforming the Office with Biophilic Office Designs
Since employees spend 5 to 6 days a week at the office and toil several hours, they are prone to experiencing daily stress. Companies can positively change this scenario by refurbishing their workplace appearance using biophilic design concepts.
This entails transforming the office setting by incorporating elements of nature such as indoor plants, natural wood, natural light from the sun, and fresh air. In today’s office design trends, it has been shown that natural elements increase employees’ emotional wellness, productivity levels, and healing.
It is true that humans become healthier and perform better when they are in an environment that has greenery and incorporates nature scenes. Simple ways to revamp your office space include the addition of low-maintenance indoor plants, the use of furniture with natural colors like green, sky blue, brown, and yellow.
Adoption of On-Site Yoga Classes
Nothing can compare to the exhilarating and deeply relaxing feeling after a well-spent yoga session. Office workers do not have all the time and resources to attend yoga clinics so it would be best to bring it to them.
The reason why yoga benefits employee health and wellness is that this mind-body practice involves a combination of deep breathing techniques, specific bodily postures, and meditation. Because the hustle and bustle of the workplace disconnect employees from the present moment, yoga brings it back – using just a couple of minutes during the day.
Several yoga brands nowadays conduct on-site sessions. They travel to offices and meet with employees on a weekly basis to get them moving. If you’re considering this for your workers, have ample space for everyone to participate.
Final Word
Companies that embrace these 4 employee health and wellness trends are likely to achieve corporate success this year. Employees who work in environments that provide opportunities for proper nutrition, physical activity, relaxation, and positive emotions perform much better at the office as a result of improved quality of life.
Tags: Business, Diet, fitness, food, health, healthy, Healthy Lifestyle, nutrition, snacks, wellness, Yoga
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