When you're busy running a business, the health of your employees may be the last thing on your mind. However, according to Public Health England, the cost of an unhealthy workforce to the UK taxpayer has been estimated at over £60 billion per year. Employees who are in good health are, by comparison, less likely to need time off work and are likely to be more productive.
Whilst you can't sit your employees down and force feed them vegetables, there are things you can do to make your workplace a healthier, and therefore a more productive environment. Here are our tips for healthier, happier employees.
Start with the Cycle to Work Scheme
The Cycle to Work Scheme is a government scheme, allowing employees to save money on bicycles and equipment. It's an annual tax exemption, whereby employers can loan bikes and equipment to their employees as a tax-free benefit. It's a great way to get your team cycling.
Transcendit work with Evans Cycles in Gateshead to provide this scheme, but lots of bicycle shops support Cycle to Work. Do some research, and find a provider that's close by, and you'll be able to save your employees money and improve their health too. Think about adding a shower to your premises too!
Get a company sick pay scheme
According to Nottingham Business School, the average employee in the UK attended work whilst suffering from an illness for almost two weeks out of the year. This desire to get to work may seem like a good thing for employees, but NBS estimates that it could be costing businesses thousands per worker due to lower productivity.
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is likely to be far lower than your employees' wages. This is always going to encourage them to come to work ill, reducing productivity and putting other employees at risk of illness in the process. By setting up a company sick pay scheme and offering your employees a little more, you could keep your workplace healthier and save money in the long run.
Consider a corporate gym membership
You could offer your permanent employees a corporate gym membership, either through salary sacrifice or through negotiating a reduced rate with a local gym.
This is a great way to keep your team active, and is particularly beneficial for employees who work in an office for five days a week. Like the Cycle to Work Scheme, it's also a great employee benefit.
A ton of gyms now provide corporate gym membership (the main ones being Better Leisure Centres, David Lloyd Leisure, Fitness First, Incorpore, Nuffield Health, Pure Gym and Virgin Active). Talk to your employees, and figure out what would work for them.
Get fundraising for a local charity
Planning a relay run (as Transcendit did for FACT) or another type of fundraising activity for a local charity can be a great way to encourage exercise, support between your employees and a sense of community with your business and the local area.
Fundraising as a team can be a lot less intimidating for those with fewer financial backers, and encourage even the wariest in your office to give it a go. Even a one off event can encourage employees to try running or cycling, and raise a ton of money for a cause that everyone can get behind.
Learn to recognise the signs of deteriorating mental health
There's a lot of emphasis placed on physical health, but being aware of your employees mental health is just as important. According to Time to Change, mental ill-health is the leading cause of sickness absence in the UK, costing an average of £1,035 per employee per year.
Training for the supervisors and managers in your business is one way to make sure your team are aware of mental health, but if those options are a little expensive, just starting a dialogue could help employees learn how to recognise the signs in their peers.
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