“Oh, and remember: next Friday… is Hawaiian shirt day. So, you know, if you want to, go ahead and wear a Hawaiian shirt.”
-Bill Lumbergh, Office Space

Are traditional ideas of work “benefits” not cutting it in your company?  You are not alone.  Across the country, businesses big and small are doing their part to give their employees more active and healthy lives.  In return, employers are seeing a more efficient and loyal work force, reduced health care costs, less down time due to sick days, and a more positive and competitive work environment. 

Most working Americans are now putting in well over 40 hours a week at their job.  Until recently, the reduced time at home and the reduced health that comes with such hours have received little concern from businesses, resulting in poor health and diet and amazing levels of stress among American workers.  

All this has had a disturbing affect on our population, becoming a major contributor to the epidemic of obesity and increased danger of heart disease among working adults.  For employers, this manifests itself through increased health insurance costs and a greater number of sick days and worker compensation claims.

Times, however, are changing and many businesses are discovering the benefits of internally promoting healthier lifestyles for employees. 

While daycare, workout facilities, and health seminars are becoming commonplace in the corporate world, there are other companies going so far as to offer in-house chefs and adoption assistance. 
And while more complex programs may be outside the reach of your own business there are always examples of how even a small amount of change can greatly benefit both the employer and the employee:

Beyond the Water Cooler:  Employee Benefits for the Modern Business:

Education
Education is key to making a change in any situation.  Providing popular health magazines and pamphlets on preventative care and services in a common area is a simple way to keep employees up to date on common health concerns. 

Healthy eats
When catering a company event, having a business lunch, or even brown-bagging it lean towards well balanced meals and healthier foods.  Encourage others to look for healthy food options.

Activity 
More and more companies are sponsoring corporate challenges and sporting league teams in an effort to have an active workforce.  Competition can work to strengthen the bonds of team members as well as provide valuable exercise.

Wellness leave
While sick leave has been an aspect of business for years it is only recently that more progressive companies have begun integrating a wellness leave for their employees.  These programs give employees a chance to look after their own health and often includes time to care for a sick child.  Time for preventative care reduces the cases of longer term illness.

Discounts
Contact local health food stores, gyms, or fitness centers and talk to them about providing discounts to your employees in exchange for increased business.  Any attempt to make a healthier lifestyle more available to your employees is beneficial.

Team building
Team building events, whether they take the form of weekly meetings or help from an outside company, have the valuable effect of reducing stress by creating a more united and respectful work force. 

Stress management and awareness
Become an expert in noticing unrelieved stress.  While pressure from work helps to increase productivity, unrelieved stress can show itself through irritability and short temper, increased errors, and prolonged fatigue.  Even a few words of encouragement can make a huge difference in an employee’s day.  Reduced stress from work is shown to improve overall health and plays a huge factor in employee retention.

In-house Clinics
Talk with your health care provider about having an annual or bi-annual health fair.  In addition to education opportunities this is a great opportunity for employees to have blood pressure and cholesterol tests.  From high cholesterol to substance abuse issues these clinics can provide valuable help to your work force.

Lead by example       
Providing an example of healthy living to your employees is the key to an effective program.  Making choices for yourself will give a company health program the strength it needs to be effective in creating workplace change.

As a leader in your business, what can you do to increase awareness of living a healthy lifestyle? 

Quality of work correlates to the quality of life that an employee is leading.  Quite simply, healthier employees work harder and take fewer sick days.  By taking small steps, or even large steps, to improve overall employee health you can increase productivity and strengthen your retention rate by decreasing employee burnout. 

The benefits of work have grown beyond the promise of a casual Friday.  The time is now to show employees how valuable they are to our success.