6 Easy Ways To Create And Maintain A Healthy Workplace

By Author: Lena Hemsworth
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Do your employees lack motivation? Do they feel disengaged in the workplace? That is probably because they aren’t working in a healthy and positive work environment. As their manager, you should take things into your hands and not only create but also maintain a supportive workplace atmosphere. If you don’t know how to make a workplace in which everyone thrives, then you should give our tips a try.

Keep Team Members Connected

Whether you have remote employees in your team or not doesn’t matter. What matters is to keep all team members connected. Arranging collaborations on tasks and projects won’t be enough for them to connect. For this reason, you should encourage employees to spend time together and get to know each other well. That is the only way to build positive relationships between coworkers, which is one of the requirements for a healthy workplace. You can create opportunities for connecting employees. For example, use video conferences for remote workers, ice breakers, and team building activities. When employees know their coworkers, they become connected and friends, which is good for business ...
... and work atmosphere.

Encourage Healthy Competition

Most managers think having conflicts and discussions in the workplace is counterproductive. In fact, they can result in innovative ideas. Team leaders can gather their members, share an idea or a problem with them, and ask them to discuss. Employees should be able to think outside the box and be creative as much as they can. Manager’s idea or problem can be silly, but everything team members come up with might take the business in a positive direction. Moreover, they don’t even have to be in the same room to discuss. Managers can use
internal communication and collect ideas, suggestions, and solutions. An employee with the best one gets a reward. It can be anything from a day off to a new gadget. The award has to be stimulating as well as a challenge. Otherwise, employees won’t be up for it.

Make It Comfortable

Employees spend eight hours a day every workday in the workplace. If the workplace isn’t comfortable enough, they might find focusing and working too hard. Therefore, you should make sure the workplace is as comfortable and functional as possible. You should have a few separate areas. For instance, every employee should have its own space for individual work then you should leave some room for teamwork and breaks. This way, employees will have enough space to bond, work together, and individually when needed. Apart from providing enough room, you should also make sure tools and devices are within their reach. You don’t want your employees to waste time walking around the office every time they need a stapler or scissors.

Decorate with Plants

The space in which employees work has an effect on their mood, efficiency, and general well-being. If you want to create and maintain a healthy workplace, you should start with its decoration. In particular, you should decorate the workplace with plants. Keeping plants in the office has many benefits. Firstly, they serve as natural air purifiers. This is particularly important during the winter when the air is dry because the heating is on all day. Secondly, plants are great and cheap decoration which helps put employees in a cheerful mood. Thirdly, they help keep employees calm in stressful situations that they face every day in the office. If you decide to decorate the office with plants, don’t go crazy and overdecorate. Too many plants might make employees feel they’re working in a jungle and not in a professional environment.

Promote Wellbeing

Most studies suggest workplace wellbeing leads to increased productivity, lower absenteeism, and health care costs. There are some ways you can promote wellbeing in the workplace. For starters, offer free gym memberships as one of the employee benefits. Then, raise awareness about preventative healthcare, such as getting regular annual checkups and vaccination. Try to destigmatize mental health issues, encourage employees to speak openly about their issues, and support them in receiving treatment. Additionally, you should work on upgrading health plans to cover much more than essential benefits. This way, employees will feel safe knowing their insurance has got them covered if they get ill. Lastly, you can get rid of all junk food found in the office kitchen and breakrooms and replace them with fresh fruits and healthier snacks.

Become Flexible

Most employees feel their work and family life are always in conflict because of their hectic work schedules. Thanks to the Internet and technological tools, 9 to 5 workdays are gone. Employees that have shifted to remote work have become more efficient and engaged. Similarly, because they no longer have to commute to work, they have more time for themselves. If you’re willing to become more flexible, you should first come up with a remote work strategy, do a trial run, prioritize communication, and see how it goes. Then you’ll be able to determine whether or not remote work is the best solution for your employees and organization.

Lena is a writer, enthusiast and loves to lose herself in a good book. She believes that there is nothing better than starting your day with a hot cup of coffee.