Investing in your employees’ well-being is not just the right ethical choice; it’s also the right business choice. Healthy employees equal healthy bottom lines. Your employees are your biggest asset, and also your biggest liability in terms of the lost productivity if they become sick and it affects their work.

There are several reasons why fostering a wellness-centered environment at work is important. AS a business leader, your role in the health of your employees is to provide as much support as possible. Here are the top reasons why you should take an active interest in your employees’ health.

Productivity

Healthy employees are more productive at work. For example, one study found that employees who consumed healthy foods were 25 percent more productive throughout the day than their junk food-eating peers. The statistics showing the increased productivity possible by just getting employees into fitter shape are astounding. Healthy employees who exercise regularly also take an average of 27 percent less sick days than those who don’t. By creating a culture that focuses on healthy habits, you can get much more out of your employees in the long run.

Social Responsibility

In many ways, workplaces are some of the most important social groups in modern times. Bosses depend on productive employees and employees depend on bosses who pay them. With this arrangement comes some degree of responsibility on the employer’s part to create a healthy environment. Nearly 30 percent of Americans will develop anxiety disorders, so business leaders should take it upon themselves to make sure their employees are taken care of. Some of your employees battling anxiety might need a “push” to seek help for their anxiety or a temporary reduction in workload, as examples of ways that you can help them as a business leader.

Your Employees Reflect Your Company

Your employees are walking, talking representations of your company. Would you rather project a strong, confident health image of your company in the form of your healthy employees or a depressed, sick image due to poor employee health? The answer is obvious and one of the reasons why you should focus on creating healthy employees.

Managers serve as the catalysts for change in the workplace. That is why your leadership on creating an environment that prioritizes wellness is so crucial. Following your lead, employees can participate in the wellness-focused workplace you have initiated and begin to take ownership over their health as well as developing a social stake in all of their coworkers’ health as well.

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