A healthy, happy workforce doesn’t just benefit your employees – it also benefits you as their employer. A healthy team will be one with fewer sick days, higher levels of morale, and more energy to do their jobs with enthusiasm and to a high standard. What employer wouldn’t want a healthy, energised team? If you’re looking for ways to support the wellbeing of your staff without blowing out your budget for the year, we have a few simple ideas to help get you started. Both your employees and your overall profitability will flourish as a result.

Protect Them From Common Illnesses.

You can’t wave a magic wand and totally erase the possibility that select members of your team will come down with some form of illness this year, but you can decrease the possibility that they’ll get the flu. Many employers now organise staff vaccination drives before flu season begins; offering prevention treatments like the fluarix tetra quadrivalent vaccine to ensure that they have immunity to some of the common strains of influenza that could otherwise float around the office. Offering this vaccination opportunity as one of your company healthcare benefits could decrease absenteeism and help keep your team feeling great.

Encourage Healthy Eating

A nutritious diet is the foundation of good health. While you can’t police what your employees eat after office hours you can encourage healthy eating within the workplace. Set up fruit bowls around the office that employees can grab snacks from free of charge, and make sure there’s a fridge on each floor (depending on the size of your company) so that staff members can pack nutritious lunches instead of having to rely on fast food or unhealthy pick-me-ups during their lunch break. If your workplace has its own cafateria or catering service, this is a great opportunity to make sure balanced, vitamin-packed meals are available for your staff instead of options that are just going to leave them sluggish by mid-afternoon and more vulnerable to health problems.

Incorporate Mind-Body Activities

Research has shown that meditation has an amazing effect on concentration levels and can even alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety. Likewise, yoga is a great way to relax, release tension, and improve flexibility and muscle strength. If you have room in your budget, you could bring a yoga or meditation teacher into the office to lead regular sessions with staff members who feel like they could use a little relaxation or would rather stretch out their muscles during their usual coffee breaks. They’ll head back to the workspace feeling rejuvenated and refreshed rather than jittery and over-caffeinated.

Look Into Gym Membership

Plenty of the popular chain gyms have corporate packages designed for businesses who want to offer their employees a health boost. By paying for their gym membership you’re offering a valuable benefit which could boost employee morale and loyalty, as well as giving them an opportunity to go grab a workout after a hard day’s work. If gym memberships are too expensive for your current budget, you can still encourage your staff to get more exercise by organising company running clubs or regular fitness sessions after work hours. Some businesses up the motivation ante by offering prizes and rewards to employees who embrace their fit new lifestyle.