Employee Health and Well-being trends for 2020

by Startacus Admin

Bryony Wylie, Advanced Clinical Practitioner, Prescriber and founder of FooDoo Snacks, share's her predictions for the employee health and well-being trends for 2020, that employee’s will value and want to see in their working environments! 

The increasing need for businesses to have an employee health and well-being strategy is set to rise as we head towards 2020. In efforts to tackle employee absenteeism due to ill health and save over £60 billion annually, more businesses than ever are incorporating employee engagement policies which are specifically aimed towards improving employee health and well-being.

The benefits of such programmes have been proven to increase workforce productivity because healthier employees are known to be happier, less stressed and need less time off sick. Below we’ll look key emerging health and well-being trends for 2020 that employee’s value and want to see in their working environments.

HEALTHIER FOOD OPTIONS

Because many of us have sedentary jobs, we tend to eat lunches ‘al desko’ or grab a quick sugary treat from the vending machine mid-afternoon, it’s not surprising that our working environments are quite detrimental to our health. Even the most strong willed of us finds it difficult to resist the biscuit drawer when we need something quick and easy, however the harsh reality is that all these empty calories alongside being desk bound for over eight hours a day really is not doing ourselves any favours, in fact we know that poor diet is one of the biggest causes of preventable chronic diseases such as diabetes.

Because we spend so much of our time being ‘at work’ it can be a prime opportunity for which employers to really make a positive impact on employee wellbeing. During 2019 we were seeing forward thinking employers beginning to take on more responsibility for the physical health of their employees, with a clear focus specifically towards diet and nutritional health and savvy human resource and wellbeing professionals  were actively seeking new and exciting ways in which to improve diet in the workplace.

Offering healthier snacks for employees is a great way to engage employees in healthier eating habits whilst being a relatively simple, quick and low- cost solution for businesses. We are now seeing workplaces detoxifying their vending machine environments and cleansing office ‘cake culture,’ in favour of better for you snack options. A great way to ensure an all-inclusive selection is to offer a variety of options to suit different tastes and dietary requirements, including vegan friendly and gluten-free alongside low sugar, high fibre and rich in protein snacks.

IMPROVED WORK LIFE BALANCE

Most of us seem to be in work mode twenty-four hours a day, as nearly half of us feel compelled to answer emails or take calls when we have already officially clocked off for the day. We are all guilty of it from time to time, however we are tending to see less of the typical nine till five day in recent years, and most of us are bringing the burden of work home with us. Unsurprisingly this can have some serious health related consequences.

Depression, anxiety and sleep disorders are linked to working excessively long hours. This coupled with increasing work -related pressures, it is not surprising that nearly half of us feel unhappy being at work. During recent years we are seeing strategies put in place to help address work life balance which is great news when it comes to supporting employee health and well-being.  

As we head into 2020 we will continue to see more businesses adopt more flexible and home working practices, we will also see more businesses encouraging employees to disconnect at the end of the working day and scheduling in down-time during the working day.

PHYSICAL HEALTH CHECKS

Helping employees keep physically healthy arguably makes sound business sense, as healthy employees are less likely to need time off sick. Not only this but it additionally helps improve staff satisfaction and morale, it also reduces staff turnover because staff are more inclined to feel a greater sense of loyalty towards their employer.

Benefits of having a physical health check not only helps to assess blood pressure, weight, height, calculate body mass index but can also identify any risk factors for chronic diseases such as diabetes and chronic heart disease. They can also provide a prime opportunity for assessing alcohol intake, smoking status, diet and physical activity levels which opens communication for promoting changes in lifestyle and behaviour modification.

People want to feel valued, and by investing some time and thought into a wellbeing incentive that works can reward a business with happier and healthier employees.

Author: Bryony Wylie, Advanced Clinical Practitioner, Prescriber and founder of FooDoo Snacks; has an extensive career in public health and health promotion. She has a passion for improving health and wellbeing and founded FooDoo Snacks in 2019, alternative snacks especially for the workplace and delivered direct to the workplace.

 
 

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• #health
• #2020
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Published on: 12th November 2019