Employee wellness is important for organisational success as it improves employee engagement and employee value proposition to attract and retain the best talent at the same time building organisational reputation and brand. Most employers across a broad spectrum of industries feel that the wellness benefits they offer are appreciated by their employees and this in turn positively impact on their wellbeing and morale hence creating a long-term value for the organisation.

The objective of the article is to highlight ways employers can promote and encourage employees to lead healthy lifestyles.

1. Healthy eating

Employees need to be reminded of the benefits of eating healthy foods. Human Resources departments may post information time to time on balanced diets. Most employees munch junk or other calorific treats brought to the offices either by colleagues or in the name of meetings. It’s interesting to note that most lunch allowances are pegged against prices of fast foods. When as an organisation we commit to employee wellness it is important to critically look at various policies. Canteen menus, meeting snacks, recommended food outlets etc. have to be reviewed too. Staying healthy in the workplace requires that all staff pay attention to what they eat for their main meals. The healthy way is to eat a good filling breakfast in the morning, healthy lunch and a relatively small evening meal. All staff should learn to temporarily leave their offices during lunch and avoid having lunch at the desk. Leaving desks for a while will prevent over eating while providing you with a short break. Provision of microwaves, fridges etc. in the workplace also promote healthy eating.

2. Drinking plenty of water

An employee immersed in work may actually lose track of how much water one is drinking in a day. Little water than required has effects like dehydration, drowsiness and sluggishness. Organisations may provide clean water dispensers for employees in light of the state of tap water for most cities in Zimbabwe.

3. Exercises

The benefits of exercises can never be over-emphasised. Organisations can encourage employees to exercise by providing sports and gym facilities as well as well as such facilities’ memberships. The Banking sector has implemented this so well that they even have their annual interbank tournament. Information on diseases such as diabetes, hearth conditions etc. associated with sedentary lifestyles which most employees lead may also be made available to employees.

How often have we driven to meetings which are only 5 minutes away? Would organisations not reap some benefits including financial, by encouraging employees to walk to meetings within a certain radius?

Sitting in cars battling the endless traffic queues is a daily fact for many people. The first world has   adopted the use of public transport which keep all employees up and about while saving the environment as well. Is it time for us to consider the international practice where biking to work has incentives for employees doing so?

4. Ergonomics

This refers to the design, arrangement of office environments, products and systems that promote efficiency and comfort for people who use them. With the usage of computers people spend the day staring at their screen and sitting down. By doing so employees stretch their necks forward for too long. Uncomfortable chairs also end putting pressure on the neck and spine.

Clean, orderly and airy offices help employees to relax as they work. Dust can actually pose serious health hazards to employees. At the end of each day employees should learn to tide up their workstations. Toilets and canteens/ kitchen must also be kept clean and adequately stocked with detergents.

5. Allow employees to take walking breaks

A walking break is not a time waster but it’s actually more productive. Not breaking makes you mentally lethargic hence reducing one’s creativity.

6. Promote mental health

All staff should learn to manage their stress levels and in instances were stressors are actually emanating from the work/workplace efforts should be made to eliminated/ reduce them. Because of having to juggle different roles, most people are living hectic lives that live them exhausted and training employees on managing stress should be an imperative in organisations.

7. Promoting personal hygiene

People in general who take good care of themselves have high self-esteem and are confident. Good personal hygiene also keeps certain illnesses at bay. Bad personal hygiene of an employee may affect other employees as well as customers. Funds permitting employees should be provided with sanitary wipes, sanitisers and handy wash to cleanse the surface of their desks and hands.

The above and a whole lot more can be done by organisations. Organisations that offer medical aids schemes to employees and/ their dependants view employees’ health as important for the organisation’s success. It is now common that most office premises are designated smoke free zones to encourage smokers to quit and also promote the health of all employees.

There has been so much talk about AIDS/HIV resulting in organisations adopting HIV/AIDS policies. It is high time organisations also adopt robust employee wellness policies and programs that promote physical and mental health of employees. \

Emmanuel Jinda is the Managing Consultant of PROSERVE Consulting Group, a leading supplier of Professional Human Resources and Management services locally, regionally and internationally. He can be contacted at Tel: 263 773004143 or 263 242 772778 or visit our website at www.proservehr.com