How Businesses Maintain Healthy Employees

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How Businesses Maintain Healthy Employees

January 11, 2020
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A company is only as good as its employees effort and productivity. Every year, lost productivity due to illness costs $530 billion for U.S. employers. Sick employees leads to an increase in absences, lag in performance, and a spread of germs that eventually affects every person in the office. Maintaining healthy best practices is not only for the sake of the employees, it also helps companies save on health care costs.

Companies are more competitive than ever with their wellness programs and initiatives to attract ideal candidates to work for them. In today’s market where options are abundant, job seekers have more of a choice when comparing benefits offered and workplace cultures. Some of the most talked about businesses are Google, Airbnb, Microsoft, and Red Bull. 

Each of these corporations are known for their top-notch approach to incorporating healthy solutions into their workplace. By taking a deeper look into their office cultures, you can get an idea of how they’re able to maintain healthy employees and how it benefits their companies.

 

Google Tops the Tech World’s Corporate Culture

You don’t become the behemoth that is Google without recruiting the best of the best in tech. And you don’t recruit the best without offering a few perks in return. Experts in the industry are quick to name Google the clear winner in company culture, especially within the country’s competitive Silicon Valley, by how well it takes care of its employees. 

A few of the highlights of what to expect when working for the world’s biggest search engine company is a flexible schedule, fun work environment, and a dedicated focus on employee happiness. The company is known for its sleeping pods, free food, and onsite massage therapists and medical staff. Each of these benefits are designed to create happier, healthier employees. The concept is to invest in employees to receive the highest level of performance and productivity possible. 

For example, a flexible schedule limits employee burnout, which can lead to a rundown immune system and lack of sleep, both of which can negatively impact a workday. Alternatively, the accessibility to physical and mental care is also important, especially for a corporate campus that prides itself on innovation and excellence. Balance is key in order to maintain healthy employees and few companies have demonstrated that better than Google.

 

Airbnb Empowers Employees at All Levels

Employee engagement is one of the main ways to maintain a positive company culture and workplace wellness. Per the Employee Experience Index, Airbnb ranked number sixth among 252 organizations around the world based on seventeen different variables, including technology, culture, and physical workspace. In addition to encouraging employee involvement, the company has designed its benefits based on wanting “everyone to be healthy, travel often, get time to give back, and the financial resources and support they need.”

Among its listed benefits, Airbnb offers healthy food and snacks, an annual travel and experiences credit, paid volunteer time, and comprehensive health plans. They’ve also made strides with regards to inclusivity in the workplace and focusing on technologies that help improve their services and communities. Their focus is set on enhancing the employee experience to help drive a better work-life balance. 

One example of this is their physical office space, which is referred to as Belong Anywhere. Employees don’t have set desks or offices. Instead, they’re free to find places throughout the building where they feel they can do their best work. This could be a quiet library setting or a large table better suited for group meetings. This aspect of the business has evolved as a result of employee feedback to understand ways that it can be improved and help define the different areas. 

 

Microsoft Wants Employees to “Live Life Well”

As with Google and Airbnb, Microsoft goes beyond the traditional benefits found in most businesses and designs its benefits to help employees lead a healthy lifestyle. Some of these include an $800 per year reimbursement for wellness-related expenses, such as gym memberships, massages, and even financial advising and debt management. The company also provides a 24-hour Nurse Line for round-the-clock assistance with health care decisions, as well as an on-campus health center and clinic. 

As part of its perks, Microsoft also offers employee resource groups for mentorship and career development, in addition to social activities. There are also on-campus retail shops, entertainment, and dining options for their pleasure and convenience. The mix of benefits available focus on each employee’s physical health and happiness levels as well, both which are equally important in maintaining healthy employees.

All of the additional advantages this company offers doesn’t eliminate the standard medical, dental, and vision health care and paid days off that are typical among businesses. These are included as part of the package as well. The focus remains on what employees want the most and what will attract top performers. 

Companies of this caliber understand the investment made through perks and benefits is designed to create environments where employees engage in higher levels of productivity, creativity, and innovation.

 

Red Bull Focuses on Physical and Mental Wellness with “Fit for Flight”

The “energy” behind Red Bull has been in full effect since 1987. It’s since grown to over 12,000 employees across 170 countries. The company has grown from an energy drink product to a full-fledged lifestyle brand. It’s unique offering to maintain healthy employees is their Fit for Flight program. This wellness program includes creating impactful experiences for its employees, in addition to partnering with leading health and wellness brands to give employees access to different tools and products to create healthier lifestyles. 

The company has a dedicated dietician for the company as well as onsite fitness classes. The approach is to make health care accessible for all through various programs. Since Red Bull is driven by employees who have an entrepreneurial spirit, the idea of reaching their full potential relies heavily on much they’re able to maintain their physical and mental health.

The business also believes in sustainability and greener office ideas. Each aluminum Red Bull can is 100% recyclable. The majority are produced at a central production facility, which allows production and filling to take place in the same location. This saves an estimated 11,000 tons of carbon emissions per year. Additionally, 80% of the energy required for production is from renewable sources. While this doesn’t directly affect an employee’s health and well-being, per se, it does align with individual values that can make employees feel good about where they work.

 

Addressing Wellness in the Workplace with FloWater

Among the cushy perks and comprehensive benefits offered, these corporations have wellness as a top priority for its employees. They all also keep their employees well-hydrated with FloWater. Companies are always looking for ways to eliminate plastic water bottles in the workplace, while giving employees easy access to purified water on a consistent basis. FloWater makes this happen with the office water filter system. 

The benefits that FloWater provides aligns with the company cultures of these top four businesses, among countless others. First, it provides employees with one of the main sources of good health and well-being, which is proper hydration. People who are hydrated are able to focus and perform better since dehydration causes people to feel fatigued and sluggish. FloWater encourages employees to drink more water.

Second, the unique water refill station allows companies to eliminate the need for single-use plastic water bottle waste. It’s an eco-friendly solution that contributes a better carbon footprint for the planet. Rather than having to reorder plastic water jugs or cases of one-time water bottles, each person can use whichever refillable water container they prefer to stay hydrated. 

The station can be set up anywhere there is a standard wall outlet and a water source within 200 feet. Since it requires minimal maintenance, it doesn’t create a burden on office administrators for proper disposal of plastic waste or constant repair. 

Third, drinking water regularly goes hand-in-hand with other health initiatives like gym memberships and mental care. It’s a benefit that’s inclusive to all and serves everyone in the same way. The refill station quickly auto-replenishes so there’s always cold, purified water available to handle a large headcount of people. It’s fast, convenient, and tastes great.

 

Adapting to What Employees Need to Stay Healthy 

Companies in the modern world understand how to adapt to meet growing employee needs and change with the times. The resources we have access to today were not available a decade ago. In order for businesses to stay competitive and maintain a healthy workforce, they must constantly evaluate their benefits program and how well it’s serving its employees.

The investments made to maintain healthy employees lead to increased productivity, more enjoyable work environments, and continued success for companies of all sizes. Conducting employee surveys and stay interviews are tools that can help guide how companies evolve in terms of benefits and perks offered. 

Maintaining healthy employees has as much to do with their physical well-being as it does with their mental wellness and job satisfaction. When businesses take time to gauge the health of its employees and adapt to what’s requested most, it creates a better working environment for all. 

 

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