Do Your Employees Need a Healthy Kick in the Rear?

Even though your job description as a business owner does not include doctor or fitness expert, looking after your employees almost becomes second nature at times.

Whether you oversee a large staff, dozens, or even just a handful of employees, their well-being is normally your concern too.

Face it; if they’re coming to work more times than not feeling sick and/or injured, truly how productive will they be for you?

With that in mind, is it time some of your employees go a healthy kick in the rear?

Make Fit Workers a Top Priority

In order for you as a business owner to get the most out of your team, you need them in top shape.

Okay, they don’t need to have bodies that would make them eligible for the covers of GQ or Sports Illustrated, but they do need to be in relatively good health and shape to carry out the daily duties you task them with.

Keeping that in the back of your mind, ask yourself if your workers are the following:

1. Fit and healthy when they come to work? – In many cases, you will discover the answer to that question is no. Unfortunately, a sizable number of employees show up for work overweight, out of shape, battling colds or other illnesses etc. As a result, their workloads may not be met, leaving you to ultimately pay for it. While there are a number of ways to get your team fit and healthy at work, having employees truly wanting to do this is half the battle;
2. Bringing their illnesses to the office? – You typically tell employees over and over again not to come to work when they are truly sick, yet many of them walk through the front door of the office anyhow. When this happens, they are literally a walking minefield of germs, germs that can end up getting others sick too. As a result, you could be down much more than just one or two employees for a few days when all is said and done. No, you don’t want employees abusing sick days and hitting the golf links when truly not sick. On the other hand, they should take advantage of the downtime and get themselves better, not to mention doing their best to avoid infecting others;
3. Looking to improve their diet and fitness routines? – Although some companies have in fact gotten tougher with employees over things like weight and fitness in recent years, the bulk of businesses do not, especially if the individuals are hard-working and have the right personalities so many businesses are looking for. As an employer, you can help workers with their diets and fitness efforts, albeit in a non-confrontational way. When it comes to the diet, having vending machines in the office with “healthy” snacks instead of donuts and cookies is a good start. While just about everyone needs the junk food fix every now and then, it is important that it does not become a regular habit. Also encourage employees on their lunch breaks to eat healthy (that means avoiding a regular diet of fast food for one), even treating them to healthier lunches from time to time. As for their fitness routines, you can’t expect nor should you try and force employees into becoming athletes when not on the job. Instead, offer them memberships to area fitness centers (if your company is big enough or in a large building with other companies, there may already be a fitness center onsite). Even better, encourage employees to do workouts with others they work with, something that is likely to serve as a motivator for them.

Even though you can’t force employees into fitness and diet regimens, staying home from work with scratchy throats and runny noses (and should never consider doing so), you can encourage them to take better care of themselves.

In doing so, they stand to be better prepared each and every day to come into the office and give 100 percent.

When they do that, employees, customers, and ultimately your business all stand to benefit.