Why Building a Culture of Health is Important and 3 Tips to Help Employers Start Now

The times are changing, and employees are now holding employers to a higher standard than ever before. Employees aren’t interested in churning away at work for a corporation that doesn’t care about them. Instead, they’re in pursuit of workplaces that prioritize building a “culture of health.”

What is a culture of health, and why is it important?

Every workplace has its own distinct work culture. Over time, the employees, shared ideals and values, and clients shape a work environment. But ultimately, it’s up to the workplace leaders to define work culture for what it truly is. For example, healthy work culture or a workplace with a culture of health is one where employees feel valued, safe, and supported.

We must continue to move towards a culture of health in the office to attract and, most importantly, retain high-quality employees. If we don’t, all that results is employees who are unhappy, disengaged, and ready to move on to the next big thing. But, on the other hand, it’s no secret that happy and healthy employees are more productive and willing to contribute to a company’s success.

Discover three ways leaders can create a culture of health at work to help their employees and themselves achieve their best starting today!

Get to know employees as real people.

Do your company’s values include a people-first approach? If not, it’s time to revisit them. Findings suggest that employees are more engaged when they feel like their employers view them and support them as individuals outside of work. Employers might consider getting to know their employees as unprofessional, but in reality, it shows employees that they care and motivates them to show up for work with energy.

Take a holistic approach to care for employees.

Sure, employers already provide a lot by giving their employees a steady paycheck and other benefits, but let’s take it up a notch. Money and shelter don’t automatically equate to a healthy lifestyle. In addition to the usual benefits, employees are interested in unlimited PTO, gym perks, and more. So, leaders might want to consider integrating a wellness program into the workplace to engage employees and show them that their holistic health matters.

Uphold workday flexibility.

A culture of health can’t be rigid and unamendable. Instead, a healthy workplace values flexibility and employees’ responsibilities outside of work. More and more employees are interested in work-from-home options or flexible hours not to slack off but to make the best use of their time. Some employees might have children, a second job, or other obstacles that get in the way of regular working hours. However, a leader of a healthy workplace doesn’t see this as a problem but an opportunity to be flexible!

Final thoughts

Building a culture of health doesn’t happen overnight. However, leaders can take the proper steps to make it happen if they just ask themselves this simple question: How can I improve our workplace?