A healthy company environment is arguably one of the most important aspects when it comes to engaging and motivating employees. It is essential to create a workspace where people are encouraged, productive, and happy. Follow these eight useful tips, and you’ll soon be on your way to a building a healthy and happy work environment.

1. Practice Flexibility

The future demands more flexible work standards. So, if your workplace has a tight schedule with hardly any breaks, this may be leading to a toxic environment. Running the office with an iron fist will only serve to make employees miserable. Today, maintaining the right balance between work and other priorities is more important than ever and people prefer jobs with flexible work hours. If they can’t devolve time to pursuits other than work, they’ll be unable to perform optimally at their jobs. Providing flexible work hours along with short breaks and work from home options will create a work environment that employees will look forward to coming to every day.

2. Incentivize Fitness and Health

Get your team excited about wellness. You may feel like a lecture about health is likely to provide them with useful information. But this is not something that will get them to take action. Instead, make fitness something that’s enjoyable for your team. For instance, yoga lessons, discounts to gym memberships, fitness challenges, and healthy snacks in the pantry are a hit in many companies and can bring about positive employee relations.

Any small space can be converted into a gym with equipment like resistance bands, exercise balls, or a treadmill which helps weight loss and improves heart health. Focusing on the health of your employees will result in better productivity. It may even lower costs in the long term since your healthcare expenses decrease, and there is less absenteeism.

3. Offer Thoughtful Perks

Employers tend to automatically assume that paying people more is the key to keeping them happy. However, there are many other incentives that employees value over a pay raise. This is particularly the case among millennials who have a different approach to their professional lives than other generations. Offer perks that demonstrate that the company cares about its workers.

Top companies like Facebook and Google offer extensive bonuses to keep their employees happy.  Child care, vacation days, health insurance, wellness programs, and other things that improve the quality of their lives will bring long-term job satisfaction and bring down attrition rates.

4. Appreciate the Importance of Communication

In order to create a positive and healthy work environment, good communication between managers and employees is essential. Managers must be clear and direct with their instructions to their teams. If problems arise, it is crucial to address them immediately rather than avoid them. Discuss the issue, find a solution, and understand how it can be prevented in the future. This will help employees feel they're heard and bring down the level of stress in the workplace leading to a happier environment. If team members are able to communicate freely with managers, it will lead to better transparency and collaborations.

5. Provide Ample Opportunities for Growth

People feel motivated and engaged when they have a sense of progress within their jobs. Providing them with opportunities for growth and career development is important. Studies have shown that this is one of the most critical factors influencing employee satisfaction. Employers can offer career-enhancing opportunities such as training courses and assistance with advanced education. It is also essential to make them feel like there is potential for growth within their job positions. Giving employees such opportunities will help boost morale and make them feel like they are an essential part of the organization.

6. Understand the Needs of Employees

Apart from laying out plans and goals, it is essential to give employees the tools they require to succeed. Managers need to understand the needs of employees and give them the resources to be more productive and successful. This can be something simple such as providing fresh fruit in the pantry to offering counseling services or gym memberships. Provide need-based solutions and make these desirable and accessible. Employees are more likely to enjoy their work and appreciate the company they work for if their needs are being met.

7. Encourage Healthy Eating

Companies can make sure their employees are well fed by keeping the pantry stocked with healthy snacks like protein bars, oatmeal, and fruit. Also provide tea, coffee, and hot water for those who want to fix themselves a cup of something warm. Some organizations go the extra mile and even offer healthy breakfast and lunch options. Providing people with the right nourishment and helping them adopt healthier habits will allow them to be more focused and productive throughout the day. Promote healthy eating habits in the workforce for long-term benefits.

8. Emphasize Mental Health

In the last decade, there has been an increased emphasis on the importance of mental health. The stigma around it is finally decreasing, and there is help available to those who need it. Companies have the responsibility to foster an environment where there is openness about mental health issues. Managers must encourage employees to be open about any stress or personal difficulties they’re facing and encourage them to seek help when necessary.

A member of the human resources team must be trained in dealing with sensitive topics related to mental health. Employees should also have access to mental health support networks in the community to seek professional advice or counseling.

Final Thoughts

Many people spend a significant portion of their adult lives in offices. Typically, full-time workers spend an excess of 30 hours at work each week. So, it’s more important than ever to create a happy and positive work environment to boost productivity and employee retention. Workdays can sometimes be frantic and stressful, so promoting a healthy environment will keep things balanced and positive. Your company’s work environment influences employee happiness and has a huge part to play in how motivated, productive, and efficient they are.