Why a healthy office is good for your employees and your bottom line

It’s not only sick days that cost a company money, it’s unproductivity and high employee turnover as well. Increasing the health of your office is a smart way to combat all three, and we have a few solutions for how to do so.

Offer Corporate Lunch Catering

More and more companies are offering a healthy corporate lunch option for employees as an added benefit. Companies win in multiple ways for doing so, including boosting productivity, and morale, and employee reducing sick time.

Incorporate Ergonomic Office Equipment

It’s well known that sitting for extended periods of time is not doing our bodies good. Companies who incorporate standing desks and ergonomic chairs have found that their employees are healthier and, in turn, more productive.

Boost Movement and Physical fitness

Workercise can be as simple as leading office stretches throughout the day or as thought out as building an on-site gym. Movement is key, no matter where it comes from.

Okay, these options definitely cost money to implement and maintain, but the return on investment is so worth it. Here’s why:

Reduced Sick Time

Poor health costs the U.S. $576 billion per year, $227 billion of which is attributed to lost productivity as a result of sick days and working while sick. Studies show people who eat a wide variety of healthy foods get sick less, meaning fewer sick days and lost time.

By offering catered corporate lunch to employees, you are ensuring they eat a healthy meal that provides the nutrients they need to stay healthy and power through the workday.

Active employees are also less likely to take sick leave, which is why on-site exercise and more time standing is excellent for your bottom line.

Increased Productivity

When employees are not nourished properly, they tank out by mid-afternoon. We don’t know about you, but it can be nearly impossible to think and get work done in the middle of a brain fog.

That’s why hiring a corporate catering service can boost productivity as high as 150%; you are ensuring your employees have the nutrients and sustenance they need to work efficiently until 5 p.m. Studies show that for every $1 invested in corporate lunch, $3 in employee productivity is gained.

Exercise is also a well-known energy booster, and is linked to increased alertness and mental health as well, both of which attribute to increased productivity. Even low-impact exercise and burning more calories in general count, which is why standing desks are attributed to a 46% increase in productivity.  The equation is simpler than calories in equals calories out.

Healthy Employees = Productivity = Profit

Low Employee Turnover

Research has concluded that job dissatisfaction is a top reason for employee turnover in companies.

The Wall Street Journal cites that along with taking the time to hire the right employee, setting the right compensation and benefits package is essential. Along with health insurance, retirement, paid time off, and flexible schedules, employees are seeking a more balanced and healthy work environment that offers perks such as catered lunch and on-site fitness programs.

If that’s not enough, a 2015 study found that millenials are more likely to accept a job if there are strong benefits and perks associated with the position.

A healthy office is not only good for your employees, but for your company’s bottom line.

Meet Rootasters:

Meg is a dreamer, entrepreneur, and homesteader based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. She loves her cats, feasting, and road trips in her green VW Bug.