Supporting Employee Wellness Improves the Bottom Line

Small businesses are a vital part of the nation’s economy. In fact, they account for the majority of business entities and employ tens of millions of people. However, how do those employees feel at work? Wellness on the job isn’t a new idea, but the law only requires a fraction of small businesses to offer health benefits. Also, they face higher premiums than larger companies. Despite these facts, most small businesses offer health benefits because they understand the importance of having healthy employees. Indeed, addressing the overall well-being of employees enhances the bottom line in several ways.

Recruit and Retain Employees

It can be challenging to recruit quality employees. At the same time, people have to consider many factors before they accept a job offer. Especially among young employees, money isn’t the only motivation for getting a job. They want good benefits too. If they don’t get what they want, they’re likely to look for opportunities elsewhere.

The addition of a wellness program can keep employees loyal to small businesses as well. By offering such programs, businesses are saying that their employees are important to them. It’s a way of saying that they want workers to be healthy. This environment makes employees want to continue working for those companies. As a result, small businesses save energy, money and time on recruiting new workers.

Increase the Return on Investment

Customers can tell when workers are stressed and unhappy. They’re more likely to buy from businesses where the workers feel good about themselves and their work. For this reason, a wellness program is a form of improving their return on investment. Part of that involves asking employees about what keeps them focused and motivated at work. Even making small changes to company policies and the workplace environment can have a significant impact.

Boost Job Attendance

There’s been plenty of analysis on the connection between wellness programs and job attendance. Such programs support good health behaviors and reduce stress. They’re also associated with fewer health problems, such as high cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar and body weight. All of these factors correlate with higher attendance as well, which reduces business expenses.

Improve Employee Productivity

Poor productivity is one of the biggest costs for small businesses. It refers to employees who show up at work but get nothing done. Essentially, companies pay them just for showing up but don’t get anything in return.

Some employees have poor productivity because they don’t know what they’re doing or are distracted by other things. In most cases, though, poor productivity is associated with poor health. In fact, poor personal choices are often to blame, such as smoking, not eating healthy and not getting enough exercise. Wellness programs focus on helping them develop good health behaviors that make them more productive at work and in other aspects of their lives.

Reduce Health Care Costs

Since a wellness program improves health behaviors, employees are less likely to develop certain health issues. As a result, they’re less likely to require health care services. In turn, this reduces health care costs for small businesses, which makes for a better return on investment.

Having a comprehensive well-being program won’t erase all of the challenges that small businesses face with workers. However, it will improve employee health, their bottom line and drive their success.

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