Well-being in the workplace is an increasingly talked-about subject of modern times, and it's easy to see why. Now, more than ever before, the spotlight is being shone on workers' mental and physical health and how work can affect a person's well-being and productivity, too, with businesses, great and small, starting to make meaningful changes to boost employee health.

There are many advantages to this. Perhaps most importantly, it's a kind and correct thing to do for business owners to look after their employees and help everyone feel happy and healthy at work. There are also genuine business benefits, as healthy workers will be more focused, more productive, and less likely to take time off. Here are some ways you can improve employee health.

6 work strategies to improve employee health

Promote and Foster Social Connections

It's important to remember that mental health is just as important as physical health for your employees. In today's hectic world, many workers can feel stressed, nervous, lonely, or anxious when entering the workplace each day. You can help resolve this and lower stress levels for all in the process by promoting and fostering social connections among your team members.

There are many ways in which you can do this. When you hire a new worker, for example, you can arrange a welcome meal or get-together after work to socialize and forge new bonds. You can also arrange more work outings or team-building exercises around the office to encourage employees to communicate and collaborate.

Offer a Helping Hand

Another way you can help your employees feel happier and healthier is to reach out and provide them with the helping hand they need. A big part of this is being more communicative and open with your employees, ready and willing to listen to their problems, share their concerns, and offer solutions.

Let's say, for example, that one of your employees has had a change in their home life and is struggling to keep up with their usual working schedule while also juggling personal responsibilities to their children or other dependents. You could offer to adjust their hours or allow them to work certain shifts from home to help out.

Be a Leader, Not a Boss

One method that we're seeing being used in many successful start-ups and big businesses across many different industries is a shift away from the traditional 'boss' concept towards something closer to 'teams and leaders.' You can also make this a part of your business by beginning to behave more like a leader than a boss.

What's the difference? Bosses are typically associated with bossy behavior, and they're seen as strict, overbearing, and even scary in some circumstances, which won't help employees feel comfortable or less stressed. Instead, being a leader is about guiding people in the right direction, motivating them to hit their targets, and helping them fulfill their potential.

Be Empathetic to Your Employees

A little empathy can go a long way in the world of work. Unfortunately, this particular emotion has been lacking from many businesses and organizations worldwide for too long. You can start to become more empathetic by genuinely listening to your workers' needs and understanding their situations. Then, you can become the dream boss and create a truly positive and healthy working environment for all.

Empathy is all about putting yourself in someone else's position and being able to look at things from a different point of view. For example, if an employee comes to you with a request, try not to purely look at it from your perspective or from the viewpoint of how it can benefit or harm the business. Instead, try to see it from their eyes to understand why this request is being made to reach the best possible conclusion.

Create a Good and Healthy Atmosphere

Another excellent way to improve employee health is to look at your workplace's physical environment and find ways to make it better. Air quality is a serious factor to think about. For example, dusty and dirty air can harm people's respiratory health and make them less motivated and more stressed out.

You can improve air quality in various ways, from getting professional air duct cleaning to installing air filtration systems. Adding more plants and windows to an office can help make it more of a healthy workplace. It would help if you also considered providing healthy snacks and additional amenities like fitness equipment or relaxation areas where workers can chill out during their breaks.

Don't Neglect Employee Health

Perhaps the ultimate takeaway for any business owners and bosses wanting to improve employee health and create a healthy workplace is to stop treating employee health as a secondary or lesser factor for your business. Instead, it should always be seen as a vital priority because that's precisely what it is. It's a priority both for your company's future and for the lives of the people who work for you.

Employee health is immensely important and should be a significant part of your entire business plan. This means that big decisions, which can include anything from beginning a merger or acquisition to changing to a new location or adjusting working hours, should not be taken without first thinking of their implications on employee health.

About the Author: James Watson is a content marketing specialist at www.eliteheatingandac.com. Having several years of experience in the home improvement field, James is keen on sharing his knowledge and secrets with others. He likes sharing tips and tricks to make everyone’s life better. Currently, James resides in Las Vegas, with his wife Angelina, and has two kids Jack and Lisa.