Self-care isn’t just a buzzword, and it isn’t something that’s only important to individuals. Having a physically and mentally well team is important to your bottom line.
How important is it? A study from Oxford University reports that happiness is linked to employee productivity – and that happy workers are 13% more productive. In addition, research shows that employees in good health are more likely to perform well in the workplace.
So how can you help promote employee self-care this fall and winter? It’s easier than you think – just get them to use their corporate benefits.
Encourage employees to continue to be physically active into the colder months by promoting the use of these benefits:
Commuter benefits
Encourage employees to trade in their cars for bike or scooter options 1-2 times a week to support their mental and physical health.
Health guidelines recommend about two hours of moderate activity each week to combat stress, so biking a 25–to-30-minute commute a few times a week will help employees hit this goal.
Biking also helps lower blood pressure and boost energy, and exercise of any kind has been shown to alleviate symptoms of depression. Outdoor exercise also improves your mood by releasing endorphins and stimulating neurotransmitters, the signals that control emotional response.
As far as employee mental health goes – studies show that if you spend more than 20 minutes in a single commute, it can lead to chronic stress. This stress leads to increased levels of cortisol, which produces inflammatory chemicals and causes symptoms of depression and anxiety. It can also increase blood pressure and lead to fatigue and irritability.
To combat this, encourage employees to utilize rideshare and public transportation options to make for a stress-free commute this fall and winter.
Employees should take advantage of Lifestyle Spending Accounts, which can be used to buy a variety of goods and services that can help employees lead healthier lifestyles.
The accounts are very flexible and make it easy for employees to participate in wellness programs and engage in self-care. In turn, this means a reduction in healthcare costs and absenteeism, while increasing employee productivity and morale.
Meal benefits
The building blocks to a healthy lifestyle starts with what we eat. In a fast-paced world, it’s easy to use the drive-through or hit a fast-food joint. Not only is it fast, but it’s cheap.
However, empowering employees to make healthier choices with tools such as meal allowances takes the guesswork out of “what to eat.”
Edenred’s Ticket Restaurant is a meal benefits program that gives employees a monthly meal allowance via a prepaid card. This benefits the employee in several ways; it eases the financial burden associated with lunch and makes employees feel empowered to make healthy choices.
To give your employees the tools they need to live their best lives, you need the right benefits to support them. Schedule a meeting with us today so we can discuss the best options for you and your employees.
