For the most part when, you’re running a business, your primary concern is whether or not your employees are doing their job. You focus on whether they’re coming to work on time, whether they’re productive when they’re there, and how much effort they seem to put into getting the job done at the right pace at the right time.
When you are trying to conduct a business in the best environment possible, it can be exceedingly difficult to see your employees as anything more than cogs in a wheel. While you know that this isn’t ideal, it is inevitable. You think a lot about the way they work, how hard they work, and how efficient they are – but this doesn’t leave a huge amount of time for you to think about them as individuals, as human beings.
Inevitable; But Troubling
This can be problematic for more reasons than one. You’re probably aware of the way that sick days can impact on productivity and in terms of your business success. However, it might not have occurred to you that taking care of your employees’ health is a vital way that you can improve the productivity of your business. This might not have occurred to you because you simply weren’t focusing in the right areas, and taking the time to see your employees as individuals with health concerns.
Rectifying this problem can make a huge difference to the health of your business; pun absolutely intended. If you’re still in need of convincing, here are three other reasons you should be putting employee health at the top of your priority list.
The Caring Boss
You can cultivate a reputation as a caring boss by caring for your employee’s general well-being as well as their productivity within the business. Why do you want to be caring? Because no one wants to leave working for a caring boss. You will lower your staff turnover, meaning your business can spend more time actually doing what it’s meant to do rather than having to constantly train new staff.
The Focused Employee
Let’s say one of your employees has a severe toothache. They can’t afford to go to the dentist with it; instead choosing to just apply ice packs and soldier on. How productive do you think they’re going to be, when constantly distracted by pain from their tooth? Not very – it’s going to impact everything they do. There are alternatives to such a situation being able to develop. Take the time to check dental insurance rates and buy a policy that covers your employees, meaning any problems can be rectified – and they can get back to work. This applies to all areas of health. The less time your employees have to spend worrying about their healthcare, the more time they have to do the job you have hired them to do.
Fewer Sick Days; Fewer Days Of Strain
Not only is your business more productive if your staff aren’t constantly taking time off, but you also avoid days of strain in your environment. You avoid the days where other staff members are panicked, having to cover for the loss of one of their number, having to postpone making decisions because someone is absent from work. This allows a happier workplace environment as a whole, which in turn helps with productivity.
Taking care of employee health and safety should, therefore, be your number one business priority. While your employees might at times seem like cogs in the system, you can prove your ability to be a great boss by ensuring those cogs can always keep turning.
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