by Jerry Mooney

(Pixabay CC0)

There are many things to consider within your business.

You need to think about your profit margin and how you are going to increase sales.

You need to take care of the many administrative tasks that fall upon your desk.

And you need to keep one eye on your business rivals to ensure they don’t do anything to out-market you.

Important considerations all, but despite your busy nature as a business owner, there is one other thing that should perhaps take priority over everything else.

The health and overall wellbeing of your employees.

If you overlook their needs, your business will suffer in tandem. Productivity will take a hit if your employees struggle to perform at work because of their health issues, and operations might have to cease for a short time if your employees are forced to stop working because of the way they feel. Your business might also suffer from bad word-of-mouth, not only from your poor employees but also from those people who have seen what your business has done to them.

Therefore, you need to do all you can to support your employees’ mental health and physical health in your workplace. And the first thing you can do is this: Take heed of those factors we will list below that have the potential to affect your employees’ wellbeing.

#1: An unclean workplace

This is a no-brainer, as an unclean workplace is a guaranteed way to fast-track infections and illnesses around your business. You need to take the relevant steps to promote good hygiene, such as setting rules for employees to follow in areas where bacteria is likely to build up (such as kitchen and desk areas) and by hiring a cleaning service to regularly care for this aspect of your business. You might also set up a cleaning rota for staff (and yourself) to follow, especially if the expense of a cleaning service is out of your budget.

#2: An unsafe workplace

Safety isn’t a guarantee in every workspace. Especially if your business uses high-risk pieces of equipment, or if chemicals and other toxic substances are used for work practices, then there will be dangers present to your employees’ wellbeing. In such instances, you need to provide your employees with the relevant safety gear and use such items as the best air scrubbers to decontaminate hazardous environments. 

However, an unsafe workplace can be any workplace, as even in an office environment, there might be dangers lying in wait, such as loose wiring on the floor, and malfunctioning pieces of technology. You must risk-assess every aspect of your business, and where dangers can be found, you need to take steps to eliminate them. The safety of your employees depends upon it. Remember too that you are also affecting your employees’ mental health if you are forcing them to work in unsafe conditions, as stress and fear will both take their toll. Let this be another incentive to promote all that is good and right within health and safety guidelines in your business.

#3: A too-busy workplace

Your employees are not mindless worker drones. They don’t run on Duracell batteries. They are human beings and as such, they have an incapacity to work for too long a period. Tiredness and exhaustion will set in if forced to do so, and this might eventually lead to burnout and stress-related illnesses. Therefore, go easy on the overtime, and make sure they have enough rest breaks during the day. You will see an uplift in their productivity if you do, as not only will they work harder after being given the time to refresh their mind and bodies, but they will be happier at work too. 

#4: A toxic workplace

(Pixabay CC0)

No, we aren’t talking about the pervading toxins of chemicals and any other noxious substances that might be found in the atmosphere of your particular workplace. We are talking about those other harmful irritants that are less physical in nature, such as fear, anger, mistrust, jealousy, and resentment. These are just a few of the aspects that can make up a toxic workplace, and your employees might be surrounded by them. You can’t clean these things away with domestic products. You can’t open your windows to clear the toxic atmosphere. But to ensure your employees don’t fall mentally ill because of the breeding substances of discontent, you can operate an open door policy so your staff can come to you for help. You can set policies to rule out discrimination and any other forms of workplace bullying. And you can take steps to be a good boss, so you aren’t the instigator of the toxins that float around your workplace. 

So, consider your workplace and the factors that could affect your employees’ well being. If you have related to any of the above, take the relevant next steps to care for the people in your employ. Not only will you serve them well, but you will also improve the overall well being of your business if you do.

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