With the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing, millions of Americans have started to work remotely. But essential workers and those with no choice but to go to work face the risk of contracting the virus every day. This is why employers should be more responsible for their employees and ensure that they are protected from the virus in any way they can. That includes finding ways to promote health and wellness at the workplace. Here are different ways to do so:
Bike-sharing programs
If you have employees who don’t own a car, you can start a bike-sharing program at the workplace. This will not only help your employees save money and time from commuting; it will also help boost their health. Studies show that those who cycle to work daily are less likely to have heart disease, cancer, and premature death. No studies are linking it directly to COVID-19. But given the fact that cycling is great exercise, it helps make us healthier overall.
Cycling also helps you avoid the risk of contracting the virus during your commute. Biologists have warned that being in enclosed spaces heightens the risk of contracting the virus. Imagine being in an enclosed vehicle with strangers during your commutes. You wouldn’t know which one of them is carrying the virus, especially if they’re asymptomatic. And yes, asymptomatic people can still infect others. Cycling allows you to avoid that risk and helps you get to work faster as well.
On-site gym
Gyms have been allowed to re-open during the pandemic. But it would be much safer for you and your employees if you had an on-site fitness center strictly for employees’ use. If you have employees who are fitness enthusiasts, they will not only be more encouraged to go to the workplace knowing there’s a gym. It will also stop them from going to public gyms that increase the chances of contracting the virus.
Free vitamins and supplements
If you can, you should supply your employees with vitamins and supplements to boost their immune system and protect them from the virus. Not only that, but it can also help improve their mind and allow them to be more productive at work. This can include chewable iron supplements, vitamin D, vitamin C, and zinc. Take note that these supplements are not meant to cure you of COVID-19. But it can help strengthen your immune system and make you less vulnerable to the virus.
Employee assistance programs
The pandemic has become very distressing for many people, negatively affecting people’s mental health. Seventy-nine percent of adults, ages 25 to 34, reported having moderate to severe symptoms of depression during the pandemic. While 75.86% reported having moderate to severe anxiety symptoms, 37% of those who screened for depression reported feeling suicidal almost every day due to the pandemic. This is why providing employee assistance programs is more important than ever. You have to ensure that your employees are getting the right assistance, not just physically but mentally.
Smoking cessation programs
Studies have shown the smokers are more likely to contract the virus and suffer worse symptoms than non-smokers. Aside from damaging their lungs, they are also more prone to touching their mouth and face when they smoke. Public officials have warned that we should avoid touching our faces in public because the virus can stick onto our hands.
And we can be infected if it gets onto our eyes, nose, or mouth. Having a smoking cessation program at work can not only help your employees quit an unhealthy habit, but it’ll also decrease their risk of getting the virus.
Healthy lunch and snacks
Americans are not the biggest fans of healthy food and snacks. In fact, 61% of our grocery purchases go to highly-processed food or junk food. Not only does this result in higher rates of obesity in the country. This junk food diet is going to make us more susceptible to COVID-19, doctors say. Of the 97% of Louisiana coronavirus deaths, 60% had hypertension, 38% had diabetes, and 22% were morbidly obese. Plenty of the victims suffered from more than one of these conditions. If you want your employees to be less susceptible to the virus, think about switching their lunch and snacks to healthier options.
To reduce the risk of you and your employees catching the virus. Living a healthy lifestyle is necessary. This is why you should promote healthy living in the workplace in any and every way you can. You won’t only be saving your employees. You’ll be saving yourself from the virus.
