Worksite Health Promotion

Employees today are facing muchhigher levels of stress than ever before. The sad reality is that as fast aslevels of stress are increasing, levels of fitness are steadily declining.People in all positions and professions are expected to drive longer commutes,perform more tasks, devote more hours and endure more stress. All of thesefactors contribute to the decline of overall employee health. An answer to thisever growing problem is found in worksite health promotion.

Worksite health promotioninvolves encouraging the overall well-being of all employees with an importantfocus on improving mental wellness. Employees who are over-stressed or mentallyexhausted are unable to perform well. They suffer an inability to concentrate,make unnecessary errors and exercise poor judgment. They may also experiencebouts of depression which can lead to clinical depression if not diagnosed andtreated in the early stages. Stressed employees tend to be more irritable andless patient with each other which have obvious negative repercussions on anycompany. Worksite health promotion can incorporate programs aimed at relievingsome of the pressure and stress experienced by employees at all levels.

Encouraging the physical healthor fitness of employees is another important aspect of worksite healthpromotion. Employees who are overweight and eat poorly are often lethargic,unhealthy and prone to illness and accidents. In addition unhealthy employeesaccumulate significantly more sick hours than their healthy coworkers. Worksitehealth promotion should include assisting all levels of employees to take careof themselves physically. Employees who are physically fit and eat properly willmake better decisions, miss less time from work and experience a much lowerrate of illness and accidents. Employees who start maintaining a healthierlifestyle will notice remarkable improvements in their mental alertness,disposition and stamina in a relatively short period of time.

Employers who believe inworksite health promotion should also implement avenues to assist employeessuffering from problems of abuse or addiction. Employees suffering fromaddictions often find that the negative effects on their personal liveseventually start to appear at their workplace. Some companies may choose toimplement a zero-tolerance policy for drugs, alcohol or smoking. Others willtake a more proactive approach to worksite health promotion; they may offer on-sitecounselors who are able to encourage employees to quit smoking, gambling,drinking or using drugs. They may want to provide resources that will helpbattered women or individuals suffering from anger management. Using worksitehealth promotion to help as many of your employees as possible to overcometheir addictions will greatly benefit the entire company.