You read that right. Encouraging your employees to lead a healthy lifestyle can increase your firm or business’ productivity. Good physical health not only decreases the incidence of absence among workers, it also stimulates good mental health. Scientific research shows that healthier employees outperform their less than healthy counterparts. They are more productive, keep better focus, and have an increased drive to finish tasks and complete important projects. Advocating good employee health can be a great way to promote good function in your office or law firm, and it will also boost overall morale. There are a number of ways to accomplish good employee health, but possibly the best would be to create an Employee Health Policy. This policy would establish various ways to bolster your workers’ health throughout the day and help them to create a robust and holistic lifestyle.
Select Court Reporters has put together a few ideas for you to include in your firm or business’ Employee Health Policy:
1. Mandatory Breaks.
While this might seem counterintuitive, especially in a law firm setting where time is most definitely money, breaks can help employees reset when dealing with mental blocks and during periods of confusion or boredom. Breaks can also entice workers to start creating work instead of waiting to be told what to do. Studies have shown that those who give in to distraction once an hour will perform better than those who just keep working without a break. The brain tends to go numb when dealing with constant stimulation and a person becomes unable to continuously view or treat a particular task as important. Breaks allow employees to step away from a situation, grab a breath of fresh air, reset their noggin, and return to a task with more vigor and better concentration.
2. Drink 2 Liters of Water a Day.
Water is the lifeblood of the body. It hydrates, helps with organ health, and promotes increased brain activity. Our brains depend on proper hydration to function optimally. Brain cells require a delicate balance between water and various elements to operate, and when you lose too much water, that balance is disrupted. Your brain cells lose efficiency. Research has found that when the body is thirsty, we have more difficulty staying focused. Dehydration can impair short-term memory and even affect the recall of long-term memory. The ability to perform mental math, like calculating how much time you might have spent on a particular matter, is also compromised when your fluids are low. A good way to encourage your employees to drink more water is to provide quart-sized water bottles bearing your firm or business logo (good way to advertise off-site as well). Hold contests to see who can drink the most water in a week and offer a free lunch at a healthy restaurant nearby as a prize!
3. Hold a Weekly Walking Meeting.
Walking is excellent for the heart and lungs, which in turn fuel that thought-full organ in our noggins. Establish a weekly walking meeting in small groups and get your blood pumping while you get your work done. A meeting outside the office is also a fantastic way to revitalize the mind. Remember how much fun school field trips were? A change in locale can boost curiosity and get employees – and the boss – in the mood to innovate!
4. Purchase a Firm or Business Gym Membership.
Working out is just good for you. We could chatter on about the numerous studies that support this truth, but we’re pretty sure you’ve likely heard it all. Lifting weights, cardio, and even yoga are extremely effective strategies for strengthening both mind and body. A firm or business gym membership, which is usually cheaper for an employee, will definitely encourage them to get their exercise on and help support their health in the long run.
5. Reward Your Employees with a Monthly Chair Massage!
Once you start seeing the results of your Employee Health Policy, surprise your employees with a monthly chair massage! Massage helps to loosen muscles in the neck and shoulders—those used most by office workers who live on their computers. It can also reduce tension, anxiety, and the incidence of migraines or headaches.
Establishing a policy that encourages employee health will not only increase productivity, it will show them how much you appreciate them, something they will appreciate, in turn. Your staff is like your family. You rely on them as much as they rely on you. Wanting them to be in optimal health should be a high priority on your firm or business’ list of yearly goals.
Select Court Reporters wants you AND your staff to be as healthy as possible this year! We are proud to serve attorneys and firms in all areas of Central Florida including but not limited to Oviedo, Winter Springs, Sanford, Lake Mary, Ocoee, Longwood, Winter Park, Maitland, Apopka, Orlando, Kissimmee, Altamonte Springs and Winter Garden, and look forward to providing ideas, advice, and, of course, exemplary court reporting services to those attorneys in need! Contact us today to discuss your priorities. We’d be happy to help!
“Select Court Reporters you can count on!”
