The Detroit Regional Chamber’s Wellness Works hosted a roundtable discussion on creating a healthy and inclusive work environment, which featured Florine Mark, a household name in the Detroit Region as a businesswoman, entrepreneur, author, and podcaster. Because workplace wellness played a significant role in her life, Mark touched on several ways all workplaces can be healthy and inclusive.
Build a Strong and Motivated Community
According to Mark, one of the most prominent features of a successful workplace is that it functions like a community. She said creating a “community-like environment” helps inspire employees to co-exist with each other, love their organization’s product or service, and feel motivated to do wonderful things. Organizations can build this kind of environment by:
- Prioritize onboarding and training programs.
- Set up regular team lunches, huddles, and check-ins to determine your employees’ needs and acknowledge their efforts.
- Give each employee a voice through open discussion, Q&As, and anonymous surveys.
- Develop a culture of appreciation by encouraging employees to succeed and showing that you value them.
- Promote team building and bonds with coworkers.
- Optimize work-life balance and communication so efforts are accessible to remote employees.
Invest Time and Energy in Your Employees
According to LinkedIn’s 2018 Workforce Learning Report, 94% of employees admitted they would stay at a company longer if it invested in their careers. This shows that helping your employees grow does pay off to combat absenteeism, turnover, and burnout. Consider these employee investment options, which have also worked for Mark.
- Provide valuable resources and opportunities for personal and professional development.
- Implement a health stipend and a Workplace Wellness program.
- Researchers from Harvard found that medical costs decrease by about $3.27 for every dollar spent on wellness programs. In addition, absenteeism costs are reduced by about $2.73 for every dollar spent on wellness.
- Encourage healthy habits, such as healthy eating, exercise, mental health care, and adequate sleep at night.
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