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Is
Business Beginning To Concentrate
On The Cost Of A Sick Workplace?
by Sandra Larkin
Absenteeism, low productivity, poor morale, retention issues are
symptoms of a bigger problem in the workplace. A possible cause is
a result of a workplace that needs a prescription for wellness.
When an
organization does not adequately address the whole employee
(physical, emotional, intellectual, social and occupational needs)
it undermines and robs its own profitability. Its people are not
effective to carry out the company mission and vision to meet the
financial goals set for the year. How can a company expect to
appear “best in class” to the public when we are not “best in class”
to the people who help make this possible? If we do not pay
attention to our biggest asset (our employees) who interact with
customers and have impact on goal attainment, it produces a ripple
effect of unproductively, anger issues, dysfunctional teams and
sometimes company goal sabotage.
In an
article entitled “Workplace Benefits From Health Improvement
Programs”, March 2007 Business Journal, Judith Irwin, of
Centegra Health Systems states, “Today’s employers don’t have it
quite as simple. Health care costs continue to soar, and
productivity now is seen as much lower when employees are suffering
from stress on the job or at home, poor health habits and a lack of
energy or motivation. This is not about employees who want the boss
to hold their hands while they do the work. These are the real
problems that cut deeply into a company’s bottom line and here is
where wellness programs truly have shown their worth in the business
world.”
As
wellness professionals, what’s our prescription for workplace
wellness …awareness, education, prevention and action. When
companies don’t catch the vision, it’s up to us as wellness
professionals to work individually with corporate employees to make
them healthy and fit for the stressful days ahead of them. Best
scenario is that we provide dynamic interventions into organizations
to reduce stress and increase health. The alternative is to work
one on one with corporate employees to make a difference one person
at a time. One person has the ability to impact another. Will you
be that person? |
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