The average American spends 33.4 hours every week, working. That adds up to 30% of our waking hours spent working. Over a lifetime, Americans will spend 90,000 hours at work. That’s only the average, while some may spend a lot less, others spend significantly more time at work. If you’re a leader, a large amount of pressure can fall on your shoulders. Not only is there a moral obligation, but legal responsibilities as well. It may seem like an impossible hurdle, but putting a few safeguards in place will improve your leadership and your workplace environment.

The rule of thumb for providing physical wellness is to create opportunities. Give your employees every chance to stay healthy at work. Provide easily accessible hand sanitizer, tissues, and disinfectant around your workspace. Offer health and wellness checks covered by the company. Get the best insurance your company can reasonably afford for your employees. If sickness travels around the office, encourage work from home days, or put safeguards in place to minimize the spread of infection. Encourage your employees to take care of their bodies for their own benefit as well as the benefit of those around them. 

Mental Health has been a tricky topic to address in the workplace. While mental illness and mental health are being discussed more in society, a stigma does still exists. One thing you can do to cultivate a healthy workplace is to create a safe space for conversation. Currently, 1 in 5 American adults struggle with mental illness. It’s a relevant topic than can affect your entire work environment as well as the health of an individual. Creating an open conversation will allow for more space and comfort for your employees to function healthily. 

Creating a healthy workplace continues by cultivating a positive environment. Try to eliminate negative conversations in the workplace, so a healthy atmosphere is achieved. Making sure the environment is positive and safe is an essential part of employee wellness. The more positive your situation, the healthier the atmosphere. 

Cultivating a healthy workplace starts with you as a leader. The steps are simple but have a sizable impact.