Want your employees to feel the warm and fuzzies when they come into work?

Show them gratitude.

Since being shown gratitude is deeply linked to job satisfaction and retention rates, there’s no better time than the Thanksgiving season to step up your gratitude game.

The annual November “gratitude challenge” offers you the chance to show your employees — especially top performers — how much you value their efforts.

Below you’ll find a 30-day gratitude challenge idea list of ways to show your thanks to employees.

Ready to liven up your drab office space?

Indoor plants that clean air are the answer.

Studies show that spending time in nature has significant health benefits, improves mood and creativity. Mimicking the outdoors with green spaces can help bring those benefits inside the workplace.

Plants in the office may:

• Increase productivity
• Reduce stress
• Improve moods
• Create a better air quality

Need to give your office a breath of fresh air? Read on.

When employees are well, companies do well.

And considering that worker injuries and illnesses cost U.S. employers $225.8 billion each year — that’s about $1,685 per employee — keeping your workforce healthy is critical to a healthy business.

Luckily, there’s a way to stop that.

As a company, encouraging employee wellness through a variety of workplace initiatives can help employees feel and actually be healthier overall. Promoting lifestyle changes that are sustainable and feel doable is the key.

Employee wellness programs can include:

• Workshops
• Activities
• Health benefits
• Free printable resources

Knowledge is power, too. The more information you give your employees in an easy-to-digest format, the more likely they’ll retain it and use it. The first start, though, is encouraging them in the workplace to make healthier habits that they’ll hopefully bring home.

Here we share seven easy ways to promote employee wellness in your workplace:

Mmm, coffee.

If you can’t start your day without coffee, you’re not alone.

Last year, the National Coffee Association surveyed 3,000 Americans on their java drinking habits. The survey found that 64 percent of Americans drink at least one cup of coffee daily.

The amount of Americans downing this beverage is the highest it’s been in years. Thanks to its ability to wake us up quickly, it’s become the go-to beverage for working Americans for decades.

As a stimulant, coffee is known to:

• Improve memory
• Increase energy levels
• Shorten reaction times
• Boost productivity

As one of the best instant energizers, coffee is well-known for its stimulant effects, but it also has several surprising health benefits, too, like reducing pain.

Need another reason to keep up your daily coffee habit?

Read on to learn about all the positive benefits hiding in your favorite brew.

We've had years of experience holding flu shot clinics and have heard every excuse in the book for skipping out on your yearly vaccine. If you or your employees have reservations or have heard rumors about the flu shot, send this handy list to them to ensure they know the facts about getting protected from the flu. 

Excuse #1: I've heard you can get the flu from the flu shot. 

We hear this one all the time! It’s by far the most widely spread misconception about the vaccine. Flu shots are currently made in one of two ways: the vaccine is made either with flu viruses that have been ‘inactivated’ (killed) and are therefore not infectious, or with no flu viruses at all.

It's scientifically impossible to get the flu from a flu vaccine. In addition to this, the shot does not offer instantaneous protection, but rather takes a week or two to kick in. Therefore, anyone who comes down with an influenza virus right after getting the shot already had the virus in their system.  

Sugar.

Even though the word is short, the list of problems this ingredient can cause is long.

Too much sugar in your diet can cause a laundry list of issues including diabetes and obesity. Studies even show potential links to excessive added sugar consumption and Alzheimer’s disease.

But, there are also a few good things about sugar.

Confusing, right?

Here we break down all the sugary details you need to make healthier lifestyle choices when it comes to sugar, including how to pick the right sugars to fuel your body instead of fattening it.

It’s no secret the cost of healthcare is going up.

Unfortunately, healthcare benefit costs are expected to continue to rise as much as $15,000 per employee.

While healthcare benefits are one of the most important benefits for employees, it’s also one of the most expensive ones for employers. If your company is looking to increase healthcare savings, virtual care is an option to consider.

Virtual care is one way to keep the healthcare benefit option available while also saving time and money. It’s convenient, fast, and just as efficient as an in-office visit.

The adoption of virtual care can save employers big money, too.

Here we take a look at the benefits of offering virtual care as a healthcare option.

Knowing how to live a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be a mystery.

In fact, with so many resources out there, there are plenty of ways to access information to live a healthier, more fulfilling life.

If you don’t feel like wading through the latest scientific research, that’s okay, too. We’ve done it for you in this recent health studies roundup post.

Below, you’ll learn why upping your garlic intake is a good idea, how age really is just a number, and the best snack to grab when you’re hungry.

Ready to start living a healthier life?

Here’s a look at seven health studies to improve your choices each day:

Mental health isn’t an easy topic to talk about.

Not discussing it at all in the workplace can be harmful, though.

For one, employees lose out on valuable resources that could potentially improve or save their lives. On the other hand, employers miss the chance to break the stigma that surrounds mental illness discussions.

Considering serious mental illness causes $193.2 billion in lost earnings each year, it’s a topic too big to be ignored by companies.

This month, consider starting a mental health dialogue with employees. October’s three mental health observances offer perfect conversation starters:

• Mental Illness Awareness Week 2019
• World Mental Health Day 2019
• National Depression Screening Day

There’s no better time to start the conversations than now. Below, we share just how to build mental health awareness and empathy in the workplace.

One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in her life.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an ideal time for employers to share resources and facts about this devastating cancer. As the second most common type of cancer for women, it’s imperative to share life-saving information this month to educate employees.

 In 2019 alone, 268,600 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed.

Of those cases, it’s estimated over 40,000 women will die.

It’s not just female employees who need to know about breast cancer, either. Male employees may have a wife, sister, or female friends they could educate.

And while rare, men do get breast cancer, too.

Since early detection can greatly reduce the chance of death, it’s critical for women (and men) to know the signs and symptoms of breast cancer.

Learn more below about important resources and breast cancer awareness facts you can share with your employees during Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2019.