One of the most common excuses for skipping the gym is, “I don’t have the time.” We know how crazy busy most full-time employees are. And we’ll admit, finding time to exercise during the workday can be difficult! One of the ways we help our employees here at TotalWellness find more time for exercise is by offering free, on-site fitness classes.

Our Wellness Specialist, Crysta, started teaching fitness classes to her colleagues this July (2018), and we’ve seen some major positive impacts since then! We would like to share our experience – along with some tips – about our on-site fitness classes. We hope our interview with Crysta inspires some other employers to try out on-site fitness classes of their own!

Hosting an onsite flu shot clinic is one of the simplest ways to protect your workforce during flu season. But getting employees to actually show up? That’s where the real challenge begins.

Employee participation is key to making your clinic a success. Without enough employees getting vaccinated, your workplace remains at risk for a flu outbreak — leading to increased absenteeism, lost productivity, and preventable healthcare costs.

So how do you get more employees on board? Whether it’s your first time hosting a flu shot clinic or you’re looking to boost participation this year, we’ve got you covered. 

When you take a look at your office desk, what do you see? Are there papers sprawled everywhere? Lingering trash from yesterday’s lunch? Or is there simply nothing but blank walls and empty desk space? Believe it or not, your personal workspace has the power to either positively or negatively impact your overall health and mental wellbeing.

Unhealthy workspaces can cause stress and make it difficult to concentrate at work. Not to mention, a chaotic workspace doesn’t exactly scream professionalism. By taking the time to organize and revamp your desk, office, or cubicle, you can boost productivity and help reduce some workplace stress.

Creating and maintaining a healthy workspace is about more than just getting rid of some clutter. It’s about creating a space that promotes healthy habits and helps you feel comfortable and calm throughout your workday. If your workspace makes you feel anything but zen, it might be time for a little makeover. 

Designing Healthy Workspaces

Is it possible to be surrounded by co-workers eight hours a day and still feel lonely? Unfortunately, the answer for many employees is “yes.” Loneliness is a more dangerous issue than it may sound. In fact, research found that loneliness and social isolation have the same effect on a person as 15 cigarettes a day when it comes to healthcare costs and outcomes. 

According to research from TotalJobs, 35% of surveyed employees don’t have any strong relationships at work. This is important for employers to note because when employees feel lonely at work, they tend to feel disconnected from their job. That means that not only does their emotional wellbeing suffer, but their work performance suffers, too.

The good news is that workplace loneliness can be an easy fix. With a bit of help from management and a leap of faith from employees, no one has to feel alone and isolated at work. Keep on reading to learn more about the perks of positive work relationships and some tips on how to combat workplace loneliness. 

Flu season is almost here! If you keep up with our blog and social media pages, you’ll know we’ve been talking a lot about the negative effects of the flu lately. That’s because we hope more employees get vaccinated this year. The flu is really nothing to leave up to chance. Without receiving an annual flu shot, your employees significantly raise their risk of falling ill with influenza.

But why does this matter to employers? Well, for one, all employers should care about the general health and wellbeing of their employees. Secondly, your company can’t perform it’s best when employees are sick with the flu. In fact, approximately 17 million workdays are lost due to the flu each year. And according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this equates to $7 billion lost per year in sick days and lost productivity. 

However, through advanced education, proper planning, and corporate flu shots, you can help protect your employees and shield your business from taking a major hit this flu season. To minimize the effect of the flu on your business, there are seven key ways you can help protect your employees: 

Your physical workspace is more important to your health than you might think! Office employees spend about 40 hours a week at their desks, which is why a healthy workspace is important not only your work performance but to your physical and mental health as well. One of the easiest ways to make your workspace a little healthier and more enjoyable is by adding a plant. Research has shown that by simply adding a plant to your desk, you’ll help boost your wellbeing.

The 2015 Human Spaces report, which studied 7,600 office workers from 16 countries to examine the impact of the physical office environment on employees, found that employees who work in office environments with natural elements (including natural sunlight and greenery) report a 15% higher level of wellbeing, and are 6% more productive and 15% more creative. Unfortunately, the researchers also found that about 58% of workers have no live plants in their workspaces – despite the positive effects office plants have on employees.

Indoor plants offer a wide variety of incredible wellness benefits. Keep on reading to learn about how office plants can affect your wellbeing. Plus, we include some tips on which types of plants you should get for your workspace! 

When it comes to flu season, you want all of your employees protected. The flu can lead to some serious health risks and put an employee out for a full workweek. Hosting an on-site flu shot clinic is one of the best ways to help protect your employees and prevent an office flu epidemic.

However, things can get a bit tricky if you have remote employees. These employees should have the same opportunity to receive a free flu shot, just like your on-site employees. Just because these employees aren’t physically in the office doesn’t mean it won’t harm your business if they get sick. 

While a sick remote employee can’t necessarily spread the flu around the office, a sick employee is still a sick employee. Their productivity will plummet, and they’ll likely need at least a couple of days to fully recuperate from the flu. 

So, if you don’t want your remote employees falling ill with the flu this year, here’s what to do:

Employee health screenings are one of the most important aspects of a successful workplace wellness program. Why? Because without annual screenings, an employer can’t accurately gauge the health and wellness needs of their workforce. Not to mention, employees are likely to be in the dark about any potential risks to their health.

Biometric screenings are an effective preventative service for your employees. The results obtained from these screenings give employees a snapshot of their current health status. Screening events help employees learn if they are at risk for high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses. The results show employees where they might need to make some changes in their daily habits to improve their overall health.

Planning an employee biometric screening is a great step in the right direction in providing preventative healthcare assistance for your employees. However, we know that planning these types of events – especially if it’s your first time – can be a bit challenging. As you begin to plan your event, you’ll probably have some questions. 

It’s likely that some of your employees believe the flu shot will make them sick. In fact, this belief is one of the top main reasons some Americans go unprotected against the flu each year. A 2014 study found that 43% of Americans believe they will get sick from the flu shot. And that couldn’t be further from the truth.

For employers, debunking this myth at your workplace is one of the best things you can do to help boost corporate flu shot participation. When employees are uneducated about the vaccine and the danger of getting ill from the flu, they are likely to skip their annual flu shot. With each employee left unvaccinated, your company faces a higher risk of an office flu epidemic.

Not sure how to tackle this common myth at your company? We’re here to help debunk that myth, and explain why the flu shot truly is beneficial for you and your employees.

If your morning and evening commutes are your least favorite part of your workday, you’re not alone. In fact, a daily car commute is ranked as one the top two things Americans hate the most on a day-to-day basis, only second to housework.

Not only is your daily commute unpleasant, it’s also bad for your overall health and wellbeing. According to a 2014 study by the University of Waterloo, the more time you spend commuting, the less likely you are to be satisfied with life. Similarly, another recent study found that adding 20 minutes to your daily commute has the same negative effort on job satisfaction as receiving a 19% pay cut.

These studies show that long commutes take a serious toll on not only your personal life, but on your professional life as well. So, why exactly are long commutes so dangerous to your health?