10 ways to promote wellness for your remote employees

Now more than ever, it's important to promote wellness in the workplace, especially for remote employees. Whether you have a remote team spread across the globe or a local team working from home, there are many things you can do to support your employees' mental and physical health. In this blog post, we'll explore ways to promote wellness for your remote employees.

From setting up virtual meetings to creating a wellness plan, these strategies will help you ensure that your employees are happy and healthy even when they're not in the office.

 Schedule regular check-ins

Schedule regular check-ins with your employees, whether it's in person or by video conference.

These check-ins can be just an informal chat about how they're feeling and how the work is going. Encourage them to report their feelings honestly, including their good days as well as their bad days. They will be more comfortable and honest if you offer them a private setting for this conversation.

Encourage breaks

Encourage your remote employees to take breaks from their work. Spend time outside and make sure that the workspace is well-lit with natural light. It’s important that you maintain a healthy work environment, even if your employees are working remotely. The more they are able to focus on wellness, the better they will be at doing their job!

Offer flexible hours

Offering flexible hours is another way that employers can provide the flexibility that remote employees need. Some companies offer a staggered work day, in which employees are given a set number of hours during their designated time window and can choose how those hours fit into their schedules.

Others provide a compressed work week, in which employees get the same number of total hours as they would with a traditional 40-hour week but at four 10-hour days instead. Other companies even offer fully remote work weeks, in which workers are completely unconnected from the office and may be able to do some or all of their work from home. These types of arrangements are becoming more common as businesses recognize the benefits they have on employee well-being, productivity and engagement.

Create a wellness budget

Create a wellness budget so that employees have the resources they need. Have wellness information readily available, including what you should eat and how to cook it. Encourage employees to take care of their health with prompts like: Let’s get out and move! or with walking breaks.

Invest in ergonomic furniture

Invest in ergonomic furniture. Great ergonomic furniture can do wonders to combat health risks. Consider investing in an office chair with lumbar support, a standing desk that can be adjusted, and furniture that's adjustable so it can move as needed throughout the day. If you're able to take care of your employees physically, then this is one way you'll be able to promote their wellness.

Provide mental health resources

Provide mental health resources by making information available and accessible. If you have a company newsletter, create a column that talks about mental health topics such as how to take care of yourself when you're stressed or dealing with burnout.

Offer training in workplace mental health so employees can identify and treat stress-related illnesses. Find qualified therapists who offer phone sessions and work with the employee's schedule. Consider creating your own version of Mental Health Awareness month with activities related to self-care, mindfulness, creativity, or social connections.

Encourage physical activity

Encourage employees to take part in physical activities during their free time. One way is to create an office fitness area with workout equipment, such as exercise balls, mats, and resistance bands. Schedule monthly walks outside of the office so employees can get some fresh air and sunshine. Encourage team members to join sports leagues in their areas or partake in individual sports such as hiking, golfing, yoga, or biking. Some employers even offer one-time wellness days where employees can choose from a variety of physical activities they enjoy.

Offer healthy snacks

Offering healthy snacks is a great way to promote wellness in the workplace. Providing snacks like fruit, granola bars, and nuts gives employees a healthy alternative to junk food. You can also provide healthy beverages such as iced green tea or water with cucumbers. Not only are these snacks healthier than unhealthy options, but they are also cheaper and easy to provide! It is important that you offer a variety of choices so that all employees feel included.

Offer healthy dinners: Eating out at work every day may not be the healthiest option. Encourage your team to eat at least one meal per day at their desk by offering fresh vegetables, grilled chicken, brown rice, and edamame beans as an option. You can keep it simple by using chopsticks, disposable cutlery, and paper plates while serving up an Asian-inspired dish of teriyaki beef over brown rice.

Implement a work-from-home policy

Implementing a work-from-home policy will make it easier for employees who live far away from the office. A work-from-home policy will provide your remote employees with a comfortable workspace, flexibility in hours and schedules, as well as reduced stress. One way to keep your remote workers engaged is by using video conferencing software such as Skype or Google Hangouts. With video conferencing software, you can still hold meetings and conferences even if people are working remotely.

This type of strategy helps reduce the stress of traveling long distances and allows them to have their own time zone while they are at work. Giving remote employees access to conference room equipment will allow them the opportunity to feel like they are part of the team and keep up on what’s happening within the company.

Providing healthy snacks in remote offices is an excellent way to encourage wellness among your workforce. Keeping snacks stocked at all times shows that you care about their health, but also provides quick energy boosts when they need them most. Working alone can be difficult, so try incorporating events into your weekly calendar that promote social interactions with other members of your team. Events like yoga classes, happy hour gatherings, or bowling nights help create an environment where everyone feels included and connected which promotes good mental health among employees.

Promote a positive work-life balance

Promoting wellness is important not only for employees’ health, but also for their productivity and happiness. This means creating an environment where employees can take time off when they need it, scheduling in regular breaks throughout the day, and reducing the workload when possible.

Since different people have different needs and schedules, it's important to have a variety of options available that are tailored to individual preferences: something as simple as providing a lunchroom with healthy food options can make a big difference for some remote workers who may not be able to eat at home during their workday.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is important that you create a healthy work environment with an emphasis on wellness activities. These activities can include remote employees joining in with other members of the team, working out, or cooking together.

Another way to promote wellness is through programs like No Day Fridays and Ping-Pong Fridays, which allow employees time off every week. Ultimately, your company will see a decrease in employee stress and higher morale when your team feels healthier and more connected at work.