5
O P I N I O N
Create a healthy workplace: Part two Over the years, we have developed work styles that are not good for our physical, mental, or emotional health, but that can be changed.
T aking these tips to heart can really change the health of the workplace and the employees in it. Studies show that unhealthy work habits, like staring at computer screens and rushing through fast-food lunches are taking their toll in the form of increased absenteeism, lost productivity, and higher insurance costs – but it doesn’t have to be that way. Companies such as Google, Apple, Aetna, and Johnson & Johnson have used innovative techniques to incorporate healthy habits and practices into the workday and into their culture – with impressive ROI.
Leigh Stringer
So how can we improve the health of our work place? Here’s a comprehensive list:
sick days, the overall health risk is not worth it. Researchers from the University of Arizona in Tucson placed a tracer virus on commonly touched objects such as a doorknob or tabletop in workplaces. At multiple time intervals, the researchers sampled a range of surfaces including light switches, countertops, sink tap handles, and push buttons. They found that between 40 and 60 percent of the surfaces were contaminated within two to four hours. This may be a reason to adopt a “work from home” policy, if you are looking for one. Beyond that, everyone should frequently wash their hands. See LEIGH STRINGER, page 8
1)Stay home when you are sick. When people come into the workplace sick, they are very likely spreading their ailments to colleagues, which reduces organizational productivity. As tempting as it is for you to “power through” and minimize “Taking these tips to heart can really change the health of the workplace and the employees in it.”
THE ZWEIG LETTER January 2, 2017, ISSUE 1181
Made with FlippingBook Annual report