Staying healthy is often a force of habit. A weekly hobby occurring naturally. For some of us, exercising could mean the best part of the day, a moment without screens, meetings, or disturbances.
For me, playing sports has always been an escape. Ever since I began playing hockey as a kid, I’ve found immense joy in participating in sports teams and experiencing new ways to exercise, like running and hiking. As an adult, my life is often consumed by work, and, at times, I have found it difficult to find time to enjoy sports.
Raise your hand if you relate
Truthfully, a long workday can be the perfect excuse to melt into the couch, candy in one hand, TV remote in the other. But staying healthy, regardless of a busy schedule, shouldn’t be a late-evening chore.
Recently, more research on health in the workplace has emerged, revealing that employees struggling with poor mental and physical health produce far poorer results and are significantly less productive, lacking overall critical and creative thinking.
Employee well-being is not a benefit but a necessity for business survival. A workplace’s approach to the employees’ well-being is the determining factor of their health and of its betterment or worsening.
You are not alone
A person spends a third of their life at work, but the importance of how that time is spent has become a much bigger factor for employees. Statistics show the impact of the current mindset change. In the first quarter of 2024, over 250,000 employees resigned, 72% reportedly due to an overload of work and stress. 96% of 5,000 full-time employees surveyed reported that they prefer companies that openly prioritize health and well-being.
While for many companies 60 to 80 work hours a week is considered ideal – and even the norm – this number has been strongly associated with workplace trauma and burnout. Toxic office behavior, role ambiguity and conflict have been observed to be the top triggers of poor health.
For decades, the importance of sleep has been discussed and researched. It is well known that eight hours of sleep per night is ideal for a productive day and an overall healthy life. Despite this, 71% of full-time employees rated their sleep as average or worse.
Surprisingly enough, employees are inclined to think that good workplace health stems from proper pay and flexibility. However, when researched, it was discovered that the real driving force behind good health is the workplace feeling of belonging and trust. Eventually, good health in the workplace has been summed up into six drivers: social interactions, mindsets and beliefs, productive activity, stress, economic security, and sleep.
It takes two to Tango
The health of your team shouldn’t only stand as a priority of the employees themselves but as a priority for employers and companies as well. When an individual lives a healthier life by sleeping well, exercising, and eating properly, their focus and efficiency naturally improve.
Employers must begin to create a culture that supports good sleeping habits for their employees by reducing or limiting late and additional hours and encouraging frequent breaks from screens and sitting, which has been known to worsen the quality of sleep.
As I’ve mentioned before, exercise is not always an easy fit for those of us who are overworked. As a person who prioritizes their well-being and their love for sports and physical activity, I believe that good employee health should be among the highest priorities of a company.
What can employees do?
Physical activity has been shown to improve work productivity and performance. Employees engaging in regular physical activity experience higher levels of energy, concentration, creativity, and job satisfaction. They are quicker on their feet and deal with complex ideas and work stress more effectively. Remaining active positively impacts cognitive function, inducing memory, attention, and decision-making as it increases the circulation and levels of dopamine.
My first advice for employees is to find a physical activity that feels enjoyable and fulfilling. A fun activity is key to staying motivated and sustainably benefiting the most from exercise. Exercise that feels less like a chore and more like leisure breeds habit. Some workers even sneak in a quick workout during lunch hours.
However, employees sacrificing their lunch breaks and sleep for exercise does not address the issue of employers’ responsibility to prioritize health and well-being in the workplace.
What can employers do?
Leaders can help by supporting healthy lifestyles, exercise and mindfulness practices. Incorporating movement in the workplace is easier than often perceived. Investing in standing desks, stability balls, walking meetings, and physical activity bonding events such as golf can significantly change an employee’s mindset. In addition, employers can provide healthy food options like fruit baskets, vegetables, and snacks with high nutritional values
Unfortunately, some CEOs disagree, arguing that working long hours at a high intensity produces success and that employee well-being can stand in the way of corporate profitability. As much as this could be true for some individuals, the vast majority of employees cannot keep up with those standards as they are harmful in the long run. Ultimately, workplaces that don’t prioritize employee well-being will suffer from absenteeism, erosion, and insurance cases.
Marc-Andre Pepin 