Healthy work environment in the workplace is crucial to physical and mental wellbeing to boost performance. It is significant to know how to ensure a healthy work environment in the workplace to support consistent performance, inspire employee to deliver better and quality work, take responsibility, and trust each other.
Studies have shown that happy employees are more productive, have lesser levels of stress, unlike toxic environment which can lead to stress, anxiety, and even depression. Healthy workplaces have open, positive, and honest internal communication. According to the World Health Organization, four elements constitute a healthy work environment: Health and safety in the physical work environment, Health and safety in the psychosocial work environment, Personal health resources in the workplace, participation and consideration.
There are different factors that can consider in ensuring a healthy work environment in workplace to make an organization a better place, some of which are shown below
1. Encourage Collaboration
Encourage employee to work together towards common goals. For instance, a team that comprises of people from different department can be require to work on a project to achieve common goal. This will build relationship, bridge gap between workers and create room for teamwork while providing employees with the flexibility and autonomy they need to reach their goals in helping to build a better workplace environment
2. Good Communication
Good, open and honest communication is require to enhance healthy work environment in a workplace between employees at all levels of the organization. Personality conflicts are usually inevitable; however, healthy confrontation and conflict is important in an organization, as it brings out innovative ideas and opinions. Creating the opportunities for workers to share feedback and dispute should be address appropriately
3. Encourage Healthy Living
Encourage a healthy lifestyle for yourself and employee. Wellness programs should be promoted as this can be beneficial for both the organization and the employees. Some of these benefits include reduction of stress, reduction in health care cost, improving morale and rise in productivity. To aid these activities, wellness challenges can take place, this can include, healthy and nutritious meal, exercising regularly, and sleeping sufficiently, or offer discounts for gym memberships.
4. Preventing Potential Hazards
Creating a workplace free from recognized physical and chemical hazards to ensure safety is essential to healthy work environment. Establish a workplace health and safety committee made up of workers from different department about safety topics, inspections, injury and illness statistics, and other safety-related issues. Make sure employees have and use safe tools and equipment and properly maintain this equipment. Potential hazards should be identify and appropriate control measure should be implemented.
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5. Maintain Positive Work Culture
To enhance healthy environment in a work place positive work culture should promote respect and inclusion where every employee feel valued, respected and supported. It supports positive behaviors and limits negative ones. Healthy working environments require educating employees on what your workplace does and doesn’t accept and on the consequences of violating policies. Positive work culture makes employee feel safe at work . Human Resources are responsible for maintaining positive work culture, to increase employee level of productivity, promote innovation and improve customer satisfaction.
6. Building trust
Trust is an essential aspect of a healthy and productive work environment, organization can build it through communication, teamwork, acknowledgment and respect for employees. Trust is earned through consistent behaviors, effort and time. When there is trust, it is easier for employees to be innovative, disclose information, resolve conflicts and more likely to stay long with the organization.
7. Create Clean and Comfortable Office
The physical space of the office is also important, Studies have shown that clean and comfortable office can make employee more productive and happy. Ensure that there is ergonomic furniture to reduce fatigue and strain which can prevent musculoskeletal disorders, plenty of natural light, space and clean environment.
8. Recognition and Reward
Everyone wants to be acknowledge for their job well done. This can motivate employees to further their good work. Ways employees can be recognize include: employee of the month and year, Peer recognition, award team on a regular basis, service, performance and special award. When doing this don’t be partial, make sure it’s fair award program.
Creating a healthy work environment will make employee emotionally, physically and mentally supported and safe which will lead to productivity and this is important to the success of an organization.
