How to Promote Employee Health and Well-Being This Winter

Employee health and well-being can suffer over winter. Between cold and flu season, frigid temperatures, dark days, and other stressors, your staff have a lot on their plates. 

By maintaining a clean and hygienic office and offering additional support, however, you can show your employees that you care. Your business will encounter fewer sick days and benefit from a happier, more committed workforce.

Here are some helpful tips to consider for boosting your employee's health and well-being this winter season:

Office Cleaning

One of the best things you can do for your employees this winter is to keep their workplace clean and sanitary.

A well-maintained office demonstrates that your company cares about the comfort and well-being of its employees. This leads to a happier, healthier, and more productive workforce. Your staff are more likely to enjoy their time at the office, feel proud to be a part of your company, and get sick far less. They will also feel greater job satisfaction, leading to reduced turnover.

Admittedly, it’s hard to keep offices looking their best over the winter. The boots and shoes of employees and visitors track slush, mud, grime, and salt inside, creating an unpleasant (and even dangerous) workplace.

Plus, winter is a busy time for many companies. Staff have less free time to spend tidying the office. Consequently, professional cleaning help is an absolute must. Your employees can focus on what’s important while we clean up the winter mess. At the end of the day, a cleaner work area is better for your employees.

Sanitation Prevents the Spread of Illnesses

We all know that winter is also the cold and flu season. Therefore, it is absolutely imperative to do everything you can to reduce the spread of illnesses at the office. It is not good for employee morale if your workforce is constantly getting sick. Of course, it’s not good for productivity either.

Regular cleaning and sanitation are essential for creating a safer workplace. Surfaces, equipment, and common areas should consistently be disinfected to purge your office of harmful germs, viruses, and bacteria.

Additionally, it’s important to remove all dust, dirt, mildew, cobwebs, and allergens from the office. Although these irritants do not spread contagious illnesses, they can still cause respiratory health complications, rashes, and other issues. Fortunately, regular dusting and vacuuming prevent these conditions.

A Clean Work Environment Is a Safe One

Winter brings its own unique types of health hazards. Just as you ensure that all outdoor walkways are free of snow and ice, you must also remain mindful of trip and fall hazards inside your office.

All winter long, snow and mud find their way indoors on the footwear of your employees. This is a serious problem that you must stay on top of. The buildup of water, debris, and contaminants can cause the flooring to become slippery and unsafe. Professional floor cleaning helps to keep surfaces safe to prevent trips, falls, and injuries.

Better Work Atmosphere for Employees 

A clean and hygienic office is better for employee morale and productivity. It’s easier to concentrate in a well-maintained space. Plus, tidy spaces are simply more comfortable and inviting.

If you fail to keep up with winter office maintenance, productivity will suffer. Employees are more likely to resent the time they have to spend at work. Furthermore, a dirty office filled with hazards shows that you don’t care about the safety and well-being of your employees. As a result, job satisfaction, productivity, and retention will suffer.

Winter Well-Being

Let’s be honest, winter can wear us down. Your employees are not immune to the long, dark days or the unabating cold. When their mental and physical health suffers, so does your company’s productivity and employee retention. Creating a supportive and empathetic workplace environment is thus better for everyone.

This winter, show your employees that you care with these top three tips.

Support Your Employee’s Mental Well-Being

There are many ways to support the mental well-being of your employees this winter. This includes establishing an inclusive and empathetic workplace, checking in with employees, and providing resources for workers who need support.

Ensure that your staff are educated about Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and vitamin D deficiency. In Canada, doctors do not test for vitamin D deficiency because the assumption is that everyone is already deficient. There just isn’t enough sunlight. This means that your workforce should be supplementing to combat vitamin D deficiency, which can cause fatigue, low mood, and a weakened immune system.

Another way to support the mental well-being of your staff is to check in with them regularly. This goes hand-in-hand with creating a safe and accepting environment where employees feel comfortable sharing their concerns and challenges. There should be additional resources, tools, and appropriate pathways available for struggling employees.

Encourage Healthy Activities

Mental well-being is a complex issue. However, there’s no denying that participating in healthy activities can be a huge help.

This winter, encourage your employees to stay active. Try setting up outdoor exercise groups that allow staff members to socialize while moving their bodies. Remember, socializing is also a healthy activity! Community and relationships play a key role in job satisfaction and mental health.

Additionally, provide healthy snack alternatives at the office as well as filtered water. Eating healthy and drinking enough water is incredibly valuable for the mental health of your employees.

Permit Some Work Flexibility

A little work flexibility over the winter can go a long way. It’s better to give employees the opportunity to recover, recuperate, and reset rather than overwork them. Exhausted, stressed, and depleted workers are not productive. Instead of resorting to disciplinary action, try taking the compassionate approach. See what they need and try to work with them, not against them.

Winter is a dark time (literally). It’s depleting and draining to go to work before the sun rises and leave after the sun has set. If possible, permit staff to juggle their hours a little or do staggered starts. 

The Importance of Professional Office Cleaning in Newmarket, Ontario

A clean, safe, and hygienic office is crucial for the well-being of your employees. RBC Clean can help. We offer professional office cleaning to businesses in Newmarket, Ontario.

To learn more about our office cleaning services in Newmarket, call RBC Clean at 866-278-8208 or contact us here.