Keep Your Workplace Healthy: 7 Tips
 By Alex R. Merriman

While everyone else has been debating health care reform, most small-business owners have been doing what they’ve always done—trying to promote a healthy workplace for themselves and their employees.

Getting and staying healthy can help reduce absenteeism, increase productivity and create a sense of community in your small business.

It’s easier than you might think to make health a top priority at your small business. And many in-house programs can be initiated for little or no money. To get started making yourself and your employees more healthy, try these seven tips.

Tip 1: Ditch the vending machines
Get rid of the soft drink machines. Say goodbye to the machines that dispense bags of chips and bars of candy. There are healthier ways to offer snacks and drinks. Just read the next tip.

Tip 2: Stock up on good stuff
Fill your break room with healthy yet yummy treats. Think fresh fruit, ice cold water, bagels instead of donuts, peanuts and almonds instead of candy.

Tip 3: Encourage employees to get health screening tests
Help your workers make the smart choice to get health screening tests such as mammograms, cholesterol checks and eye exams. These preventive measures can save costs in the long run.

Tell employees that they can take time off for the tests. Post news articles that explain the importance of routine health screenings.

Tip 4: Buy pedometers
Pedometers let people measure the number of steps they take every day. The more steps, the better for the body. Hand out pedometers and urge employees to participate in a friendly step competition for a week or month. The challenge will get people moving and encourage a spirit of community.

Tip 5: Eat better and encourage workers to do the same
A healthy food plan can help you lose weight. It can also increase your energy and decrease your blood pressure.

Educate yourself and your employees on healthy eating habits that include fruits and vegetables. You can get information for free from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, which developed the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan. To download “Your Guide to Lowering Your Blood Pressure With DASH,” go to www.nhlbi.nih.gov.

And share it with your employees.

Tip 6: Encourage healthy lifestyle habits
You have access to plenty of resources that you can use to develop your own healthy lifestyle habits and to help your workers, too.

For example, need to quit smoking or have employees who want to quit? Try these resources:

• “Making Your Workplace Smoke Free: A Decision Maker’s Guide,” from the CDC, www.cdc.gov.
• The American Lung Association’s free online program, Freedom From Smoking, gives tools and information to help smokers quit, www.lungusa.org.

The American Cancer Society even offers a Workplace Solutions Web site to help employers develop health and wellness programs. Check it out at www.acsworkplacesolutions.com.

Tip 7: Review your AFS benefits
As an AFS Member, you have access to money-saving benefits that can help you stay healthy. Just look at some of these:

• Association Rx Card Program—Discount card for all of your family’s prescriptions
• Diagnostic Imaging Services—Discounts on diagnostic imaging
• Direct Labs—Savings on lab services
• Discount Dental Program—Savings on your family’s dental needs
• Vision Discount Plan—Savings on eye care needs for you and your family
• Health Connection—Save on fitness club memberships, self-help programs and alternative medicine solutions

And there are many more! Explore your benefits today so you can enjoy a healthier tomorrow.


(Posted September 2009)

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