Prioritizing Employee Wellness in Your San Francisco Bay Area Business

It’s a bit of a dog-eat-dog world for businesses these days. (Feel that sentiment in your bones?)

Inflation is pervasive. Supply chain issues still have you jumping through hoops to get products. The hunt continues for good help… proving the adage. Covid-era debts now have to be repaid. Taxation is amping up. And there’s more where that came from.

Keeping up with everything certainly takes its toll. So, let me ask you… what are you doing to find the positives and overcome the challenges? The owner road can be lonely and daunting. And you’re carrying the load of running and growing your business. 

If you’re having trouble finding a way through the mounting economic pressures and keeping your San Francisco Bay Area business healthy, maybe it’s time to sit down and take a look at things. My team and I can help you cut through the noise to find what will work for your business right now.

So, if you need to and when you’re ready, let’s get something on the schedule: Patti (408) 775-7790  Gale 408-775-7800

A healthy business owner is a non-negotiable for a healthy business.

Healthy employees are the other side of that coin. That’s as much about physical health as it is about the mental and emotional side of things.

It’s not enough to simply pay your employees for a job well done and cut a bonus once in a while. You’ve got to build an environment that makes your workers want to keep coming back. 

Intentionality is a game changer with staff. Trust me, they’ll sit up and take notice when you start shifting company policies that are conscious of their health. 

So, what does prioritizing employee wellness look like? Let’s find out.

Prioritizing Employee Wellness in Your San Francisco Bay Area Business
“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live in.” - Jim Rohn

What are the best metrics for company health? We small-business owners tend to hone in on bottom lines and numbers to tell us our company is healthy. But there are all kinds of health and all kinds of ways to preserve it for your staff — from comfort to culture to cutting stress in everyday tasks. There are tactics you can use to alleviate stress and impact your staff’s sanity, productivity, and ability to avoid mistakes. 

Let’s look at three ways you can prioritize employee wellness right away. 

Employee Wellness Idea #1: Spatial recognition

The first thing most people think of with workplace health is ergonomics, the study of people in their working environment to prevent discomfort or injuries — or, in plain English, making sure everyone has the most comfortable workspace possible. Anybody who’s had an aching neck or a pain singing up their mouse arm after a few hours at their desk knows exactly what we’re talking about. 

If you have workers who sit at a computer: 

• Get chairs that support the spines they’re supposed to. Workers will feel better and won’t take personal days to go to the back doctor. Don’t skimp on price for adjustability and sturdiness.
• Adjust the chair’s height so your people’s feet rest flat on the floor or on a footrest. Adjust armrests so arms gently rest with shoulders relaxed.
• Have your staff keep phones, staplers, or printouts close. This keeps reaching to a minimum. Put everyone’s mouse within easy reach and on the same surface as the keyboard. 
• While typing or using the mouse, wrists should be straight and upper arms close to the body with hands at or slightly below elbows. Under the desk, make sure there’s clearance for knees, thighs, and feet. If the desk has a hard edge, pad the edge or use a wrist rest. 
• Place monitors directly in front of workers, about an arm’s length away. The top of the screen should be at or slightly below eye level. Place your monitor so the brightest light sources are to the side.

Employee Wellness Idea #2: Culture

Scads have been written about company “culture”... but what does it mean, and how does it relate to employee health? 

Most small business owners liken company culture to game nights and regular Zooming. Let’s broaden that horizon. Have you ever considered how power is… well… empowering? It generally leads to people feeling better about themselves and about where they spend their workdays. 

• The biggest power you can impart to your staffers is the power to change their environment. Whether you use a chatbot, an automated or paper survey, or an old-fashioned wooden suggestion box, give your people a voice. 
• Make listening a cornerstone value — and act on suggestions from your employees, even if just to acknowledge them. Preferably spread their suggestions to your senior staff. 
• The same goes for appreciation. You may think, I’m not here to pat them on the back every two seconds. That’s true, but it shows no weakness on your part to say thanks. In fact: It shows you’re paying attention. Spread the “good jobs” company-wide to build confidence: When people solve problems for themselves, it lets your people take ownership of small parts of your operation. Your employees build a healthier relationship with their work, and in general, everyone is just a whole lot happier to be there. 

We realize that this goes against the grain of some leaders in companies, but you can’t be the bottleneck for the growth of your company. If you feel you’re the only one who can do something in your company, you probably are — and that stunts real growth. 

Employee Wellness Idea #3: ‘You’ve got stress’

Stress is the enemy of a healthy workspace. Some workplace experts say one good way to attack stress is to cut back on the “always-on” notion that workers must be online and available every minute of every day (and sometimes night).

The experts, in this case, are right. Some measures protect and respect focus. Start with your email: 

• Do as little email as possible internally.
• Fix policies and boundaries for communication — and use a direct messaging software application, such as Slack. 
• Bear in mind that DMing co-workers is akin to barging into someone’s office with a question (particularly if every message is “urgent” and comes with a sound effect). 
• Make your people aware of your internal communication tools and policies — and, frankly, don’t be afraid to fire someone who just doesn’t get (and adhere to) that aspect of your culture. 

Employee wellness is worth it. 

Cultivating a company that runs smoothly and happily is our biggest passion here at ONeill & Bergado. Let us know if there’s anything we can do for your San Francisco Bay Area business.

To health and happiness,

Patti ONeill and Gale Bergado