The importance of maintaining a healthy working environment can’t be overstated. Healthy employees are happier, more productive, and more efficient than their unhealthy peers. 

While there are many factors that contribute to the healthiness of an office environment—for example, whether or not the employees have gym access and how well it’s utilized—the physical characteristics of the office building itself play an important role as well. 

Here are some of the ways to encourage healthy workers in your company by creating a healthy working environment.

Collaboration

Collaboration is essential to the success of any business. Not only does it encourage creativity, but it also ensures that everyone is on the same page. In fact, according to research conducted by Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), ninety percent (90%) of surveyed executives said that effective collaboration was critical for their company's success. 

There are many different ways to foster this type of environment: you can hold team building exercises or have monthly meetings where employees can share ideas and offer feedback.

Communication

A healthy work environment is not only beneficial to the employees, it can also have a positive impact on the company's bottom line. Communication is one important aspect that needs to be considered when creating an inclusive and welcoming environment. 

When people feel they are heard they will be happier and more productive. Hiring diverse teams means you'll get different perspectives and ideas from each person which in turn leads to better problem solving. 

It can also help with retention rates by keeping good workers around longer as well as being able to attract talent from a wider range of potential candidates. As stated earlier, communication is a major part of fostering an inclusive environment. 

Regular meetings with your team members to discuss how they're feeling at work as well as what their hopes and dreams are for their future can make them feel valued. There should also be avenues for communicating anonymously if there's someone who feels like they cannot speak up about their concerns or just wants to vent. 

They might have suggestions for improvement or need feedback themselves. Having these channels in place helps to keep the lines of communication open so that everyone feels comfortable speaking out without fear of retaliation. 

These channels might include surveys, anonymous suggestion boxes, online forums, confidential email addresses and even app based discussions where everything is anonymized.

Efficiency

A healthy working environment can also increase the efficiency of your employees. They are more creative, productive, and energized when they have the opportunity to take care of themselves. Research from Harvard University has found that a healthy work environment can lead to an increase in productivity by up to fifteen percent (15%)! 

Employees who were exposed to natural light (in lieu of fluorescent lights) were found to be eighteen percent (18%) more productive than their counterparts who worked under fluorescent lights. 

The same study also noted that employees who had access to plants (to help reduce air pollution), exercise equipment, and/or fresh fruit or vegetables reported greater satisfaction with their jobs, higher self-esteem, better moods on days at work, and less absenteeism due to illness or injury.

Productivity

Productivity can be greatly impacted by your environment. In some cases, productivity may increase, but more often than not, the opposite is true. Your environment has a major impact on your physical health, mental well-being, and emotional stability. 

If you don't have access to things like natural light or fresh air, the chances are that you won't feel as healthy as if you were able to spend time outdoors. It's important for your office space to be designed with all of these needs in mind so that you're comfortable and productive while working. 

Employee satisfaction

Employee satisfaction can increase productivity and reduce turnover rates. Studies have shown that an unhappy employee will produce twenty percent (20%) less than a happy one. A healthy working environment will make your employees happier, more satisfied and more productive, which will lead to increased revenue for your company. 

When it comes to the importance of a healthy working environment in business, studies have proven that there are many benefits such as higher levels of job satisfaction and better health status among workers. 

Healthier employees also mean lower absenteeism rates, fewer days spent off work due to illness or injury, lower medical costs and even better mental health status among the workforce.

Job satisfaction

Job satisfaction is one way to measure the effectiveness and success of an employee. A satisfied worker is more likely to remain with the company, be productive, and have higher morale than an unsatisfied worker. In other words, we are more likely to be happy at work when we feel safe and valued. For this reason, employers should create positive working environments for their employees to promote job satisfaction. 

Maintaining a healthy working environment starts with cleanliness and ergonomics. Workers can help maintain these aspects of the office by following rules like not eating at their desk or drinking from water bottles that may harbor bacteria. Employers can also implement new technologies like air purifiers that help reduce allergens and eliminate odors.

Create an appealing workplace to keep talented employees around.

Create an appealing workplace to keep talented employees around. Investing in the wellbeing and comfort of your employees not only boosts morale, but it also improves productivity.

This can create a ripple effect that benefits everyone: happy staff equals happy customers which leads to higher profits. In order for this to happen, employers should ensure their workplaces are safe and healthy. 

Workplaces need enough light to make people feel more energized, desks should be ergonomic with enough room for papers or screens, and chairs need to be comfortable enough so that people aren't sitting too long without getting up.