Feeling Sick? Then Stay Home!

It’s almost spring, but winter isn’t over! You can still expect cold temperatures, snow, and ice in the forecast. Along with these weather conditions, you can also expect illnesses to occur. From runny noses to vigorous coughs, many people will be suffering from the coldness of winter.

Yet, many adults don’t let these common cold symptoms prevent them from going to work. If you’re one of these people, you need to seriously reconsider going to the workplace when sick! Presenteeism has become a massive problem in the workplace that many employers are trying to prevent. Employees should only return to work once they’ve fully recovered, or they’ll be doing more harm than good in terms of their health and for the company. Whether you’re an employer or employee, you should always stay home when sick, and here are 3 reasons why.

5 Unique Job Perks to Consider for Your Business

Looking to improve the culture in the workplace? Well, one excellent method to improve the work environment is to offer unique perks and benefits to employees. These special benefits can help retain and acquire top employees while improving employee spirit. That’s why so many large corporations like Netflix, Google, and Facebook have established these unique perks. Some of these benefits require a lot of funding, while others are relatively cheap. Either way, here are 5 benefits that business owners should try to utilize.

Wellness Programs: The Answer to Rising Health Care Costs

Health insurance rates are skyrocketing in various parts of our nation, and some places won’t even be able to find coverage due to the lack of insurers in the ACA exchange. Health care has become a trending and controversial topic, and consumers are starting to worry about being able to obtain coverage for the next year. It also doesn’t help that the ACA is pressuring everyone to acquire health insurance due to its monetary penalties.

Well, due to increased health care expenses, business owners are starting to reduce their benefits plan or even get rid of it altogether just to save money. Then, it creates a conflict of interest between the employee and employer because employee benefits is a major component in acquiring and retaining top talent.

But what if I told you there was a way for the employer to save money and support employee wellness?

Less Money, Less Benefits, And I Love It

A couple of years ago, I once worked for a prestigious company with a well-established reputation for its services. I was given a full-time job with a health salary, full benefits, a 401(k), and 2 weeks of vacation time. It was a job that every fresh-out-of-college student would want to receive right after graduating. Six months later, I left the company.

There were several reasons why I chose to leave, but the biggest reason for my departure was due to its workplace culture. I was constantly surrounded by snobby, negative employees who always seemed to belittle their co-workers. Most employees were constantly criticizing one another for the smallest things, some of which had nothing to do with work. Tensions were so high that at one point, an employee stormed out of his manager’s office yelling, “F**k this place, I don’t deserve to be treated like this!”.

Even though I was admired by friends and family for working at this well-known firm, I knew I couldn’t stay for long. Next thing you know, I gave in my two weeks notice and never turned back.

The Need for Work-Life Balance

Imagine two different workers in two different industries: Worker A and Worker B.

Worker A is an engineer for a tech company, who works 6 days a week and 10 hours per day. He receives a solid salary with a comprehensive benefits plan from his company, but he only has a week’s worth of paid-time-off, including sick days.

Worker B is a marketing manager for a digital agency, who only works on the weekdays and usually works from 9am-5pm. He also receives a health salary, but not as much as Worker A, and just a 401k plan and health insurance from his agency. However, he does receive two weeks of paid vacation days and 5 paid sick days.

From the short summary of these two workers, which worker is happier?

The Answer to Increasing Workplace Productivity

It’s 3pm and you’ve been at work for 6 hours. You can feel the afternoon fatigue starting to set in. You become drowsy, your eyelids get heavy, and you can’t seem to focus on your work no matter how hard you try. You drink coffee for a quick pick-me up, but it fails miserably as your tolerance to caffeine has increased dramatically. So what now? How do you wake yourself up and get out of this daze?  Say hello to exercise!

That’s right, working out is a fantastic way to wake yourself up when you start feeling the mid-afternoon energy dump. Not only that, but you may be able to prevent the afternoon fatigue altogether if you just work out 3 times per week.

5 Ways to Increase Happiness at the Workplace

How many times have you gone to bed Sunday night thinking “I wish I didn’t have work tomorrow”. Meanwhile, you imagine ridiculous scenarios that would cancel work even though you know they have about a .0001% chance of happening.

We’ve all been there, but I’m glad to say that I usually head to work on Mondays with a happy grin and a can-do attitude. Not only do I enjoy what I do, but I go into an office environment that supports friendliness and optimism.

Unfortunately, I know that not everyone is able to have the same work atmosphere as I do. However, if you’re a manager or a leader of your business, you have the power to change your office culture and make your employees happier.

You can create a culture that’ll change the way your employees think of “work”. Instead of dreading Mondays, they’ll start looking forward to them. You’d be surprised how your actions can determine the mood of your employees, even if it’s just a simple act of kindness.