How does the well-being of your workforce affect your organization? Statistics have indicated that around 340 million workplace accidents happen in the United States every year. These accidents often lead to employees bringing lawsuits against their organizations. Small-sized companies today are more vulnerable to these lawsuits. Surveys reveal that small-sized businesses have a 20% chance of employee litigation.
However, these aren’t the principal reasons why workplace wellness matters today. Don’t forget that nobody wishes to work in dangerous surroundings. Business owners are responsible for ensuring employees’ well-being and safety. That’s why workplace safety should matter to them.
Table of Contents
Reasons to ensure workplace wellness
So, how do we define workplace wellness? It means that business owners must sensibly manage any risk to the safety of their workforce and the company itself. Remember that workplace safety isn’t just about preventing accidents or reducing occupational hazards. It’s about ensuring your workers’ well-being too and helping them maintain their productivity constantly without being overworked.
Moreover, tackling mental health issues has also become a crucial responsibility for business owners in the 21st century. We’ll learn more about how workplace wellness leads to your company’s growth. And we’ll discuss how ignoring your workers’ safety harms your business interests.
Here are some arguments we’ll make:
- Fewer lawsuits
Employee litigations aren’t good for your reputation or your profitability. For instance, many US navy veterans are exposed to asbestos, due to which they develop mesothelioma. A veteran is liable to receive mesothelioma navy compensation for their suffering. However, avoiding these lawsuits is possible when you’re maintaining the safety of your workers.
You can avoid these lawsuits and get fewer compensation claims. That’s why you shouldn’t neglect workplace wellness.
- Decreased absenteeism
Workplace accidents can make workers temporarily incapable of working, causing a sudden increase in the cases of absenteeism. Moreover, ignoring workplace wellness may motivate your workers to seek employment elsewhere. Several surveys show that many workers contemplate leaving their jobs because of burnout and other mental health issues.
So, catering to the well-being of your employees will boost your company’s retention rates and cure the problem of absenteeism.
- Fewer deaths
Workplace fatalities shouldn’t happen, but they aren’t uncommon. The BLS reports that over 5,000 employees succumb to workplace accidents, or 15 deaths occur daily each year. Ensuring the safety of your workers is the company’s responsibility.
From a business perspective, preventing workplace fatalities can improve brand reputation. Hence, we suggest business owners take effective measures to make the workplace safer for workers by following safety protocols properly.
- Lesser workplace injuries
Workplace injuries have become more common than they should be in the 21st century. That’s why business owners shouldn’t neglect the importance of workplace wellness to reduce these injuries. A company can reduce employee litigations by decreasing workplace accidents/fatalities.
So, you must identify workplace hazards, train your workers, and ensure everybody follows safety protocols. A careful business owner doesn’t disregard the implementation of OSHA-mandated guidelines too.
- Increased productivity
Fewer injuries and fatalities can enhance your workforce’s productivity. Surveys indicate that merely 36% of American employees are engaged at work, most of whom are unmotivated. Besides, don’t forget that unsafe offices make employees worry about their well-being, making them unproductive.
Boosting your workers’ safety and preventing burnout can help make your employees more motivated to work. That’s why workplace wellness matters now.
- Higher work standards
Cleaning your premises, decluttering the workplace, and removing accident-causing obstacles will ensure your organization adheres to higher office standards. These cleanliness and housekeeping standards ensure your workers’ safety and protect them from workplace hazards.
Moreover, you’re liable to follow OSHA-mandated standards as a business owner to avoid penalties. Higher standards will enable your organization to keep operations running smoothly without pointless delays.
- Customers retained
Organizations don’t exist today merely for money-making endeavors. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) makes companies responsible for contributing to the betterment of society. People expect even small-sized businesses to ensure their workers’ well-being.
When you show you care, it helps you retain more customers and earn their loyalty. Many famous companies are facing criticism today for treating their workers callously. This inhumane treatment makes them lose customers, damaging their customer-lifetime value.
- Higher brand value
So, what are the long-term benefits of ensuring your workers’ wellness? Well, companies are inclined to conduct business with safety-prone businesses today. It means that fewer workplace accidents in your organization can lead to more brand value, thereby more clients for your business.
Don’t forget that your company’s brand value is related to safety conditions in the organization. So, we suggest employers invest in honing their workers’ well-being to enhance their reputation.
Conclusion
We’ve established that workplace wellness has become a priority for business owners today. So, what’s the benefit of ensuring your workers’ well-being in the 21st century? We discussed why you must maintain a healthy workplace in today’s time. Remember that workplace wellness bolsters your employees’ productivity, and maintaining a healthy workplace ensures fewer fatalities and accidents. Hence, your organization faces fewer lawsuits from current/former employees.
Besides, increased productivity means fewer workers are absent from work. Likewise, your customers will appreciate your efforts in looking after your workforce’s well-being. That’s how your brand value can increase drastically as well.
Read more – Veterans with Mesothelioma
