This is some text inside of a div block.
BLOG

Get healthier alongside your employees in the new year

January 22, 2019
Back to All Posts

Each new year brings new resolve to “get healthy.” Maybe you’ve pledged to hit the gym or go to bed earlier. Chances are your employees have too. Why not do it together?

Wellness and workplace safety go hand in hand. Pinnacol policyholders that have instituted workplace wellness programs say these initiatives decrease absenteeism and obesity rates. A recent UCLA study found healthier workers’ productivity rose 4 percent. Other benefits of better worker well-being include:

  • Improved alertness and focus
  • Reduced chance of injury
  • Faster recovery from illness

How can you assist your employees with reaching their 2019 health goals while making your workplace safer? Try adopting these companywide resolutions.

Rethink Your Drink

Many people don’t realize how many calories they consume from beverages. A soda with lunch, for example, adds more than 200 calories to the meal. Suggest substituting no-calorie drinks and upping water intake.

Purchase Stand-Up Desks

Sitting for long periods has been tied to obesity and cardiovascular disease, regardless of exercise and diet habits. Standing desks keep the body active, and they can even enhance productivity, one study found.

Take Walking Breaks During Work

Just a five-minute jaunt once an hour boosts your overall well-being, according to researchers, lifting energy and concentration levels.

Start a Wellness Program

Seventy-seven percent of businesses with employee wellness programs report their health care costs have fallen. These plans may include offering discounts on gym memberships, sponsoring seminars on how to quit smoking and more. (Pinnacol policyholders can receive program assistance and support from our partner, Health Links.)

Get More Sleep

Educate your workforce about the dangers of sleep deprivation. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health says 38 percent of workers sleep less than seven hours per night, raising their risk of becoming obese, developing hypertension and having a stroke.

Practice Mindfulness

Less stress leads to fewer injuries and workers’ compensation claims, the Colorado School of Public Health found. One way to battle stress: practicing mindfulness, aka staying in the moment. Hold on-site yoga classes, or highlight useful meditation apps in your company newsletter.

Increase Financial Fitness

Health encompasses fiscal matters too. Offer resources to teach employees money management skills, such as how to cut unnecessary expenses or save for retirement.

Make this the year you actually keep those lofty New Year’s resolutions — and gain a safer workforce to show for it. Questions about how health can impact safety? Contact safetyoncall@pinnacol.com.


Pinnacol Assurance assumes no responsibility for management or control of customer safety activities. Please ensure your business meets the requirements of all federal, state, and local laws, regulations, or ordinances related to workplace safety.

Our most recent posts

COVID-19 policy update