A patient steps up the to the pharmacy counter. Your pharmacy technician greets her, sniffing and red faced, because she’s fighting off her third cold of the season.
The patient, who also happens to be a new mom, warily receives her prescription and leaves the pharmacy. Do you think she’ll come back?
Each year in the U.S., employers lose $225.8 billion due to productivity losses linked to absenteeism, and two-thirds of the total costs of worker illnesses are due to people going to work when they’re sick, according to the CDC Foundation, an independent, nonprofit organization that connects the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with private-sector organizations and individuals to build public health programs.
Healthier employees can mean increased productivity, reduced health care costs and less employee turnover. Your pharmacy makes patients’ wellness a priority, but do you prioritize employees’ wellness?
Don’t let a lack of productivity hurt your business. Discover 10 ways you can encourage your employees to stay healthy, prevent illness and set a good example for patients.
1. Organize a charity race team
Not only will participating in a charity race event, such as a 5K, allow your employees to train together and get in shape, it’s also a great team-building activity.
Find a charity running or walking event in your community and recruit employees to help you raise money and develop a training schedule.
2. Host healthy potluck lunches
Eating healthy is half the battle. But, it can be difficult to eat well when you’re constantly busy.
Host a weekly potluck lunch where each employee brings a healthy snack to share. You’ll have the opportunity to eat healthier and introduce one another to new recipes.
3. Have morning stretches
Stretching in the morning activates muscles and can get everyone in the right mindset for the day.
Gather your team in the morning to stretch together and prepare for the busy day ahead. You can also use that time to make morning announcements.
4. Post nutritional posters and brochures
Your employees know the importance of being healthy. They probably tell patients about it all the time. That doesn’t mean they don’t need a reminder, too.
Remind your employees to exercise and eat healthy by posting helpful tips and information around the employee breakroom and the back of the pharmacy.
Simply seeing posters or brochures throughout the day may be all the motivation they need to make wellness a priority.
5. Provide daily stress relief tips
Stress in the workplace isn’t healthy, and it can bring your whole team down.
Email stress relief tips to your employees at the beginning of each day or once every week to try to combat the negative effects of stress and improve wellness.
6. Have a weight loss challenge
What better way to incentivize employees to get healthy than a friendly competition?
Hold a weight loss challenge between employees who want to participate, and have everyone track their progress each week. At the end, reward the employee who loses the most weight.
7. Create a healthy cookbook
Sometimes all you need to eat healthy is a good recipe to try.
Encourage employees to share their favorite healthy recipes and compile a cookbook that they can turn to the next time they need a healthy breakfast, lunch or dinner option.
8. Celebrate milestones
When employees reach their health and fitness goals, celebrate those accomplishments to encourage them to keep going.
For example, recognize these employees during your next team meeting or host a special lunch in their honor.
9. Negotiate a group gym rate
It’s easier to get into an exercise routine when you’re surrounded by people who share your goals.
Get a group of employees together who are interested in joining a gym, and negotiate a group rate with a local gym in your community. Your team can motivate one another to go to the gym before or after work, or even get in a quick workout during lunch.
10. Encourage walking breaks
Sometimes just getting a quick walk in during the workday can make all the difference.
Encourage employees to get out of the pharmacy on their break time and take a walk around the block.
Not only is taking a walk a great way to get some exercise, it can also help employees clear their heads and be more productive when they return.
It’s also important to improve patients’ wellness. Check out these ways to promote healthy living in your pharmacy.
