For the health of employees! Global trends – benefits and wellbeing
How to help employees take care of health, travel and have fun? Employers around the world have different ideas on how to use benefits so that employees and … employers benefit from them.
Siesta in the office for employees’ health
In southern Europe, siesta is a time of the day when you take a break from your daily duties – whether you are at work or on vacation. However, afternoon naps are not only valuable in countries where summer temperatures exceed 30 degrees. Sleep is good for human health from any latitude! Children in kindergartens sleep in the afternoon and, according to research, they achieve better learning results. Such a nap is also recommended for adults – short sleep during the day works great for employees’ health. It has a positive effect on the heart, reduces stress and stimulates creativity.
Employers more and more often provide special space in offices where employees can rest and relax during the day, e.g. by playing table tennis or table football. In some companies also began to appear … hammocks and beds. This solution is beneficial to both parties if we follow the rules. The first is the employer’s confidence. The second is skillful napping. You have to remember that the so-called power nap should last on average 15-20 minutes. After a short rest, you can look at professional challenges in a completely different way. Employees of companies that allow naps at work react enthusiastically to this and actually achieve better results, as confirmed by the employers themselves. It is also a great solution, e.g. for pregnant women, although of course everyone should have a siesta!
In a healthy body, healthy mind
Hearing this popular proverb, employers often develop it by adding with confidence that healthy employees are a healthy company. It’s not just about promoting health by providing space to rest at work or offering benefits such as a sports card or lunch card. Today, many of us want to be fit and this is definitely a good trend! It is important to maintain common sense and balance: play sports, but also follow a balanced diet and remember to relax.
For many years, both in Europe and the United States, the popularity of yoga has not weakened. Yoga is beneficia to body and mind and is a great way to relax. It allows you to stretch and relax your muscles, improve posture, calm your breathing and thoughts. It is no wonder then that beyond the mindfulness practice, it has crossed the thresholds of many corporations. Today, almost everyone practices yoga, and certainly everywhere. Everyone can find a practice suitable for their needs and temperament. This is important because some classes are more like acrobatics than meditation! All over the world, employees of various companies practice yoga during and after work, participate in events such as International Yoga Day or go to training sessions organized especially for them by employers in the mountains, by the lake or by the sea.
Fun at work and after work
After a long day of work, it is good to relax, and in addition to sleep or sport you can also try less conventional methods. Although the thought of sound rather brings the image of a concert in a jazz club or philharmonic, its therapeutic properties are much wider! The Wroclaw duo of artists under the name Niburu Project offers residents of the capital of Lower Silesia regular baths in the sound of gongs, according to the solar and lunar calendar, which in itself is a unique musical and relaxing show. In turn, in the UK, companies appeared in which special sessions are prepared for employees, using sound and vibration to restore the body, mind and spirit of sense of balance. And although this is a fairly innovative method, it turns out that it allows you to calm down and sleep better.
Of course, not everyone relaxes in the same way. Some like lonely walks in the park, others prefer to go bowling or a drink with colleagues. All over the world, joint dinners or parties are therefore a popular way to integrate, reward, but also de-stress the team. The nature of such meetings can also be combined with the company profile, e.g. by inviting external people to attend, who will not only add color to the evening, but also inspire employees, which, for example, seems to be one of the most important needs for the creative industry. In the case of advertising companies, it can be, for example, a comedian whose stand up will make you laugh, and at the same time unleash new associations and ideas. Benefits are not only fit, but also fun!
Joint travel of employees
We are waiting for holidays all year round! There are companies that offer their employees co-financed holidays, and some – like travel agencies – give employees significant discounts on the purchase of trips on their own offer. There are also employers in the UK who even encourage joint trips, both in winter and summer. In their opinion, this directly translates into employee motivation and has a great impact on team building. Such companies usually cover all travel costs, but the non-financial benefits of shared travel cannot be overstated. Each of them is time not only for great fun, but also collecting experiences and impressions, which always has a positive effect on the development of individual talents. This time is also conducive to building lasting friendships that allow us to maintain good relations in the company, also after returning to the office.
Benefits from work and at work may be different, the most important, to suit them to the needs of the employee. They do not have to be material and expressed in “Polish zlotys”, although for some, a share in the profits from the company’s shares would be a great addition to remuneration. For others, however, it is important to feel that the workplace is also a space that promotes development – professional and personal. And above all, it rewards the effort put into everyday duties with unusual benefits, including those that allow you to take care of good health and mood of both the employee and … employer!
