5 Ways Office Managers Contribute To Corporate Wellness 

From handling staff complaints, client communications, employee recommendations, managing payroll, expenses of the office, and many other details of the office - the day-to-day responsibilities of an office manager can have a pretty significant impact the wellbeing of the workplace. 

It’s been well documented that when companies incorporate wellness programs into the workplace, it reduces sick days, increases workplace performance, and enhances the wellbeing of staff in the workplace. This is why it’s a great idea for office managers to introduce what wellness consultants suggest all companies do to improve wellness in the workplace. 

Along with taking care of the needs of the office, an office manager also greatly contributes to corporate wellness. And because of their interaction with virtually every other staff member, an office manager has a unique opportunity to become a great asset to enhancing and improving corporate wellness.

Here are 5 ways that an office manager can contribute to corporate wellness:

1. Buy Healthy Snacks For The Office 

Whether a company is big or small, offering nutritious snacks can be a simple way to encourage staff to be healthy. Healthy foods can directly impact our energy, and when an office manager lays out snacks like bananas, apples, carrots, and small bottles of water, it can encourage staff to eat better. This low-cost and straightforward offer from the office manager can help staff to choose foods that make them better workers as well as healthier people. 

Here are some healthy food items that an office manager can purchase:

• Bananas
• Apples
• Water bottles 
• Avocados 
• Peanut butter 
• Celery 
• Raisins
• Almonds 
• Cashews
• Sandwich materials 

By offering healthy snacks around the office, the staff will feel compelled to reach for what’s beneficial to their health. In turn, this will impact them to feel more energetic and positive at work. 

2. Remind Staff About Their Health Benefits 

It’s a known fact that men see a doctor less than women. Similarly, it’s also known that people won’t take advantage of their health benefits because they don’t know what their health insurance offers. 

By reminding staff of what their health packages include, staff will be encouraged to get physicals and check-ups which will ensure they stay healthy and don’t miss workdays. This small action from an office manager has an upside for office productivity as well as a big benefit for the staff. 

3. Offer Mindfulness Materials & Trainings For Staff 

According to a wealth of research, mindfulness has incredible benefits - from helping individuals feel more calm, at ease, to enhancing focus and helping aid in disease prevention.

One way to encourage mindfulness at work is by offering books that cover topics such as; meditation, yoga, healthy breathing, staying present, managing emotions, and other self-help oriented topics. If the office feels compelled to go further, the office manager can find a teacher who is skilled in mindfulness training at the workplace. 

4. Encourage Healthy Work Breaks To Fight Fatigue

Today’s health experts like to say that “Sitting is the new smoking.” This has become such a popular saying because long periods of sitting have been linked to increased back pain, mobility issues, and increased health issues. In fact, a study done at Pennington Biomedical Research Center analyzed the lifestyles of more than 17,000 American men and women over about 13 years, and found that people who sit for most of the day are 54% more likely to die of heart attacks. 

Sitting for long periods has serious health risks, but with a simple change in the workplace, staff can avoid getting sick later. The simple solution is: moving more often. Taking little breaks to stretch, walk, and move around. 

Since it can be hard to remember to take small breaks that ensure you stay mobile and healthy - an office manager can help tremendously by offering breaks to everyone at different times throughout the day. 

Some ways an office manager can encourage staff to move around can include:

• Offer small walk breaks as a group around the office or the block
• Encourage stretch breaks that the office manager or someone else leads for 5-10 minutes 
• Set a timer that sounds off and reminds staff to take a sitting stretch break where they stretch at their desk
• Let the team know about any health benefits that include massages or gym memberships
• Conduct stand up meetings instead of ones where everyone sits, or during meetings incorporate movement
• Look into bringing a fitness expert into the office to show staff ways that they can be healthier through exercise
• Ask staff to have lunch away from their desks, so they have to get up and go somewhere else (this encourages they eat together too) 

Another way the office manager can encourage staff to move and not be stagnant is through suggesting team try something like:

• A standing desk 
• A mobility ball
• Add an attachment to convert their desk into a standing desk (this is cheaper than a full-on standing desk and likely easier for any office to accommodate) 
• Show them websites that offer different tools that encourage more mobility at work (this website offers tons of supplies for ergonomics at work)

5. Check-In With Staff Regularly & Encourage Staff To Know Each Other 

Since the office manager is likely to have the most contact with all staff - they are the most likely to know if something is wrong with anyone on the team. Studies show that having healthy connections at work increases happiness in the workplace - and an office manager has a unique opportunity to build connections with every one of their staff. 

By merely checking in with staff and keeping tabs on how everyone is doing the office manager can be up to date with what’s going on with the team. If someone seems depressed or has had some major setbacks in their personal life - the office manager can be a support to that person at work. They can be the first line of defense in ensuring corporate wellness to staff who need it.

Following the same line of thought, an office manager can encourage staff to have healthy connections with each other. By offering staff outings for lunch, regular breaks that the team takes together, and being an example for other staff for building healthy connections - the office manager can encourage staff to connect with one another. 

Corporate wellness doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. When an office manager looks for ways to enhance the experience of staff and encourages they do the same for one another, the wellbeing of everyone at work can be improved tenfold.

Looking for a way to manage your office more efficiently? Check out what Eden’s Office Management Software can do for your workplace.