September is National Self-Care Awareness Month, and self-care has never been more important than it is right now. Employers can help employees embrace self-treatment and a healthy lifestyle by encouraging a self-care program as part of workplace wellness efforts. The largest cost to employers is “presenteeism,” which is staff who are at work but are unproductive because of health issues.
Common conditions that contribute to presenteeism and reduced productivity include:
- Depression and other mental health issues
- Lower back and repetitive motion strain
- Allergies and other respiratory problems
- Gastrointestinal problems
Employers can help their employees address or mitigate treatable conditions such as these by making a self-care program part of a workplace health and wellness strategy. A self-care approach might include the following recommendations:
- Proper nutrition and sleep
- Preventative health screenings
- Taking vitamins
- Treatment of chronic conditions
- Taking over-the-counter medications
By encouraging self-care as a strategy to manage employee wellness and productivity, employers can help their employees save money on doctor’s visits while also making significant savings without lost productivity in the workplace.
*Information from this article was found from SHRM
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