According to the Integrated Benefits Institute of San Francisco, it’s estimated that employees’ poor health costs companies and businesses an estimated $576 billion annually. Whether it’s from a loss of time, productivity, healthcare costs or a combination of all three, poor health affects businesses in multiple ways. The good news, however, is that you can encourage better health in the workplace and teach employees to make smarter choices regarding their health by following a few simple steps.

Wellness Programs

Many companies are now implementing wellness programs to help encourage their employees to make better decisions. These programs are basically step-by-step guides that focus on dieting and exercising. You can construct them yourself, or you can hire an expert to come in and produce them for your employees. The ultimate goal of a wellness program is to get employees on the right track towards better health.

Of course, you’ll need to give your employees some form of incentive for participating in the wellness program. There are dozens of incentives that work for wellness programs, some of which include pay bonuses, dinners, trophies, parties or gift cards. However, you should only give these incentives to employees who successfully complete the wellness program.

Health Coaching

Even if you have a wellness program in place, it’s not a bad idea to offer free health coaching for your employees. A professional coach can reveal customized dieting and working plans for your employees as well as motivate them through encouragement. Sometimes all it takes is a little motivation to give an individual the drive to get their health back on track. Coaches will sit down and discuss the hurdles and any other problems preventing employees from meeting their health goals.

The only downside to hiring a health coach is the price. Depending on the size of your company, a health coach may or may not be a smart investment. Identify the needs of your company and then decide whether or not it’s a good idea to bring a health coach into the workplace.

Company-Sponsored Physical Activities

Lastly, company-sponsored sports and other physical activities are a great way to encourage better employee health. Perhaps you could have a 3-mile run every other Saturday? Or maybe your company could have a softball game with one department versus another? These are just a few of the many ideas for company-sponsored physical activities. Talk with your employees to find out what activities interests them.