Business of Well-being

Workplace Wellness In Motion

These are the facts.

Motion is life and life is motion. Business in motion creates profits. Stagnant businesses lose money. Employees in motion create thriving companies. Stagnant employees lose money and create no profit. Employers in motion provide environments that are profitable and conducive to optimum employee performance in business and in life.


Stagnant employers have ailing workforces and increased expenses due to poor production, absenteeism, failing sales and inadequate service. Here is the problem. What keeps companies in motion? You would think it's the people driving the company like the president or the CEO, but it's not. That's right, the employees keep the company in motion...


NOT the employers or owners or shareholders or executives or anyone other than the employees. Just ask any employer this question. Is it easier to get an employee to do something you want him to do or something he wants to do? It's a no brainer, regardless of the incentive or consequence. The employees run the show. What is the relevance?


Let's say you're a progressive employer and you believe in workplace wellness as you should. So you get new ergonomic workstations; you have a nurse come in monthly to check on health concerns like blood pressure, blood sugar, weight and smoking; you create a relationship with a gym for reduced membership fees; you get rid of the pop machines and provide healthy snack options in the lunch room. Now what?


How do you obtain compliance? Do you tell everyone to utilize these services at a set appointed time? And if they don't utilize them, what are the consequences? What are the incentives? How are they monitored? No one likes to be told what to do. No one likes to be watched. Even if it's good for them, when the directive comes from someone else it always seems like it's to someone else's benefit, like the employer.


"They're doing it to improve profits, get more out of us and make us happy here to do our work". TRUE! But it's also going to help lower the risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and stress, depression...all of which are good for work and great for life! Guess what...no one cares. And here's why.


The first people in a company to take advantage of wellness initiatives are the well people. They are the ones who already eat decently, go to the gym, read books to relax and use their massage benefits yearly. The last to take part are those who eat lunch every day at McDonalds, live sedentary lives, are on the computer at work and at home and wouldn't see a massage therapist, chiropractor, personal trainer or psychologist if they were paid.


The people that might care don't care because they already care. The people who won't care have never cared and aren't about to start now...especially under your provision. So what's an employer to do? Change the game. Employers also know that health and wellness programs tied into the fabric of the company create alluring hiring features that attract top quality candidates and also retains them better.


It's no longer about getting people to change what they do and who they are so you can get more out of them. It's now about giving people what they want so they will naturally participate, want to be there and perform like an employer's dream workforce! If you build it, they will come because you built if for them...not you. As an employer, I know what you're saying. "I've tried this. I've asked them what they want. They said they wanted weight loss.


So I brought in the nutritionists, the personal trainers and dedicated 600 square feet for an onsite "gym". No one uses it!" Sure. You had success for a while. People even attended the lunch and learn sessions. Some treadmills were seen in use in the morning and at lunch. Then human nature kicked in and the numbers decreased. Not even the "healthy" people at work would use it because they were already going somewhere else for fitness.


Now there's a room full of stuff that could be housing another dozen employee workstations instead! You tried a point system, prizes, newsletters and mandatory weigh ins. Nothing came of it. And last month's profits were still off 5% from last year! The economy is hurting and the time and resources no longer allow for a company focus on wellness. Because you asked, they answered. But it was still just for you. There is no need to ask. We know what the problems are. We know what the solutions are.


Do everything you can as a business to help with these problems and then let the people know the solutions are available if they want. At no cost to them with no expectations. What's the difference you ask? It's all in the fundamentals. Everyone who smokes knows it's bad for them. Telling them will not make them quit. They have to decide to quit and take action. What do they need to do that? A supportive environment provided by someone who is setting an example.


They look for a progressive leader who is going where people have a hard time going on their own. Weight issues, depression problems, back pain and stress are all the same in some respects. No one wants them; everyone knows they're not healthy. They just have to make a decision to change. And people change when opportunity meets action.


Given the opportunity, people will act when the time is right for them...not for you.Now get started. Stop asking questions. Stop keeping track. Do what is naturally right and what is naturally right will then take care of itself...and the business and its bottom line will grow. Have faith. Believe. And you will see. Motion is life and business is motion. Keep your business and the employees alive and it will thrive.

Company Bio

Time Health Management is a corporate health and wellness company operated by Dr. David Koivuranta. It is founded on over a decade's worth of experience and knowledge derived from treating employees suffering from ergonomic stress, strain and disease. It's time to manage your corporate health, visit www.timehealthmanagement.com and receive a free business evaluation. Learn why our workplace wellness solutions make sense. For more information email drdave@timehealthmanagement.com or call 416-697-7918. Ask us about our 5 minute onsite ergonomic and stress reducing system that should be found in every successful business.

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