Sound Well-being = Sound Business

This week, we learnt that the company Bumble, was giving its staff a week’s paid leave off work.

Bumble, the dating app where women are in charge of making the first move, has temporarily closed all of its offices this week to combat workplace stress.   Its 700 staff worldwide have been told to switch off and focus on themselves.

One senior executive revealed on Twitter that founder Whitney Wolfe Herd had made the move “having correctly intuited our collective burnout”.   Bumble has had a busier year than most firms, with a stock market debut, and rapid growth in user numbers.

The company announced in April “that all Bumble employees will have a paid, fully offline one-week vacation in June”.   A spokeswoman for Bumble said a few customer support staff will be working in case any of the app’s users experience issues. These employees will then be given time off to make sure they take a whole week of leave.

A company is only as healthy as its employees. Yet with healthcare costs at an all-time high, the impact of poor health on employee productivity and company profits is leaving many business owners struggling to find a solution.

While many businesses have implemented internal wellness initiatives and begun educating their teams about the rising costs of healthcare, these small changes are not impacting the overall health of their workforce, says David Atkinson of Cooper Consulting Partners, a division of Dallas-based Cooper Aerobics. “To influence a true culture of wellness in a business, leadership must educate employees on rising healthcare costs and how an active lifestyle can contribute to the success of the company,” he says.

Cooper, which has developed several employee wellness programs, offers these tips for encouraging healthy practices at work.

Lead by example. Employees are more likely to participate in wellness programs if their executives and, more important, direct managers are already doing it.

Encourage quick health sessions. This can be as simple as a 15-minute stretch break or daily meditation.

Combine exercise and relationship building. Try a “Walk the Boss” program, where employees can connect with their bosses during short walks around the building or even stair climbing.

Encourage use of the stairs. Give public recognition to employees who complete a certain level of flights each month. Even something as small as painting the walls a bright color can make the climb more enjoyable.

Improve selections in the vending machines. Keep the foods and drinks that are better for increased energy and better for you. To manage vendor costs, price unhealthy options higher than the healthy ones.

Sources: BBC and Doctors Mehmet C. Oz and Michael F Roizen from Success.com