Lack of vitality is a hidden threat to the Dutch labor market. Absenteeism has been increasing for years. In 2018, it reached a peak of 4.2% of all hours worked. This means that out of every 1000 workdays, 42 are missed due to illness. Stress-related illnesses play an important role in this regard. According to TNO’s Working Conditions Balance Sheet, the combination of work-related absenteeism, disability and health care costs amount to approximately 9 billion euros per year for society. Therefore, vital employees are highly important for any company.
At the workplace, vital and healthy employees are more focused and less vulnerable to stress which increases overall performance. It improves creativity and stimulates innovative behaviour. In addition, it increases the quality of relations between colleagues as well as mental and physical well-being. In sum, vitality at the workplace leads to optimal and sustainable employability. It is a positive approach to reduce absenteeism and increase job performance.
Every company has different challenges which is why a structured approach for assessing vitality risks and opportunities is important. A well-implemented vitality program can have a ROI (return on investment) as high as 6 to 1!
How vital is your company?
To increase your company’s overall vitality, start by assessing factors that negatively affect vitality at the workplace. After that, you can focus on developing vitality strategies both for employers and employees. Some pointers are provided below.
Vitality factors:
* Lifestyle choices: active behaviour, nutrition, smoking
* Psychological factors: Autonomy, competence, relatedness
* Organizational culture: Interpersonal relationships and value orientation within the company
Employer vitality strategies:
*Pay proper attention to employee health
*Create a work environment to promote healthy behaviour
* Make sure that employees can move and relax during their breaks
* Clarify and communicate the company’s core values to clarify what is expected from your employees
* Promote social connections
* Offer a helping hand and be empathic to your employees
Risk assessment and vitality policy development
What does your company do to support vitality at work? Is there room for improvement? Elena Bartke recently strengthened the Ergomotion team. She is a psychologist with a specialization in “Occupational Health”. Elena ensures that you
can systematically gain insight into your company’s vitality levels. The ultimate goal is
to provide you with vitality strategies which have a positive impact on the functioning
of the organization in terms of sustainable employability, employee well-being and
performance. Do you want to know more about the possibilities or have a chat?
Elena Barkte
elena@ergomotion.nl