Getting sick is part of life. For retailers, sick or injured employees can lead to extra costs and a loss of productivity and efficiency. In 2019, the Integrated Benefits Institute found that illness-related work absences cost employers nearly $3,900 per employee and a total of 1.5 billion days of lost productivity.
Employees will always have to take some sick days in a year, but there are steps that employers can take to minimize the impact and protect their bottom lines by encouraging healthier employees, both mentally and physically, through workplace wellness programs. Getting started with a workplace wellness program can be a challenge for many retailers, especially smaller operations without dedicated human resources employees. Fortunately, numerous resources exist to help businesses of all sizes implement and manage a workplace wellness program.
- Promoting Healthy Workplaces, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- Workplace Health Model, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Essential Elements of Effective Workplace Programs and Policies for Improving Worker Health, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
- How to Establish and Design a Wellness Program, Society for Human Resource Management
The North American Hardware and Paint Association also offers numerous operations, training and HR resources to help your independent business. For more information on what NHPA has to offer, click here.
