Fit and healthy employees are more productive.
How do you help your staff with their wellbeing?
There are heaps of options to look after physical and mental wellbeing. We’ve rounded up a few resources for you and your team (don’t forget you are part of the team if you are employed by your company – different rules for sole traders).
Physical wellbeing:
Paying for a gym membership for your staff is a possibility, however Fringe Benefits Tax is likely to apply. Ask your tax agent to show you potential costs. ATO examples and calculation methods here: https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/Fringe-benefits-tax/Types-of-fringe-benefits/Entertainment-related-fringe-benefits/common-entertainment-scenarios-for-business/
Team bonding / Golf day. A golf day is recreation entertainment. It is a social event and the purpose is for people to enjoy themselves. says ATO. Expect Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) to be levied.
Spa Day. Same as golf day – extra tax is likely to be payable.
Gift hampers. You may trigger FBT, but some occasions like birthdays/wedding/babies can be exempted.
Birthday leave – help staff celebrate their birthday with an extra day of leave to do something fun just for themselves.
Mental Wellbeing:
Heads Up / Beyond Blue says:
Healthy workplaces promote mental health and wellbeing. They are positive and productive, and get the best out of everyone in the workplace. Businesses that care about good mental health and wellbeing attract and keep top talent because they’re great places to work. The facts are clear: as well as benefiting employees, a mentally healthy workplace is also better for your bottom line.
Improving workplace mental health is in everyone’s interests, and we all have a role to play. Both employers and employees have formal rights and responsibilities under discrimination, privacy, and work health and safety legislation.
More: https://www.headsup.org.au/healthy-workplaces/for-employers
Beyond Blue has special support for small business owners
Beyond Blue’s NewAccess for Small Business Owners is a guided self-help mental health coaching program.
It’s free, confidential and convenient. Available nationally by phone or video call, no GP referral is required.
Check it out here: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/newaccess-mental-health-coaching/newaccess-for-small-business-owners
Black Dog Institute says:
Workplace well being is good for people and businesses
When our workplaces are mentally healthy, we see enormous benefits to individual employees and to the business itself, such as:
– Enhanced work performance and productivity. We perform at our best when we have high levels of psychological wellbeing and job satisfaction.
– Improvements for your company’s bottom line. Reduced staff turnover, recruitment and training costs; fewer sick days and presenteeism (being at work but not able to work at capacity); greater productivity and creativity are all good for your business – increasing revenue and decreasing costs.
– Improvements to your wellbeing. Work instills us with a sense of purpose, provides social networks and supports, gives opportunities to grow and develop, and helps us achieve in areas of strength – all important contributing factors to our wellbeing.
– Helping recovery. For those of us living with mental illness, work can play an important role in helping us recover. Many mental illnesses we see in the workplace are treatable, and in some cases, preventable.
– Attracting (and keeping) great talent. Businesses that invest in mental health are more likely to attract and retain the best and brightest. The culture of workplace wellbeing has many flow-on effects to individuals, businesses and the community.
More: https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/resources-support/wellbeing/workplace-wellbeing/
Mental & Physical wellbeing:
Why not join a workplace challenge to support a charity?
Coastrek, Australia’s most iconic charity hiking challenge for women. https://www.coastrek.com.au/
Pushup challenge for mental health https://www.thepushupchallenge.com.au/workplaces
Be Active. Uniting Australians to take action against the growing number of lives lost to suicide. https://fundraise.lifeline.org.au/be-active-be-the-answer
ACRF Run Regardless for breakthrough cancer research. https://www.acrf.com.au/get-involved/marathons-sporting-events/
Do it for heart – create your own challenge to fight heart disease. https://www.doitforheart.org.au/challenge
class=”css-xznnej block–text-color-is-light block–text-color-is-white css-novr6x”>The Workout Challenge 5000 reps over 25 days get fit and help stop human trafficking. https://theworkoutchallenge.org/
Shake it up challenge for Parkinsons. https://shakeitup.org.au/get-involved/physical-challenges/
Can’t decide? Lots of charity challenges can be found here https://www.humachallenge.com/Find-a-Challenge
Is there one little thing you can do this month to improve the health and fitness of your employees (including you)?
