These 5 low-cost, high-impact strategies can make all the difference to the health and happiness of your team. Put them into place and see how the little things can make the biggest difference…

1. Acknowledge your staff as often as you can
I’m not just talking about the big party at the end of the year. I’m talking about gifts, Birthday and Christmas cards, personally addressed and hand-written notes, celebrations and of course, verbal acknowledgment. It costs nothing to say “Thank you. I appreciate what you did for me today” but it goes a long way toward creating an environment where staff feel recognised for what they do. Finding a way to give back to your team and acknowledging their input is the first step to creating a happy, healthy team. Do you have a formal rewards program for staff? If not, why not create one and let them know about it? Look for what they are doing right rather than what they are doing wrong and when you see it, celebrate it! Give them sincere praise immediately, be clear on precisely what is was they did, share your feelings and encourage them to keep up the good work.

2. Ban fast food in the workplace
This may sound like a harsh measure but why not set the standard in a big way? Think of this like a workplace health and safety measure similar to banning smoking on site.

Don’t be afraid to let your employees know what you’re doing to improve their health. “I don’t want you to get diabetes or die of heart disease people!” Put up signs on the staff noticeboard and circulate emails that explain the changes and why you are doing it. They may really appreciate your support in dietary changes.

3. Share your vision with your employees Do your people know where you want to take your business? Do they understand the importance of their role? Are they personally invested in making a difference? Do you communicate this regularly with your team? If yes, you are well on the way to a dynamic, supportive workplace culture that people will never want to leave. How about having a dream board in a place where everyone can see it? Or a visual chart of the progress toward the end goal with each team member represented?

4. Have a health program in place
Make sure each staff member knows why it’s there and what it can do for them so they can get easy access to health professionals and information when they need it. This minimises personal issues impacting on work and improves quality of life. Make sure they know it’s confidential and private. This doesn’t have to be a big expense and can take many forms. How about bringing a local health practitioner in to talk about simple nutrition at your next staff meeting? Or personal training once a fortnight for your team?

5. Have a weekly joke competition
Laughter truly can be the best medicine and it’s free! It’s also really, really good for our physical and mental health. It’s infectious, creates a sense of sharing and promotes happiness. Why not host some entertaining group physical activities? How much fun would a staff belly-dancing lesson be! Team building activities allow your staff to get to know each other, develop rapport and ultimately, work together as a more cohesive unit. Ask yourself how you can bring more fun into your workplace.

Improving the health and happiness of your team doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. Of course, there are some limitations (you can’t exactly follow people home and make sure they exercise or force them to seek help) but you can create a culture of health and understanding in your workplace – an environment where your staff know that you care and acknowledge the pressures they have in their everyday life outside of work. Your workplace can be an abode of sanity for your employees, a stable, supportive environment that recognises and celebrates individuality, a workplace your team feels proud of and a workplace they can look forward to being part of every single day.