Working in a Healthy Workplace: What Does It Mean to You?

Some time back, we did research on workplace health across US states and called it a Healthy Workplace Index. The index measured a lot of aspects of health and revealed some interesting findings.

However, the concept of what constitutes a healthy workplace can be subjective and varies from person to person. Some people may think it’s all about physical health, while others prioritize mental health and work-life balance.

Before 2023 comes to an end, I wanted to show you the brain-scratching findings we gathered this year. Let’s get to it.

The Healthy Workplace Index deal

The average person spends around 90,000 hours at work during their lifetime, which equates to 3,750 days or about 10 years. And, is it important that the place you spend 10 years of your adventurous life in is healthy for you?

So, the index had 4 categories: workplace policies and regulations, work-life balance, health and wellness, and environmental factors. These have 20 separate elements that I will go over in  a bit more detail later on.

All this chatter revolves around how your workplace tackles accidents, caters to your health quirks (flu vaccinations, family leaves), fights air pollution, and handles the nitty-gritty like employee assistance and embracing the occasional “I’m not feeling it today” mental health days.

Are you curious which state scored the best?

Either way, it’s New York. Apparently, the state boasts pretty healthy workplaces and genuinely cares about its employees, although no place is perfect. If you’re living in New York or planning your next move, the state is a pretty good place to work.

California isn’t far behind either, showcasing great results in work-life balance. Specifically, the state scored a perfect 100 in that category. But what does work-life balance even mean?

It means being able to manage your personal life without worrying about work, giving equal time and priority to personal and professional activities, and not being “always on.” Hence, if you’re into that, California is your guy.

About the pillars

Okay, so what do you think are the most important aspects of workplace health? No gossiping? Pizza Fridays? Private bathrooms for crying?

Hope not.

As I briefly mentioned previously, the 4 pillars consist of 20 elements, some of which are:

• Accident reporting
• Annual wage
• Paid family leave
• The average employee share of premium
• Flu vaccination
• Screening recommendations
• Poor physical and mental health days
• Annual child and elder care costs
• Air pollution
• Energy efficiency
• Smoking and binge drinking policies

And so on. You can choose your favorites.

I talked about New York and California as the best states to work at, but what about the worst according to the index?

In the race for the healthiest workplace environment, West Virginia has taken the title of “lowest state.” We’re talking about scores that make you raise an eyebrow or two: health and wellness? Big zero! Environmental factors? A modest 14! Work-life balance? A not-so-impressive 43! And don’t get me started on workplace policies and regulations – another 14 in the books.

Keeping this in mind, what would you do if you were working in West Virginia? There are some ways to take matters into your own hands. 

It’s important to prioritize both physical and mental health in the workplace. This means taking breaks when needed, having open and honest communication with colleagues and managers, and promoting a healthy work-life balance.

For instance, the index emphasizes that by having access to poor mental health days, employees can focus on their mental well-being, reduce stress, promote work-life balance, and increase overall mental health and job satisfaction. This is a great way to prevent employee burnout.

Where do I want to work?

Now, let’s talk about us peeps within Kilo Health.

It’s okay not to be perfect. We believe in making mistakes because that’s how we find solutions and learn valuable lessons.

Take, for example, the idea of bringing everyone back to the office. Soon, we realized that people nowadays don’t want to be in the office just because they have to be.

So, we changed our focus. We understood the need to create a good atmosphere and a sense of community that encourages people to come to the office willingly. Strict rules and restrictions won’t make people want to work on-site.

What’s really important is learning from our mistakes and growing. In a company landscape and personally.

If this mindset resonates with you, check out our careers page.

And, see you in my next one!

Ugne Jakaitiene

Ugne is a creative soul who adores all things artistic — writing, reading, exploring new realms of knowledge, and sharing her discoveries with others.

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