Winter means colds, flus, diarrhea, lost time from work, trouble meeting deadlines, and low employee morale.

It happens in every office to varying extents.

But some offices learn how to optimize employee wellness so they mitigate these issues and don’t run into serious business problems as a result.

Here’s a couple strategies to consider to keep your employees healthy, motivated, and productive this winter:

1. Proper Handwashing Procedure

Yes. One of the first things you learned as a child actually remains important into adulthood.

The National Institute of Mental Health actually has a study which shows that a properly implemented hand hygiene program reduced workplace absenteeism by 20%.

What changes were made?

Alcohol-based hand sanitizer was made available in high-traffic common areas of this particular workplace (near the elevator, coffee area, breakroom, conference room, and other areas).

An 8-ounce bottle or Purell Advanced hand sanitizer and a 100-count canister of Purell Wipes were placed in each cubicle.

Each employee got a 1-ounce bottle of Purell Advanced hand sanitizer to keep with them.

The restrooms offered GOJO Green Certified Foam Handwash and alcohol-based hand sanitizer from GOJO and Purell.

Employees watched a 1-minute video training them on proper handwashing procedure. And “Wash Your Hands” signs were placed at the entrance and exits of restrooms.

And that’s how the 20% reduction in absenteeism was achieved.

2. Healthy Food Ideas

What’s your favorite holiday food? It’s probably not a healthy one, is it?

Refined sugar, found in many favorite holiday treats, can pull you out of a deep sleep during the night, leaving you feeling exhausted during the day.

You won’t necessarily wake up. But you won’t get the deep, restful, REM sleep.

And because refined sugar affects orexin cells, which help regulate your energy levels, eating too much leads to energy peaks and valleys.

Besides obvious sources of refined sugar like cakes, pies, cookies, and candy, you can also consume it in barbecue sauce, spaghetti sauce, and canned fruit.

Totally switching the company snacks from beloved refined sugar to carrots and cucumbers may be hard to pull off.

But, you may be able to get some success by explaining the benefits of eating healthier food to your employees and then offering those as an alternative to the refined sugar treats you normally have available.

You probably haven’t heard these ideas offered in too many workplaces, or in this great of detail.

Yeah. They’re ahead-of-the-curve.

But companies who lead the pack do things few others have the willingness to do.