We all want to be healthy and this is something that extends to employees. All but the most regressive of bosses will realise the benefits of keeping workers happy and illness-free, but what can you actually do to make this a reality?

The fact is, you want the maximum productivity out of your staff base – that’s the ultimate aim of an employer after all – but how can you balance this with healthy, contended personnel that don’t feel overly stressed?

Easy – lifestyle benefits! This article will list some of the more common perks on the market, but you can find out more here if you want a more in-depth overview.

Cycle to Work scheme

Cycling to work can really seem like a chore in the mornings. Getting up earlier just to dance between HGVs, angry taxi drivers and potholes doesn’t exactly seem glamorous, but the truth is much different.

You see, increased government investment in cycle paths and other infrastructure to help bike-saddled commuters has made the experience much more pleasurable. Motorists are increasingly becoming aware of cyclists and will likely give you enough space to complete your journey to the office in peace.

But buying a new bike can put newcomers off and, despite the proven health benefits of commuting into work using this mode of transport, only a tiny minority take this option.

Cycle to Work schemes help to break this trend and offer employers the chance to give their workers discounted bikes, which can be paid for through a VAT-free salary sacrifice system. This is great in helping people on the fence about getting more exercise on their commute to come over to the dark side of the force. Or, well, the light side. You get the point…

Health screenings

Health screenings are another great way of helping to keep your personnel on top of any potential medical problems.

There are a number of private medical companies that offer annual, or biannual, meetings with GPs. Occasionally these include blood tests and urine examinations so that mineral deficiencies, diabetes, or other easily spotted diseases, are diagnosed as quickly as possible, but this can sometimes incur added expense.

Quite simply, we all know the NHS is struggling at the moment and those of us unlucky enough to have tried to book a GP appointment in the last few years will probably have experienced a lengthy wait.

Cutting this down through the use of private providers like Bupa and AXA could really help you in this regard and using a third-party benefits company could net you a special discounted rate, especially if you have a large personnel-base.

Dental care

Dental care can be really expensive in the UK and any of us that have had a toothache and tried to get emergency care in the last few years will know that it can really test your patience.

Working through agonising pain while trying to give a presentation on sales volumes can be a real drag and can, or, pretty much will, destroy productivity. To avoid this issue, sign your workers up with a plush private practice that will see them quickly and get that troublesome tooth out in no time.

That presentation on sales volumes will still probably be horrible though. No dentist can fix scatter diagrams and pie charts – no matter how hard they try!