You’re a busy professional, always on the go and looking for ways to optimize your time. You’re always searching for new tools and methodologies to help you and your team perform at the highest level possible. But have you ever thought about how occupational therapy can help your business?
You’ve probably heard of occupational therapy about health care or children’s development. Still, you may not have realized that occupational therapy can also be a precious resource for businesses. Here are three ways that occupational therapy can help your business perform better:
Improve Workplace Ergonomics
If you want your employees to be productive, it’s essential to make sure that they’re comfortable. Poor ergonomics can lead to specific problems, including carpal tunnel syndrome. This particular syndrome affects the nerves in the wrist and can lead to pain, weakness, and loss of feeling.
Fortunately, occupational therapists can assess how your workplace is set up and develop solutions for improving its ergonomics. For example, they can help you find ways to remove potential hazards, such as computer monitors that are too high or low, and suggest other improvements, such as using a standing desk or making sure that furniture is arranged correctly.
Develop Custom Training
No two businesses are alike, which is why cookie-cutter training programs often fail. An occupational therapist can help you develop custom training programs tailored specifically to your business’s needs. This way, you can be sure that your employees are receiving the most relevant and practical training possible.
Many OTs can develop programs such as those that are based on adult learning principles. This allows employees to learn from the training and apply it to their work more effectively.
Enhance Employee Well-Being
Happy and healthy employees are more productive employees. That’s why it’s so important to focus on employee well-being. An occupational therapist can help you enhance employee well-being by developing programs that promote certain activities. Here are four ways they can improve overall employee well-being.
Provide One-on-One Therapy
Occupational therapists can provide individualized therapy sessions for employees who need them. For example, if one employee is struggling with a specific problem related to her job, she can meet with an OT to receive support and training in overcoming that problem. This one-on-one approach can benefit employees who need extra motivation or confidence to improve their performance on the job.
Physical Activity Programs
Another way that an occupational therapist can improve employee well-being is by leading physical activity programs and teaching employees how to exercise correctly. More and more employees are getting obese every day, and physical programs can help employees combat work stress and maintain a healthy weight, which is essential to overall health and wellness.
Nutrition Education
Occupational therapists can also provide education on proper nutrition, including information about which foods and beverages are good for the body and which ones to avoid. This can help employees make healthier choices in all aspects of their lives, including at work.
Assist with Meal Prep
If your employees struggle to find time to cook healthy meals daily, an occupational therapist can assist with meal prep. They can show employees how to cook in advance, so they can prepare healthy meals when needed.
Reduce Costs and Increase Productivity
Overall, occupational therapy can help businesses reduce costs and increase productivity. Whether looking to improve workplace ergonomics, develop custom training programs, or enhance employee well-being, an OT can be a valuable resource for any business.
How to Hire an Occupational Therapist?
When hiring an OT, you need to keep three things in mind. Here are those things:
Education
You first need to know whether the OT got the proper credentials or not. The best OTs come from the best occupational therapy colleges. Therefore, ensuring that the OT has a degree from an accredited occupational therapy school is essential.
Experience
The next thing you need to consider when hiring an OT is their experience level. Ideally, you want to work with an experienced therapist with various clients in different settings. This will help ensure that they have the necessary skills and knowledge to help your employees improve their health, well-being, and performance on the job.
Communication Style
One of the most important aspects of any working relationship is communication. Therefore, it’s crucial to consider an OT’s communication style when interviewing them or reviewing samples of their work. An effective therapist should be able to communicate succinctly and in a way that aligns with your company’s culture.
By keeping these critical considerations in mind when hiring an occupational therapist, you can ensure that you work with the best possible professional for your business needs.
If you’re looking to hire an occupational therapist for your business, follow the tips above. That way, you can hire the right therapist for your needs and help improve employee health, well-being, and performance in the workplace.