A regular topic that has been coming up more and more in the field of human resources and employee development is the term ‘Occupational Health’. At a glance, human life and our day-to-day livelihood is comprised of ‘occupations’. These range from waking up and preparing a meal to getting work done at a traditional workplace. However, illnesses, sickness, social circumstances and other disabilities often get in the way of individuals participating in such occupations. That is where occupational therapy comes in. Therapists find meaningful solutions to difficult conditions and help the patient avoid illness and disabilities.

How does occupational therapy relate to the workplace?

If you ever talk to a successful business owner, they will verify the importance of workplace health and wellness for growth. This not only enhances the business strategy, but also goes a long way in establishing the reputation of the business as a socially responsible employer, eventually helping employee retainment.

Often, due to personal issues, mental and physical illnesses, overall work environment and other factors- employees will not be performing up to their optimal. This means lower productivity in higher potential employees. While letting this employee go seems like the easy fix, this significantly slows down business processes, degrades the employer’s reputation, and you end up losing talent.

How does it work?

The first thing a competent occupational therapist will do is understand both the employer and the employees in understanding of those goals. This will allow the professional to put them relative to each other on a scale and make the necessary adjustments. The employee’s ability to perform responsibilities is then assessed and factors that are getting in the way are identified. 

In the case of personal injuries or illnesses, occupational therapists will schedule workplace-based activities (grouped or personal) that will decrease risk of further injury and help recovery. Otherwise, workplace or home environment factors are considered and adjusted based on performance requirements. 

The proven benefits for the workplace

• Improved employer and employee emotional wellbeing at an interpersonal and professional level.
• Improvement of the quality of life of each employee by making sure factors out of their control are in their favor.
• Improvement of workplace mood, making the workplace a more fun and engaging place to work at. This in turn, increases employee motivation.
• In case of factors that cannot be changed, the employee is trained in acceptance. This allows the individual to better assimilate to the tragedy.
• The skill of the individual employee can be better evaluated at a company level. This allows for better employee assessment and helps HR make better hiring and promotion decisions.
• Skills can also be promoted via operational therapy. Working memory, communication, psychomotor and reflex are all skills that can be better trained under the vision of an Occupational therapist.
• Improved productivity of the workplace as a whole from management to employee level. 

According to most research, occupational therapy in the workplace can improve workplace productivity up to 75% and so hiring a therapist shouldn’t be too far down your business strategy list. And if you are looking to get occupational therapy in Denver, check out our partners today!