Four Apps, Sites and Devices for Healthy, Productive Employees

Reducing presenteeism and disability leaves is a focus for you. Maybe you’ve created a worksite wellness or smoking cessation program. Or maybe you’ve worked with an on-site consultant to help with an employee accommodation. But did you know that you might not have to look further than your phone or computer for additional ways to help employees?

There are a variety of apps, websites and wearable devices available to help your employees stay healthy and productive. And while I’m sure I could go on about these practical tools, here are two of my favorites:

For movement: StretchClock

I use this site myself, actually. This desktop time clock tells you when it’s time to get up and stretch. Old habits die hard, and this is an excellent nudge to adopt a routine of movement during the workday.

For an ergonomic workspace: The Human Solution’s Ergonomic Assessment Tool

This site provides a way to help employees obtain an ergonomically adjusted workstation. When you select the employee’s height, it calculates the proportionate seat height, monitor height and eye height to your computer screen based on an average somatotype. Keep in mind, though, that it is always good to have an ergonomist take the measurements to ensure that an employee has the correct workstation adjustments.

I also asked some of my fellow bloggers for their favorite health and productivity tools:

For preventing back pain: Lumo

“It’s a posture control device. You wear a strap around your waist, and every time you slouch, it will give you a vibration. You can see your posture on your phone, and the app will record the number of times you had poor posture — either while seated or standing. It will record how much you move and how long you’ve been seated, and it will give you a posture score. It’s pretty cool.” — Brian Kost

For a healthy body: Lose It!

“When it comes to productivity, weight issues cost us a lot. I highly recommend this free app for anyone who is trying to lose weight because it worked so well for me — I’ve lost 50 pounds so far! It helps me feel organized, I’m held accountable for what I eat and it helps me plan my calorie intake throughout the day.” — Alison Daily

For finding a consultant: RehabPro.org

“Not all disability carriers provide consultants, but you can still get your at-risk employees the help they need. We recommend using the International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals (IARP) website to find a local consultant when needed. An employer looking for someone to help an employee who is at risk for a disability or already on a medical leave can go to the website, put in the employer’s location and find consultants, such as vocational professionals with expertise in accommodations, ergonomics, case management or other areas.” — Sandy Witt

Of course, no app, website or wearable device can replace the expertise of a doctor, ergonomist or vocational professional. Even so, I believe that arming yourself and your employees with tools like these can have a positive impact on their well-being — and your bottom line.

What apps do you use to stay healthy and productive? Share your favorites in the comments.