If you’re an employer reading this article, your blood pressure just shot up 20 points and you’re probably looking for my picture to put on your dart board. But before you start throwing darts, I am going to let you in on a secret that could virtually make my job obsolete. I am going to tell you the employer how to reduce workplace injury and illness, and have a more productive, money-making work force.

Yes, it’s true. Are you ready for the stunning revelation? Here it is: Promote and protect the health of your employees; it’s really that simple.

So why is this even an issue? Nothing is more important than your health. Stop 10 people and ask them if they agree. You will get 10 “yes” responses. Then ask those same 10 people how often they exercise, what they eat, and so on. You’ll get a lot of responses that don’t exactly match up with the first 10 “yes” responses.

This contradiction exists because “nothing is more important than your health” has been relegated to a cliché and it’s just not a priority. The only problem is, your health should be the priority.

We all spend inordinate amounts of time “maintaining” everything but our own bodies. We wouldn’t dare let more than 3,000 miles pass without changing the oil in our car. The thought of letting our lawn be anything less than golf course quality is just not acceptable. And the spot on our favorite sweater, well that has to be taken to the dry cleaners immediately.

Conversely, those few pounds that we need to lose can wait. It’s impossible to diet during (insert excuse anyway. We know we need to go to the doctor more, but who has the time? Besides, we don’t look that bad and as we get older, these things just happen, right?

This mindset is wrong. Right now our health is taking a back seat to everything else, and the result is affecting the workplace. Poor health causes lengthy recoveries from illness and injury. This in turn compromises productivity and the bottom line, every year. As productivity goes, so do profits. Yet, very little is done to maintain the health of a business’ most important money making component: its employees.

As I write this, I can just hear employers groaning: “Here we go again ... yet another burden on us the employers. How can we be expected to provide any more to our employees in a troubled economy?”

But, even in a troubled economy, an employer wouldn’t think about skipping on maintenance of his delivery vans. Computers in an office will have anti-virus software updated routinely. A restaurant will make sure that cooking equipment is cleaned and knives are sharpened. All of this time and money is spent on maintenance because you have to maintain those business components that make the money.

It makes all the sense in the world for business owners to help maintain the health of their employees. After all, employees are the most vital money making component of any business: the healthier your workforce, the more money you make. A healthier employee is less injury prone, recovers more quickly from injury and has more mental acuity. And isn’t that the type of employee that every business owner wants? Who wants the alternative? Which kind of employee do you think makes and saves a business the most money?

Provide flu shots. Work hard to offer the best health insurance plan.

Recognize employees for losing weight and urge them to stop smoking. As the owner, set the example by being in shape and eating healthy. This new way of thinking has to start from the top down. Unless the owners set the example, the employees will not follow.

Now, do people get sick and injured regardless of how healthy they are?

The answer is obviously yes. That is a fact of life. What I’m talking about are the above described factors within our control. We’re not taking advantage of what is in our control and are squandering the potential of our work force.

So there you go, employers of the world. I, the Worker’s Compensation lawyer, am doing my best to help you and make my job obsolete.

Hopefully now your blood pressure has returned to normal.