When you have healthy employees, your company reaps the benefits. A correctly designed wellness program can increase productivity, boost moral and reduce stress. Wellness programs help employees make smart and healthy choices that can reduce health care costs, increase vitality and diminish absenteeism. In general, the costs of implementing a wellness program are minimal compared to the benefits.
Definition of Wellness Program
A wellness program is any program implemented by an employer to improve the health of its labor force. A good wellness program also helps “individual employees overcome specific health-related issues,” reports Gaebler. You can provide mandatory staff training, employee seminars or even operate through a third-party provider with a range of programs. Often, employers are willing to foot the bill because health and wellness directly affect productivity and profits.
Considerations
A 2005 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey revealed that among Texas adults, roughly 28 percent reported not engaging in any physical activities during the preceding month, reports the Texas Department of State Health Service. According to other DSHS numbers, “more than 61 percent of adults and 35 percent of school-age children in Texas are overweight or obese.” Important health indicators, such as body mass index, cholesterol and blood sugar levels “have spiralled to unhealthy levels in many workers,” says Chris Henry in a May 29, 2010, article in the “Kitsap Sun”: Employee Wellness Programs: The Work Perk That Really Works? Modern employees are suffering from long days in front of a computer screen or behind a desk with lots of stress and little physical activity. Employers are starting to notice the effect on their bottom line and this leads to an increased focus on wellness programs.
Benefits
Employers benefit from having healthy employees. Employees benefit from being healthy and having the assistance they need to address and maintain personal wellness. Many employees show weight reduction and improved physical fitness and stamina through company wellness programs. Reports also show an increase in well-being, self-image and self-esteem, while at the same time resulting in a decrease in stress.
Incentives
Beyond concern for the health of your employees, wellness programs make sense for purely practical reasons. Soon after inception of a wellness program, Gaebler points out, you should see a drop in absenteeism and sick days. Wellness programs also reduce the number of work-related injuries and repetitive strain injuries. That means fewer worker’s compensation claims, which saves both you and your insurer money. According to Gaebler, “a more reliable workforce will inevitably translate into a smoother work cycle and a more robust bottom line.” Henry cites a study by the Washington State Health Care Authority documenting a nationwide three-to-one return on each dollar invested in an employee wellness program.
Features
Wellness programs can cover a wide range of health-related issues. It’s entirely up to you to tailor your company’s program to meet the needs of your employees. Most programs offer at least some of the following options: nutrition, physical fitness, a quit-smoking program, physiological testing such as cholesterol and blood pressure screening, and stress management.
10 Great Examples of Workplace Wellness Programs
- On-site fitness centres
- Smoking cessation programs
- Transit options
- Paramedical services
- Yoga classes
- Lunch and healthy snacks
- Employee assistance programs
- Naps
- Wellness adventures
- Weight loss challenges
What are the benefits of a wellness program?
It can be hard to see the advantages of an employee wellness program at first glance. But the truth is healthy employees bring an array of benefits to the businesses they work for. Here are a few benefits of having an employee wellness program.
More productive employees
There are numerous studies that suggest a healthy lifestyle correlates with increased productivity. Don’t believe us? Next time you hit a rut, get your heart rate up and you’ll likely get back in the zone.
Less office stress
Too many people and companies accept workplace stress as the norm. But it leads to burnout, which can result in higher employee turnover.
Less colds, flu and other illnesses
Everyone knows healthy practices prevents illness. And business proceeds as usual when less sick days are taken.
Fewer office-related injuries
Taking a break to exercise or just stretch prevents common office injuries, resulting in fewer worker compensation claims.
Happier employees
Offering a wellness program leads to happier employees. They’ll appreciate the benefit and be generally positive because they’re leading a healthy life.
What to include in an employee wellness program?
Gym membership reimbursements or office yoga classes might come to mind when someone thinks of an employee wellness program. These are great activities to offer but a quality program can include so much more. Here are some activities and benefits you can offer that cover all areas of employee health.
Fitness activities
Anyone who works 40+ hours per week in an office setting needs to find time to move around and exercise. Some companies are fortunate enough to have an on-site gym or fitness classes but these perks aren’t feasible for most.
You can instead reimburse employees for fitness-related purchases or encourage your staff to form after-work exercise groups. Another idea is to use Fitbits or other wearable technology to track the activity of your employees and reward the most active people.
General health benefits
Exercise is good for the immune system but there is more you can to do to help your employees fight off illness.
During the winter, you can offer flu shots and make it known that employees are to stay home if they have a bug. It’s also a good idea to have a stocked first aid kit and a private “wellness room” where people can tend to personal health needs.
Mental health & stress-release activities
Stress is a silent killer that can trigger serious health problems. It also goes hand-in-hand with mental health issues like depression and anxiety.
First and foremost, make sure no one is burning the candle on both ends. You can institute an office closing time to ensure everyone leaves at a reasonable hour. You can also require employees to take time off when they’ve incurred a certain number of PTO days.
And you can of course offer activities like yoga classes and massages that help people with mindfulness while working.
Social activities
Some employees prefer to sweat and blow off steam on their own and that’s totally fine. However, they still may enjoy activities that help them get to know their colleagues better.
Consider offering social activities like an office book club, game nights and whatever else your employee enjoy doing. Smiling and laughing is an important part of health too.
Community service activities
Many people feel good when they help others. Doing good deeds is fulfilling and can help keep things in perspective.
You can organize a volunteer day for your staff to go into the community and help out. You can also encourage your employees to organize groups and fundraisers for causes that mean a lot to them.
Team building activities
One of the secondary benefits of a wellness program is that many of activities strengthen the bonds between team members.
An after work jogging group, a book club and volunteer days will all make your employees closer than they were before.
How to create an employee wellness program?
Now that we’ve covered the benefits of a wellness program and what to include, let’s talk about how you can implement a successful program. Here are some basic steps for getting an employee wellness program going in your workplace.
Set goals that benefit the company & staff
Creating a wellness program is a fun project but don’t lose sight of why you’re doing it. Make sure every part of your program benefits both the company and staff.
Form a team to create the employee wellness program
Creating a comprehensive wellness program can take a lot of work and a long time so it’s a good idea to put a team on the project. The team will likely be led by HR but should also include executives, people from finance and others who are interested in promoting a healthy workplace.
Get to work planning the program
With your team in place, start planning what your program should look like. Form a budget, research ideas and get input from your employees. When the time is right, call a company-wide meeting to announce the new wellness program and get into the details. Make sure your employees know everything it includes so they can they can get the most out it.
Get feedback and optimize your wellness program
A successful employee wellness program is never done. Your team should always be open to feedback and new ideas so the program improves and employees get even healthier.
Healthy employees means a healthy business
An employee wellness program is more than just a cool employee perk. It’s an effective way to ensure your employees are in the right shape to do their best work.