A Guide to Employee wellness and healthÂ
Despite the long-held belief that professional success equals personal fulfillment, we now know this is not the case. Success can bring pleasure, but the most important factor that keeps employees productive is their well-being and happiness. Companies should therefore create a work culture that promotes health in all aspects of employees’ lives. A good employer must keep its employees healthy and fit.
Health programs encourage employees to show up at work each day and enjoy their time there. This can have a huge impact on the company’s overall success. Fit and healthy employees not only increase productivity but also generate more revenue. Employee wellness programs can attract and keep employees who are trying to live healthier lives.
Continue reading to find out why companies should pay greater attention to employee wellness and how it can benefit everyone.
Benefits of employee wellness programs
Incentives, resources, support, privacy, and other methods are all part of employee wellness programs. Companies create employee wellness programs to improve the health and well-being of employees. These programs encourage employees to adopt healthy lifestyles. A few examples of employee wellness programs are:
- Supplying nutritious snacks and meals
- Allotting napping areas
- Investing in wearable activity monitors for employees
- Offering on-site and on-demand yoga and fitness classes
- Providing preventative health tests.
- Organizing workshops on stress management
Key benefits of employee wellness programs
The benefits of employee wellness programs extend to both employees and employers. Listed below are a few of them.
Wellness programs improve behaviour
Behavioral change is the key to any wellness program. Participating in a wellness program is a great way to develop good health habits and contribute to overall behavioral change. Healthy habits reduce health risks and chronic illness rates. Less chronic diseases mean lower healthcare costs for employers.
Increased retention
Employee wellness programs can help you address the problem of employee turnover and increase employee retention. About 51 percent of employees have expressed a desire to leave their current jobs in the coming years if their employers do not implement wellness programs.
Improved interpersonal relationships
Wellness programs reduce stress, fatigue, anxiety, and other factors leading to workplace conflict and bullying. They also improve employee interactions and reduce situations that lead to bullying.
The rise in employee morale
Wellness programs can positively impact employee morale and are a sign of goodwill from a company to its employees. Employees who take part in wellness programs are increasingly being offered cash incentives by organizations.
How can businesses improve their wellness programs?
As wellness programs become more widely accepted by businesses and the public, companies are developing new ways to improve the health of their employees. Here are some examples of innovative methods that businesses can use.
- Biometric screenings: Employers should promote biometric screenings so that employees have a clear understanding of their health. This will include information like weight, body mass index, and blood glucose levels. These are all indicators of how healthy they are.
- Incentives: Employers should consider offering incentives such as gift cards and cash bonuses, reduced premiums on insurance, and discounts for health products and services to encourage employees to participate in wellness programs.
- Wellness champions: Several organizations have found that having a wellness committee composed of well-respected wellness “champions” respected by their peers can help to inspire employees across the company. To promote the program’s goals, leaders can use email, flyers, and meetings.
Employee wellness and health initiatives at workplaces
An employee can perform their best at work if they are in a good physical and mental state. As a result, organizations have adopted employee wellness programs as a standard practice to attract top talent and retain staff. Some health initiatives that must be implemented in the workplace are listed below.
1. Healthcare at Work
While exercise is good for the immune system, there are other things that you can do to help your employees fight sickness. For instance, flu shots should be given throughout the winter. It is also a good idea to have a fully-stocked first aid kit and a private “wellness area” for individuals who wish to attend to their own personal health needs.
2. Facilitate Wellness Routines
Invest in biometric tests and make it easier for your employees to track their wellness. It may also prove beneficial for your staff to have a yoga instructor come into your office every few weeks to guide employees through a session.
3. Support Fitness Initiatives
Anybody who works over 40 hours per week in an office environment must make an effort to exercise and move around regularly. Some companies have an on-site fitness center or courses. To keep your employees engaged, you can also reimburse them for fitness-related expenses or encourage them to join after-work gyms. You can even encourage your employees to use wearable technology to track their activity and reward the most active ones.
4. Focus on Mental Health
Anxiety is a silent killer and can lead to serious health problems. Make sure your employees leave their workplaces at a reasonable time. Setting a closing time at your workplace is an option. Organizing yoga sessions can be effective in reducing stress and help employees stay focused.
5. Use Team-building Activities
Activities such as after-work jogging, reading clubs, and volunteer days will help bring people closer to each other and also create a fitness opportunity.
6. Encourage healthy eating habits
While nutrition is essential for overall health, it can be difficult to get the right nutrition because of time constraints. This is especially true when routines are disrupted (as was the case during the pandemic) or when workers have just returned from a long absence.
Employers should organize nutrition challenges and reward employees who develop healthy eating habits. Participants may be required to keep track of their food intake, attend nutrition lectures, and share their favorite foods with coworkers.
Ideas for employee wellness programs
Consider these successful initiatives if you are looking to improve employee well-being in your company.
Practicing mindfulness
Mindfulness training helps workers develop self-awareness and the ability to cope with everyday stresses. They will be able to notice how they feel in the moment and then analyze their emotions before reacting to them. Mindfulness facilitates self-realization, which helps employees to be more aware of their own and others’ emotions and react to stress better.
Health services
Teams should be supported by their organizations in getting the medical care they require to stay healthy and productive. Your company can help employees with a variety of services, including in-office flu vaccines, health coaching, and health risk assessments. Your employees will be happier and healthier because they know that you care about their well-being.
Recognizing and rewarding positive wellness
Health and wellness incentives should not be limited to mugs and t-shirts. Your company can award reward points to employees who meet certain milestones or reach wellness goals. The ability to exchange points for the goods or experiences they desire in a centralized rewards program will motivate employees to keep healthy behaviors at work and at home.
Flexibility and time-offs
Remote work is becoming more common, and employees must have the freedom to choose when and how they work. Employees may be allowed to work in the way that suits them best, without affecting their colleagues’ schedules. When given such privileges, employees are more likely to be happier and enjoy greater well-being.
Nutrition education
Our choices determine who we are. If workers rely on unhealthy comfort food, this may affect their health, and they may become disengaged and slow-moving. Make eating healthy, enjoyable, and easy for your employees. Educate and engage them with nutrition facts, and create awareness on the impact of having a wholesome nutritious diet.
Transit
Your workers’ choice of transport to get to work can impact both their health and the environment. Workers can choose to carpool, ride to work on a cycle, or take public transit to help reduce congestion. Encourage your employees and reward them if they take part in these wellness initiatives.
Steps To Implement An Employee Wellness Activity Program
Below are some basic steps to follow to create a workplace wellness program that works.
- Set goals that benefit the company and employees.
- Establish a group of committed people.
- Collect information and create a strategy.
- Communicate the objectives of your program.
- Collect comments and adjust the wellness program.
Employees are an important asset to any company. Keeping them in good health and well-being will allow them to perform at their best. The health and well-being of employees can have a direct impact on a company’s profitability and productivity. No matter how large your company is, there are many reasons that you and your employees may be able to benefit from greater attention to their happiness and health. Employee wellness programs are more than a nice bonus for employees. This is a cost-effective way to ensure that your employees are performing at their best. They increase productivity and lead to greater engagement, enhanced employee morale, better retention, and a decrease in health risks.