Having productive employees is crucial to success in the corporate world. If your workforce is healthy physically and psychologically, performance is at its peak. Wellness programs are commonplace because they benefit employers and employees alike and create work-home balance.
What is a Wellness Program?
Wellness programs are a combination of health screenings, nutrition coaching, behavioral interventions and fitness training. They are usually managed by a third party and are designed to meet the individual needs of the participants.
Needs Assessment
Your employees are the ones who will utilize these programs, so it is beneficial to create a questionnaire asking them what their health concerns are and how they would like to address them. Would they prefer individual or group activities? Are there any employees who would be willing to mentor or be useful in another way? How do employees want to receive notifications and updates -- memos, emails, wellness calendar, posters? It is imperative that your employees are the focus.
Types of Programs
The only limit to a wellness program is the amount of time and effort you'd like to invest. Smoking cessation, stress management and healthy living programs are popular. Common types of groups employees can join include walking, weight loss, yoga, cooking, nutrition and sports leagues. Caring about your employees creates a more loyal and responsible workforce.
Additional options to consider are hiring a massage therapist, instituting mandatory nap breaks or offering cash back for at-home fitness purchases (similar to tuition reimbursement). Any activity that encourages people to take steps to prevent the onset or worsening of an illness and helps build healthier lifestyles is a great addition to your program.
Environmental Support
To reinforce these healthy patterns, make sure your work environment supports success. Make your facility non-smoking, provide flextime and showers for exercising, get rid of candy and soda machines and replace with healthy alternatives. Create a core group of employees who are in charge of instituting challenges -- who can lose the most weight, share the most recipes, or log the most time in the gym. Recognizing these accomplishments, no matter how small, is a great morale booster.
Employee Benefits
Benefits of wellness programs for employees include: weight loss; improved physical and mental fitness; increased concentration and energy level; decreased stress; increased lifestyle and self-image; and decreased insurance premiums for participation.
Employer Benefits
Benefits of wellness programs for employers include: employee retention and less turnover; reduced health care costs; decreased use of sick leave; reduced employee absenteeism; improved employee relations and morale; increased productivity and work performance; and more harmonious work environment.
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