Why is employee wellness important?
A successful wellness program can help businesses across the board. Take a look at some statistics for implementing a wellness program within the workplace:- Double employee engagement rates (Bamboo HR)
- Reduce sick days by up to 6 days per year (Bamboo HR)
- 91% of workers at companies that support wellbeing feel motivated to do their best (American Psychology)
- Organizations with higher levels of engagement are 22% more productive (Bamboo HR)
- For every dollar companies spend on wellness, they can save $2.73 in reduced absenteeism (Wellsteps)
- Create 50% higher revenue per employee (Bamboo HR)
- Reduce stress and increase positive communication among employees (Forbes)
- 20% of employees would trade a pay rise for better health coverage (Integrity Data)
Employee wellness program ideas for small businesses
If you’re working at a startup or a relatively small business, you have a few advantages. Habits are often not hard set, your workforce is agile and adaptable, and people expect your culture to be ever-evolving.People often know that funding and financial resources are not always on a startup or small company’s side. There’s no harm in implementing those wellness programs that are low-cost; they can still be high reward. Types of wellness programs you can consider are:SocialBuddy systems, culture onboarding, free staff team building activities, religious rooms, and cultural inspired hangouts.FinancialCompany stipends, self-study hours, discounts on courses, financial resources, company shares options.CommunityA positive initiative committee, positive impact initiatives.Employee wellness program ideas for large corporates
Corporates are often in a better position to be able to source funding for wellness programs. However, getting buy-in can be tougher. Depending on the size, and often the age of your corporate will determine how easy it is for you to get your initiative pushed forward.Take into account that you’re creating new work lifestyles that are out to break old, comfortable habits. Buy-in from employees themselves may be tricky as well. Types of wellness programs for corporates can be:SocialMentor or buddy programs, cross-department meet & greets, company-wide team-building events.FinancialFinancial wellness enables other aspects of health management. Annual bonuses, contributions to savings, pension plans, yearly reviews, money management & financial literacy classes, company discounts and perks, student loan support.CommunityCompany donations in names of best-performing employees, global green initiatives.Wellness program ideas for employees who travel
Business travel may seem glamorous to those members of staff new to the task, but it can be tiring both physically and mentally for the employees who have to do this consistently. Travel wellness is becoming essential to many companies’ travel policies. In fact, the quality and frequency of business travel directly affect the retention rate of employees. Given that many employees who travel are valuable sales or account management staff, it is no wonder that many companies have put additional perks and wellness programs in place for these staff.Bleisure travelBleisure travel, i.e. extending a work trip to include vacation days, so to take advantage of the destination. Some companies permit employees to extend their stay and either take vacation days or have one day as a free vacation day. Bleisure has become a new corporate standard and has shown to keep employees motivated for upcoming trips.International Gym membershipsFor traveling employees, fitness can be key to their general wellbeing, made difficult by having their routine changed by the demands of travel. Some companies such as AndJoy or TrainAway, offer the perfect solution for international travelers.Healthy food subsidyAnother way to encourage employees to eat right when on the road, is to offer extra budget for meals in the healthy range. Some employers simply ask the employee to tag the meal as a health choice in their expenses in order to receive the extra budget. This nudging effect, promotes more healthy meals and less fast foodMental health wellness programs for all company types
Mental health is at the forefront of employer branding today. People need to know you’re supporting mental health issues and following through with your word. Ensure that your company and its employees are as equipped as they can be to support mental health among each other.By actively enforcing mental health programs into your workplace, you will be able to:- Reduce employee health care costs
- Reduce sick days
- Achieve greater employee productivity
- Reduce disability and compensation costs
- Improve general morale and employee loyalty
Some useful resources when considering a mental health wellness program:A few mental health wellness programs you can consider:5. The act of being grateful
An easy win but often overlooked. Encourage the act of being grateful among employees. Make sure this is part of their daily or weekly culture- to be thankful for another employee or external stakeholders. Highlight great work and let leadership sing about success that is not only based on numbers but kindness.7. Fight Seasonal Affective Disorder
We don’t all need company retreats to be booked in when the weather is getting us down. Consider other ways you can help your workforce fight SAD. Introduce therapy lamps in offices or find other ways to make sure employees get the daylight they need to live a healthier lifestyle.Fitness wellness programs for all companies
ASICS have hit the nail on the head with their slogan sound mind, sound body. One helps the other, and one does not come without the other. By introducing a fitness wellness program to your business, you’ll ensure healthier and happier employees.Some ideas you can consider implementing:1. An office sports league
Find a sport that a few of your employees play - or if they don’t play, it will be interesting too. Create a league within that sport with other companies in the area. Create a volleyball, football, or even ultimate frisbee league.Keep your employees fit, encourage team-building, and provide social networking opportunities while you’re at it.2. On-site sports facilities
This largely comes down to the budget and resources you have available. On-site sports facilities like gyms are a huge wellness benefit. However, if you’re not in a position to implement these, consider gym discounts, online meditation or yoga classes, or access to other sports facilities near your employee’s homes.4. Access to healthy ways of travel
Try to eradicate driving to work where you can. Consider introducing a wellness benefit that includes free or discounted access to other forms of transport like bikes, scooters, skates, or even a good pair of walking shoes.8. Some useful fitness wellness software:
Grokker empowers your workforce to take control of their wellbeing — no matter where they are.Rewards your employees for living well.Total Well-Being Technology.Your team’s step challenges made simple.How to implement an employee wellness program
Deciding to implement an employee wellness program is one thing, but implementing it is something else entirely. Follow these steps to ensure you have the best chance of implementing a successful employee wellness initiative.- Perform a company-wide qualitative and quantitative analysis
- Set KPIs and goals
- Get Key stakeholders on board
- Create a wellness committee
- Get a budget
- Identify external partners to support your initiatives
- Create incentives and rewards for employees
- Form a communication plan and onboarding
- Evaluate and optimize
How to measure and analyze an employee wellness program
There are different ways to measure the success of your wellness program, both quantitative and qualitative. It’s something you’ll need to decide on when you’re creating KPIs and goals for your initiative.An employee feedback survey is a great way to get your ear to the ground and find out the effects of your efforts. If you’re using any software, then that software will also come with reporting tools you can utilize.Going back to the beginning of this article, look at the hard numbers of your business. Have you seen a notable increase in productivity or employee engagement? Have your health care expenses decreased, job application rates increased, or is the business overall more profitable?Many factors can come into consideration when you’re summing up these numbers, so what’s most important is you track the dates you implement specific actions and consider the lead and effect time it will take to show in your figures. Report smartly, create actionable insights, and keep your employee wellness programs thriving.