Implementing employee wellness at work programs used to be about offering various healthcare benefits. However, it means so much more to support your employees’ well-being.

Wellness at work now encompasses a holistic approach to health, focusing on mental, emotional, financial, and physical health.

We’ll explore what wellness at work means, why every company should implement it, and how to develop a wellness program that you and your employees will love.

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What Is Wellness at Work?

Wellness in the workplace refers to promoting healthy habits and environments within a workplace—physically, mentally, and emotionally. This can include offering healthy food options, encouraging regular exercise, providing resources for mental health support, and creating a work environment conducive to overall well-being.

The goal of wellness at work is to help employees maintain a healthy work-life balance and improve their overall health and well-being. This can ultimately lead to increased productivity and job satisfaction, as well as reduced absenteeism and healthcare costs for the employer.

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Why Wellness Should Be a Top Priority

There are several reasons why wellness at work should be a top priority.

First and foremost, promoting wellness in the workplace can help employees maintain a healthy work-life balance and improve their overall health and well-being, leading to increased productivity, job satisfaction, and engagement. In addition, when employees are healthy and happy, they are less likely to need time off work due to burnout or illness.

Wellness programs can also help improve company morale and culture, leading to better employee collaboration and teamwork. Additionally, in today’s competitive job market, offering wellness programs can be a valuable benefit that can attract and retain top talent and help employees feel satisfied in their positions.

Overall, prioritizing wellness in the workplace can have numerous benefits for employees and employers—prioritizing wellness at work is a win-win.

Benefits of a Wellness at Work Program

Implementing a wellness at work program can bring your organization many benefits, from higher engagement and productivity to better company culture.

Stress in the workplace can cause absenteeism and a lack of engagement—addressing mental health with a wellness-at-work program can help decrease your employees’ stress.

And when you can help them manage their stress, you’ll notice fewer signs of burnout in your employees and lower absenteeism rates. These factors can lead to better relationships between coworkers and more successful projects.

Moreover, over half of employees notice a connection between their productivity and well-being.

Committing to workplace wellness shows your employees that you value their happiness and health; over time, this approach will reflect your company culture, attracting new talent and rewarding loyal employees.

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Elements of an Employee Wellness Program

A successful wellness at work program requires four key elements:

• You must inform your employees about the program and encourage them to participate.

• Implement goals and challenges that appeal to a diverse crowd and address various areas of well-being.

• Your managers and leadership figures must also participate in the program, making employees more likely to try the benefits you offer.

• Ask your employees for feedback to understand how they are doing, how the program has benefited them, and what additional services they would like to see.

How to Start a Wellness Program at Work

A successful wellness at work program is constantly evolving—you don’t need to build it all out right now. Instead, start small and encourage your employees to embrace healthy lifestyle habits.

Here’s how to create a wellness at work program your employees will love:

Talk to Your Employees

Ask your employees (preferably anonymously through an online survey) what wellness services they would benefit most from. In addition, find out if they would like on-site resources or referrals and reimbursement for off-site resources.

Letting your employees lead the way for your wellness program is a surefire way to ensure it’s successful.

Find Program Sponsors

Next, find which employees are most passionate about their well-being and your new wellness program. Executive buy-ins are essential to a successful wellness at work program.

These sponsors can contribute by showing healthy behaviors and working with other employees in your wellness initiatives. The program sponsors aim to inspire your other employees to put their health first.

Form a Workplace Wellness Committee

After choosing your sponsors, identify a group of employees who are dedicated to the program’s success. These employees will be your workplace wellness committee, serving as champions of change to develop the best possible initiatives for your employees.

This committee will review the survey data from step one, choose how employees can benefit from the wellness at work program, create challenges and goals, and more.

Create Obtainable Goals

Speaking of goals, you should work with program sponsors and the wellness committee to determine the objective of your program.

For example, if your employees want to focus on their physical health, you could set a goal for X amount of employees to participate in a wellness screening. Whatever goals you create, you can track the success and progress of your program with them.

Look for the Right Wellness at Work Resources

Once you have set your goals and have decided which wellness services your employees need, talk with different vendors and explore solutions for your wellness program. You need to tailor your program to your employees.

For example, some companies offer smoking cessation assistance to their employees as part of a wellness at work initiative. However, if this behavior isn’t common in your workplace, it’s likely not a program you want to include.

Instead, focus on the resources in which your employees will find the most value rather than those that affect your corporate health plan costs.

Are you ready to implement a better wellness at work program? See how we can help—schedule your free consultation here.

Keep Your Employees Healthy and Productive

By now, you know prioritizing your employees’ wellness at work is necessary—wellness programs have gone from being a nice-to-have to a must-have benefit for corporations worldwide. 

So keep your employees healthy and productive by sharing these tips and ideas, gathering feedback from your team, and start rolling out your wellness at work program.

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