Any smart leader knows that the most important asset they possess is a team of prepared, satisfied and healthy employees. Promoting employee health and wellness has become an important goal for most organizations. Ongoing opportunities for professional development should also be offered alongside employee wellness programs. The two programs go hand-in-hand. Smart and healthy employees maintain lower levels of stress and tend to be more energized, productive, positive and engaged. They come to work more often and call off less. These employees are very attractive to the outside community and can be effective in recruiting more talent. And something that every leader is interested in – they save money for the company.
Getting Started
Every great program has to begin somewhere, and for one to be effective, lots of thought should go into its design and execution. Assessing health and wellness needs of your employees is a great place to start. What do they care most about when it comes to their well-being? What do they worry about the most? Are there too many fast food restaurants surrounding your physical location? Is obesity an issue? Do work hours interfere with the employees’ ability to exercise? Are your employees dealing with depression or anxiety? While there are many other questions to consider, finding out what their needs are will help you target the right problems to work on. It will also show your staff that you care about their health and well-being.
(NOTE: For more on Workplace Culture, please take a moment and check out Collins Learning. We have the corporate solution to training and education for your entire staff and company.)
Give Employees What They Want or Need
Although everyone wants or needs something different, after conducting an assessment, you will start to see common themes and trends in their comments. If they are concerned about their weight, contacting a nearby gym and asking for deep discounts for your team might be enough to motivate some of your employees to start exercising. If they are trying to quit smoking but are failing, getting some experts in to start a smoking cessation program might work for some of them. Offering free health screenings and online health risk assessments may also be attractive to certain employees. While you may not improve everyone’s health, you certainly can make a difference in many of their lives.
Other ideas that may be successful in your health and wellness program can include the use of stand-up desks in certain areas of the building, particularly front offices and maybe even nurse’s stations. You probably have lots of meetings, so instead of sitting at a conference table with donuts and coffee, you start stand-up or walking meetings. Simple adjustments like these can change a person’s behavior. When is the last time your company sponsored a run or walk for a cause? This can make employees feel good about their health and helping others, a win-win. You may want to offer on-site fitness classes or yoga for anyone interested in signing up. Encourage your team to stretch regularly throughout the day, especially if they sit behind a desk all day.
The break room is a great place to make some healthy changes and remind employees about the health and wellness program. Although this would take some time and money, a small kitchenette space where employees can prepare their own healthy foods instead of running out for burgers and fries or eating more processed foods could be very effective. Posting a monthly newsletter or educational pieces on the break room wall is a nice way to provide your team with new information and trends in wellness. If your company has a newsletter, placing a highlight on employee health is a great idea as well. The point is, the more information and education that is right in front of your staff, the more likely they are to respond to it. Don’t let “Out of sight, out of mind” stand between your team and healthy living.
Final Words on Creating a Culture of Wellness
We need well-trained and healthy employees to remain at their best levels of performance. Some people are great at doing this on their own. They are self-starters and motivated to maintain their own healthy routines, such as exercising. Others are not so motivated or simply cannot find the time to focus on their own health. This is where you can make the biggest impact. Look into health and wellness programs and see what the latest and greatest trends are and get them implemented. Ask your employees what they want or need. Custom-design a program that meets their needs. If you make a difference in some of their lives, you’ve done something great!
(NOTE: For more on Workplace Culture, please take a moment and check out Collins Learning. We have the corporate solution to training and education for your entire staff and company.)
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