A growing number of companies are establishing wellness programs in the workplace. There are several very good reasons for this. Over the years, studies have shown that wellness workplace programs can promote healthy behaviors and help reduce risk factors in employees. As a result, employees become healthier and more productive, absenteeism diminishes, and healthcare costs are often reduced. In addition, employers may see a reduction in disability and workers’ compensation claims.
Tips for Creating a Workplace Wellness Program
Clearly, there are several distinct benefits to be gained from a well-designed workplace wellness program. So how do you go about creating one in your company? The following tips can help.
• Set a budget. While it’s more common for medium-sized to large companies to have a wellness program at work, there’s no reason why a small business can’t have one, as well. However, to ensure you make the best use of your resources, it’s advisable to set a budget before you start the planning phase. That way, you can prevent cost overrun.
• Establish a committee to set up the wellness program. SHRM advises including managers, HR staff and union representatives, as well as any employees who have an interest in wellness.
• Conduct a survey among your employees to find out what’s important to them. Your employees’ health concerns may vary widely. For example, some people might be more interested in weight control while others might benefit more from heart-healthy program offerings. Determining what matters to your people will enable you to create an effective, targeted program.
• See if your insurer offers any relevant programs or aids. For example, some insurers offer smoking cessation programs, while others offer Fitbits to encourage employees to walk more. The more advantage you can take of what your insurer offers, the less you’ll have to eat into your own budget— and that means there will be more funds left over for other aspects of the program.
• Incorporate wellness in the workplace. Even if you can’t afford an onsite gym and spa, you can still make small but significant changes that can boost workplace wellness. Think of things like providing standing desks, ergonomic chairs, and under-desk bicycles or treadmills. You can also make sure there are healthy snacks in the pantry instead of just a vending machine — or add a vending machine with health snacks like fruit and vegetables instead of just candy and chips. Just remember to make these things optional, otherwise you might wind up antagonizing some of your employees.
• Organize health and wellness activities. Depending on your employees’ needs and interests, as well as your budget, you could offer a range of different activities. For example, you could form an exercise group so employees can go for walks together during their lunch breaks or schedule an onsite yoga class once a week. It can also be a good idea to periodically invite expert speakers to discuss various health topics such as diabetes and respiratory disease.
• Ask for your employees’ feedback. After your workplace wellness program has been up and running for three months, perform a survey among your employees to find out what they like and what could be improved. Then use that feedback to fine-tune your program.
Establishing a good wellness program doesn’t happen overnight. It will take time and effort on your part — especially since an effective program must be tailored to your employees’ specific needs. Nevertheless, when you get it right, you’ll likely soon see an ROI in terms of not only less absenteeism, but also in terms of happier, healthier and more productive employees. At Grand Mutual Insurance we look out for the wellness of your company by providing business insurance options to help protect against loss and liability risk.
