Is workplace wellness important? The answer is an absolute yes! Implementing a wellness program that employees use will improve the overall health and well-being through weight management programs, smoking cessation programs and other positive lifestyle change programs. They also allow the company to have more control over healthcare costs and increased employee productivity overall.
Top 5 reasons to implement a wellness program:
1. Control Healthcare costs. This can be a large portion of a company’s expense, so by strategically targeting this expense, the company’s bottom line is improved.
2. Reduce Worker’s Compensation and Disability Costs. Having a well-designed wellness program can significantly reduce workplace injuries, meaning companies are paying out less.
3. Increased Employee Productivity. Healthier employees mean fewer sick days and better output from the employees.
4. Higher Morale. When a company invests in its employees and their families, the company is viewed as a better place to work. Employees feel more valued; therefore, they are more likely to work more efficiently.
5. Improved Recruiting. Offering additional benefits and showing that your company cares about employees and their families will help attract and retain better talent.
Not sure where to start? You will need a program timeline.
Step 1… You need management buy-in. If senior leadership doesn’t see the value, the employees won’t either.
Step 2… Form a team. Creating a wellness team will help keep tasks on track and help lead the way for the other employees.
Step 3… Analyze data and determine the focus. You should assess the overall wellness environment of employees to determine a wellness program that will have the most success.
Step 4… Develop your plan. What is your action plan focused on? What incentives will be used? This needs planned before rolling out.
Step 5… Decide on programs. Focus efforts to create a program that best meets the needs of your employees so that getting them to join, and keeping them on the program, is easier.
Step 6…Offer support programs. How will you ensure employees maintain motivation? Will you have monthly newsletters, monthly meetings, etc.? Making support programs available to employees during work hours will better help keep them on track.
Step 7… Evaluate the results. If you don’t know what the results are, you won’t know how effective your program is. Are your employees making a lifestyle change that is easy for them to continue? How are you measuring the results?
Companies that have wellness programs see benefits of improvement in their employees’ overall health and wellness, as well as an improvement on the company’s overall return on investment in several areas. Contact our office if you need help getting started with a program, or if you need help re-evaluating your current program that isn’t working.