Wellness programs didn’t start until the 1970s. There is lots of scepticism about companies providing wellness programs for their employees even if science has already backed it up. It started as part of the compensation packages of employees from large corporations. A company will partner with a gym and offer free membership—or a percentage off the annual membership—to their employees. Today, research by the Society for Human Resource Management said that 75% of employers offer wellness programs to their workers.
To make it easier for you to manage employee benefits, you can look into different employee benefits providers and find the best offer for your company. Many companies can offer competitive compensation packages for their new hires because a benefits provider is able to negotiate the best deals for them.
Ensure that Healthy Lunch and Snacks Are Available
If you are providing lunch and snacks for your employees, you have to make sure that you’re offering them healthy options such as salads, sandwiches, yoghurt, quinoa, and muesli. You need for them to watch the food and drinks that they consume because every day, millions of Americans take more sugar in their coffee than should be intended for human consumption. This leads to a lot of health issues.
Create Nap Rooms
You might think that it’s counterproductive to provide a nap room for your employees, but they are more productive when they can take a short nap when they’re tired. Just put a time limit on how long their naps should be. Understand that your employees are exhausted both from work and personal reasons. Allowing them to take a short nap will boost their energy.
Invest in Wearable Activity Trackers
Many employers partner with manufacturers to subsidize their employees’ wearable activity trackers. They can monitor heart rate, level of activity, quality of sleep, steps taken, and other personal metrics. You can even hand out prizes for employees with the highest activity levels on their trackers.
Provide On-site Gym Facilities and Fitness Classes
Instead of paying for gym memberships every year, you can provide on-site gym equipment. This way, your employees can visit the gym no matter the time of the day. A few important gym pieces such as the treadmill, the elliptical, and a stationary bike will be enough to keep your employees fit. You should also organise yoga classes for those who want to meditate.
Encourage Preventive Health Screenings
Make it a point to encourage your employees to get screened and checked every six months. This will keep them on their toes regarding the level of activity they have to do. When they are aware of their health conditions, they are more likely to focus on being fit and healthy. They will be more productive at work.
Organise Stress Management Workshop
The biggest reason employees get sick is stress. Organise workshops to help your employees deal with everyday stress. The more they manage the stressors in their lives, the better and more productive they will be.
Making sure that your employees are healthy and fit is not only for their benefit. Yes, they are more productive at doing their jobs, and that works well for you. But here’s the other thing: Employees who are fitter and lead healthier lifestyles are less likely to get sick. It leads to lower health cost. Companies have already saved a reported $38 million in the first four years that they implemented their employee wellness program.
