Workplace wellness programs: What they are and how to set them up

Companies have numerous opportunities to integrate health into their employees' lives and the workplace. These ideas for Workplace health programs will improve your company culture and overall well-being.

Many companies already practice workplace wellness programs to attract the best employees, retain them and increase productivity.

80% of employees at companies with strong workplace health and wellness programs feel valued and engaged by their employers.

In this article, we'll look at workplace wellness programs, how they can be developed and implemented, tips to consider, and the benefits they offer.

What are workplace wellness programs?

A workplace health program is a series of science-based workplace activities designed to promote employee well-being, increase productivity and improve work performance.

Is well-being clearly defined in the company, is there a clear difference between personal and professional well-being, and does it sound confusing?

The program concept is aimed at a “results-oriented wellness” strategy that leads to concrete business and health goals.

The secret to an effective workplace wellness program is to promote overall well-being while having fun. Make your efforts fun, try new concepts, and find out what your team values ​​most. Your wellness program marketing ideas will only work if you involve your employees.

How to develop and implement workplace wellness programs

Results-focused workplace wellness programs require careful planning and design by a wellness manager or an individual with the right skills or qualifications. Wellness initiatives are designed to reduce healthcare costs and increase employee productivity.

When designing a wellness program, everyone involved must work together to demonstrate why the efforts will benefit employees. The best approach to planning a wellness program is one that makes sense for your business.

1. Set the course

If your company has already implemented workplace wellness programs, it's important to select the right team to participate. Depending on the size of the workforce, a successful program should involve as many people as possible.

You can take the following steps to prepare the ground:

• Appoint a person to promote the program and lead the health and wellness initiatives.
• Understand the organization's priorities (relationship between the program and business results).
• List the benefits of the program.
• Leaders serve as role models for wellness efforts. Pay attention to how they deal with stress and how they live. Also examine how they want to receive information for decision making.

2. Research what is needed

Always be aware of who you are talking to. Find out as much as you can about your employees and what other companies are doing to promote employee happiness. General interest surveys are a good way to understand your team's needs if your program is aimed at educating them to adopt a healthy lifestyle.

Remember, it’s the “why” of your workplace wellness programs that matter. Some examples are:

• Reducing healthcare costs (absences, sick leave).
• Cost-effective design of the wellness project
• Setting up a smoke-free workplace
• Increase engagement in wellness initiatives.
• Reduction in the number of workplace accidents.

3. Prepare the budget justification and projection

Develop a detailed plan of required resources and budget. Another option is to determine the cost of wellness initiatives per employee and compare it to the annual cost of healthcare benefits.

When setting the budget, you should consider the following:

• Employee willingness to pay for wellness activities.
• Cost-effective projects.
• The cost of rewards and marketing to promote wellness initiatives.

4. Create guidelines for interventions and rewards

For programs to be effective, several measures must be taken. Media format availability, workforce segmentation, and program objectives must be considered when designing interventions.

Key aspects of the interventions include:

• Biometric measures: tests, vaccinations, etc.
• Raising awareness: nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management.
• Behavior modification: weight management, individual training and on-site facilities.
• Environmental Support: Ergonomics (Workplace), Vending Machines and Injury Prevention.

5. Plan the proposed schedule

Set a clear timeline for your short- and long-term goals so you can evaluate the effectiveness and impact of initiatives.

6. Promote workplace health programs

Effective program communication leads to increased engagement. Better results and a higher return on investment come from higher participation.

Below are some tips on how to better communicate your wellness offerings:

• Win-win situation: Make it clear to your employees how participating in a wellness program fits into the company's strategy. It's a win for everyone.
• Keep it simple: Create a concise glossary that speaks to your employees’ experiences with your wellness program.
• Make it clear that all information provided or accessed will be treated confidentially.
• Make the conversation two-way: Announce that the “Wellness Advocate” is available to provide employee feedback.
• It is not in the employees' best interest to add even more stress to their everyday working lives. Make participating in your wellness program an enjoyable experience.

7. Schedule an assessment

The aim of the program evaluation is to draw a reliable conclusion about how the activities lead to results.

Some suggested modules for evaluating a program are:

• Response to participation
• Behaviors participants say about themselves
• Verified results
• Observation of behavior
• Objectives of the program
• Cost of the program
• Cost-benefit analysis of a program

Tips for implementing health programs in the workplace

Health programs improve physical and mental well-being. To create an effective wellness program, there are many friendly and easy-to-implement solutions for external and internal employees.

There are different types of employee incentives. Here are some of the most common ones: (even on a budget) to ensure well-being in the workplace:

• Tips for and access to a healthy diet: Promote the health benefits of nutrition. Educate your employees about good foods they can eat before bed to have energy for work. Create a healthier culture by offering healthy and affordable food.
• Set challenges: Fun health activities motivate employees. Socializing and competition encourage behavior change, so let's play!
• Encourage social contacts: Take steps to promote employee participation and a sense of community.
• Host meetings outdoors: Long meetings reduce attention span and lead to a sedentary lifestyle. Allow your employees to hold short meetings in a park or outdoors.
• Set up a stress management group: Use a mediator or therapist to help employees manage stress and organize a support group. The exchange and support make employees feel valued.
• Make your working hours more flexible: After the pandemic, flexible working hours are essential. To promote accountability, establish a “core work schedule” for all employees and allow for some flexibility. This promotes trust and the compatibility of work and family.
• Send a health email every month: Promote the well-being of your employees. Send out a monthly newsletter with links to articles, videos, and updates on the monthly challenges.
• Sponsor retreats outside the company: Plan a getaway to help employees balance work and wellness. Retreats increase morale, emotional resilience and teamwork.
• Set up a “no-work” zone: Give your employees a place to take off their shoes, relax, listen to music and have a good time. The only rule that needs to be followed is “don’t talk about work”.

Benefits of workplace wellness programs

Personal well-being includes a healthy work-life balance, good physical health and a fulfilling life.

Employee wellness programs are easier to imagine in large companies, but what about SMEs? Although work directly impacts employee well-being, team leaders are often reluctant to take employee well-being “personally.”

Here are the top benefits of funding employee wellness initiatives:

• Increasing productivity levels.
• Improving the well-being of your workforce.
• Less spending on healthcare
• Brings new knowledge
• Increases employee morale
• Increases employee participation.
• Encourages positive behavior.
• Reduces stress levels
• Improves attendance
• Increases peer interaction and social bonding.

Conclusion

We found that participant motivation is significantly influenced by workplace wellness programs.

Consider incorporating such programs into your compensation package to recruit a more qualified pool of applicants. In addition, through wellness initiatives, companies can increase loyalty to their company and improve their ability to retain employees over the long term.

For more information on how to tailor your workplace wellness programs to your employees' needs and preferences, contact the experts at QuestionPro.

With the help of QuestionPro Workforce you can learn more about how you can meet your employees' expectations and have a positive impact on your company.

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KEYWORDS OF THIS BLOG POST

Workplace health programs | Health | Program