As many businesses experience worker shortages, attracting talented employees to your company can seem harder than ever. Adding employee perks and benefits can help you find and retain your staff members. One benefit to consider is a wellness program. Here are eight tips for how to start a corporate wellness program in your company.
1. Ask Employees About Their Interests
It’s probably not possible to design a one-size-fits-all wellness program. Your employees may have a range of fitness levels — some may be accustomed to working at a desk all day while others spend two hours working out and taking a glycogen supplement every day before clocking in.
Consider taking a poll to find out what your workers want from a wellness program. What are their objectives? Do some of them want to quit smoking? Is following a healthy diet a priority? Would fitness classes go over well? If you know what your employees want ahead of time, they are more likely to stick to a program. You can also save the trouble of investing in a program they aren’t likely to try.
2. Form a Committee
A small group of employees willing to lead your program can help. It takes the pressure off of doing everything yourself while offering them a chance to give their input. It is good to have several viewpoints, too.
3. Consider Paid Time Off
Sometimes, employees put off making a doctor’s appointment or otherwise taking care of their needs because they don’t want to take off work. They may feel pressured to stay on the job, or they might not be able to afford time off. Consider giving them paid time to look after their health.
4. Don’t Forget About Mental Health
You may think of diet and exercise when you think of a wellness program, but true health encompasses all aspects. Mental health is vital to well-being. You can help take away some of the stigmas that surround the topic. Normalize talking about mental health — let your workers know it’s a subject they can feel comfortable discussing with you. Encourage them to take care of their mental health. It may mean taking a few days off of work, seeing a counselor or talking about symptoms to their doctor.
5. Give Stress the Boot
Would a morning yoga class help your staff members start the day right? What about a five-minute afternoon chair massage or a lunchtime meditation session? See if you can hire professionals to visit your office occasionally. If your staff members have easy access to these benefits, they are more likely to take advantage.
6. Offer Prizes and Incentives
An essential part of making health improvements is setting goals. Whether employees decide to lose a certain amount of pounds, walk a mile twice a week, or eat five servings of fruit and vegetables every day, help them set goals. There’s nothing quite as satisfying as reaching an objective. You can aid them by offering your support, but you can up the ante by rewarding them. Some ideas can include an afternoon off, a monetary reward, a gift card or something they said they would like.
7. Check In Occasionally
After you’ve had your wellness program in place for a while, ask your staff members how they think things are going. Are they satisfied with the program? Is it meeting their expectations? What would they change? Let your staff know that you are available to listen to suggestions, complaints and compliments. Be willing to make adjustments as their goals shift.
8. Set an Example
You can take the chance to lead by example. Be an enthusiastic participant, and you will inspire others as you lead the way to wellness. While boosting the morale of your staff, you can also reap the benefits of improving your well-being as you do so.
The path to wellness doesn’t look the same for everyone. With input from your workers, you can create a helpful and diverse program that benefits the whole staff.
