As an employer, you’re probably already familiar with paid time off, health insurance, and pension plans as part of your compensation packages. But if you want to stand out in your industry and attract top talent, you need to go one step further and offer employee wellness program benefits to round out your offering.
Becoming familiar with workplace wellness programs like medical screenings and counseling services is a fantastic way to support your employees’ well-being. You’ll empower your workers to take control of their welfare by conveniently adding on-site healthcare services that supplement their existing insurance coverage.
What are employee wellness programs?
Wellness programs are organized workplace activities designed to improve and support employee health and personal well-being. These programs generally involve preventative healthcare practices and can include training seminars, screenings, and services offered by third-party providers that help employees take control of their wellness.
Healthcare is becoming more expensive. Current modeling predicts healthcare costs for employers will increase by 6.5% over the next year. Companies looking for cost savings and to keep healthcare premiums manageable for their workforce increasingly turn to employee wellness programs to improve their workers' overall health.
According to a recent survey, 52% of employers provide their employees with wellness resources and information. By joining in, your workplace can take advantage of tools, incentives, and educational opportunities like:
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Physical wellness assistance such as gym passes or coaches to help workers incorporate healthy behaviors and choices into their lifestyle and decrease the chance of illness, injury, or chronic diseases
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Financial wellness like budgeting seminars to teach everyone to build healthy spending habits and set productive financial goals
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Spiritual wellness via safe spaces for religious practices so your team can connect with their spirituality
A recent OfficeSteam survey suggests that 73% of employees take into account health and wellness benefits when they evaluate a job offer. When you also consider that 65% of Gen Z and 60% of millennials say it’s important that their employer provides mental wellness benefits, you can expect the demand for corporate health programs to grow over the coming years.
6 benefits of employee wellness programs
When you create a culture of health at your company, your bottom line benefits. Not only might you see improvements in employee engagement and retention, but wellness initiatives also deliver a return on investment.
And when your organization participates in activities geared toward improving worker well-being, you can expect the following.
1. Increased healthy behaviors
Wellness programs encourage employees to adopt beneficial habits like physical activity, healthy eating, and better sleep practices. And these practices stick. Studies show that participants maintain their healthy habits for two years or more.
2. Reduced risk factors
With the adoption of improved health behaviors encouraged by wellness plans, your workforce might be less susceptible to illness and disease. One study found that 5 out of 7 health risks improved after a single year.
3. Increased productivity
Healthy workers complete more work. Studies show that employee productivity increases by 5% on average when workers take part in corporate wellness programs. That’s the equivalent of adding an extra workday to each month.
Your team will also work smarter. Coming to work and feeling healthy means they’ll be less likely to make costly mistakes, which improves the company’s overall performance.
4. Lower healthcare costs
Improving your workforce’s health can lead to significant cost savings. According to the Harvard Business Review, since launching their employee wellness program in 1995, Johnston and Johnston has saved more than $250 million on healthcare costs. From 2002–2008, the return on investment was $2.71 for every dollar spent.
5. Decreased absenteeism
Investing in your employees' well-being by offering wellness initiatives reduces their dependence on sick days. In fact, 56% of workers say they take fewer days off thanks to these programs.
6. Higher employee morale
An employee wellness program shows that you value and appreciate your employees. Encouraging them to participate in wellness activities not only helps them feel better, it also offers them the opportunity to build relationships with colleagues that aren't all about work. They’ll feel cared for and connected, and the result is more positive feelings about their workplace and the people there.
21 wellness program examples
Wellness programs exist to address nearly every health concern. Here are some examples.
1. Nutrition coaching
Nutritional counseling teaches employees to make healthier food choices for themselves and their families. You could hold a seminar discussing nutritional labels or strategies for portion control. Or you might provide access to specialized support for specific dietary concerns, such as high cholesterol, diabetes, or weight management.
2. Healthy eating at work
Nutritional support also extends to the office or work environment. When workers have a busy day, they’re more likely to grab something fast, convenient, and unhealthy to power through. To avoid the health issues that come with daily fast-food consumption, consider sponsoring on-site cafeterias or organizing healthy food delivery.
3. Gym memberships
Probably the best-known wellness perk is access to workout facilities. A company gym can be on-site or close to your workplace, making morning, lunch hour, or after-hours exercise routines convenient. Or you might offer various fitness membership options, like a stipend for a yoga studio membership or one-on-one training sessions. For remote workers, you could offer access to an online workout platform or fitness app.
4. Health assessments
Workplace health assessments gather biometric information about workers’ health. You can use that information to inform decisions about employees’ healthcare needs and establish policies to improve absenteeism, productivity, and benefits.
5. Weight management programs
Maintaining a healthy weight requires nutritional, exercise, and mental health support. Consider offering:
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On-site nutrition classes
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Discounts for weight management support services
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Access to coaches, health advocates, and online tracking tools via the company's health insurance plans
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Funding for physical activity campaigns, like providing pedometers and incentives to employees who walk 10,000 steps daily
6. Smoking cessation programs
Quitting smoking is one of the best ways to improve your overall health and reduce morbidity. Support employee efforts by:
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Mandating a smoke-free workplace
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Offering risk appraisals and tobacco counseling
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Providing access to services like telephone helplines to assist struggling employees
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Covering the cost of pharmacological support and other cessation expenses
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Providing incentives to employees who successfully give up cigarettes
7. Vaccination clinics
Workplace initiatives can help prevent yearly rounds of the flu and other infectious diseases by sponsoring vaccination clinics. Inoculation campaigns make it easy and convenient to stay up-to-date on shots and help employees remain healthy all year.
8. Health screenings
As part of your wellness campaign, consider hosting screening clinics to assist your employees in identifying potential health concerns, such as high blood pressure or cholesterol. Should the evaluations discover a problem, the worker can bring their concerns and test results to their doctor for an intervention.
9. Stress reduction
Unfortunately, 25% of workers consider their job the number one source of stress in their life. Given the adverse health effects of stress, it’s in your company’s best interest to help them learn to navigate stressful periods. Wellness options that can help include:
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Access to counselors through Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)
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Flexible work schedules that promote work-life balance
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Mindfulness training and other stress management resources
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Yoga classes
10. Financial literacy
Finances are an incredibly common stressor that research links to mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety. Your organization can boost employee financial wellness by providing seminars to teach staff how to set and stick to a budget, reduce long-term debt, and establish savings milestones.
11. Mental health assistance programs
Consider providing access to an EAP to help your employees find personal support for issues like substance abuse, depression, and eating disorders. Mental health assistance is often difficult to access. By providing resources that make locating services easier, you can reduce the stress of finding a provider and support your employees during trying times.
12. Wellness adventures
Socializing while participating in a wellness challenge can encourage your workers to stick with an exercise program. Consider hosting the following events:
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Marathons, fun runs, or triathlons
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Tournaments and leagues, like golf, soccer, or football
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Group activities, such as laser tag, mini-putt, or white water rafting
13. Nap and prayer rooms
Sometimes, employees need space, peace, and quiet to manage a tough day. Access to a calm area where they can rest and reflect helps them press pause on the day's demands, reconnect with guiding principles, and return to their tasks feeling refreshed.
14. Community service
Consider organizing day-long events or extended campaigns that encourage workers to volunteer for causes they feel passionate about. Activities might involve collecting waste at a local beach, serving meals at the food bank, or building plant beds for the community garden. Not only do these campaigns help the community, but volunteering can make your employees feel happier, less stressed, and more satisfied.
15. Commute options
Leaving the car at home is both good for the planet and employee well-being. Consider offering:
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Subsidized transit options
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Carpooling support
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Dedicated racks or storage lockers to safely store bikes
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Incentives to bike or walk to work
All these options help your workforce reduce your company’s carbon footprint and enjoy a stress-free commute.
16. Onsite childcare
Currently, 58% of working parents rely on childcare centers. Support working parents by providing onsite daycare, which helps retain and attract employees, improves productivity, and reduces stress.
Other options to help working families include:
17. Health incentives
Your employees may need a little extra push to start living healthier. Provide incentives in the form of cash rewards, gift cards, or making bonus contributions to health savings accounts in exchange for participation in wellness programs.
18. Social groups
The best team bonding often occurs outside work hours. Sponsor fun activities like employee BBQs, family fun days, and group activities like painting classes or wine-tasting tours at a reduced cost. These social opportunities offer the chance for colleagues to connect and build relationships outside of a professional setting.
19. Wellness events
Wellness fairs are a great way to educate employees on health and well-being strategies. Some activities include:
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Introductory yoga classes
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Chair massage, reiki, acupuncture, and reflexology treatments
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Healthy cooking demonstrations
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Biofeedback training
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Stress reduction seminars
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Information sessions with coaches, trainers, and other wellness experts
20. Leadership training
Offering employees the opportunity to develop their leadership skills through training or career coaching can equip them to make better decisions to manage their work-life balance. Fostering delegation, time management, and conflict resolution skills can all decrease feelings of stress and reduce the likelihood of burnout. This growth also provides your company with a pool of potential candidates to fill future leadership openings, cutting recruitment costs.
21. Lunch and learns
Lunch and learns are a great way for workers to engage with their colleagues and learn about a variety of topics, like:
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Health and well-being
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Skill development
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The environment
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Charitable initiatives
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Technological advances
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Current events
If you build it, they will come
It can be challenging to find the time to support your wellbeing. By offering employer-sponsored health initiatives, you can help lower that barrier.
Providing employee wellness programs benefits everyone by boosting overall health and staff morale. If you want your campaign to be successful, base your wellness programs on employee needs. Direct your HR department to accept employee suggestions for a wellness service or initiative to help themselves and their coworkers overcome a challenge.
Your employees will notice and appreciate your efforts to care for them. In return, they’ll help your company thrive.
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