There’s no doubt that employee wellness programs are worth the investment.
Healthy employees are less stressed, more engaged and more productive, all of which bodes well for employee performance and a positive workplace culture.
Furthermore, interesting employee wellness programs can be helpful when it comes to recruiting and retaining top talent. Who wouldn’t want to work at a place like Mobify that offers free lunchtime yoga classes?
Good health = good business
For many employers, taking care of their workers is simply the right thing to do. “Why should I ask an employee to take care of a customer if I’m not asking him to take care of his own health?” Harold Jackson, CEO of Colorado-based Buffalo Supply said in an interview with Inc. on the subject.
However, beyond the obvious positive implications of investing in employee health and well-being, employee wellness programs can also be good for your bottom line.
As Inc notes, results from 56 studies on workplace wellness programs found that sick leave taken decreased by 27 percent, health care costs decreased 26 percent and costs from worker’s compensation and disability claims fell by 32 percent. Overall, the studies suggested that the ROI is about $5.81 for every $1 spent when it comes to employee wellness.
The best laid plans
Still, employers may find it difficult to implement employee wellness programs due to a lack of resources, lack of support from management or a lack of motivation from employees themselves.
As with implementing anything new in the workplace, an effective employee wellness program takes careful planning and communication. It may seem difficult at first, but when done right, an employee wellness program can provide a big payoff in more ways than one.
Here’s a look at five key steps for building a strong employee wellness program:
1. Identify current issues
The best place to start is with a little research. After all, it can be difficult to improve employee health and wellness without figuring out what some of the main issues are first.
“To address an organization’s health, there must be a clear understanding of its current issues and trends,” Kirk McIntyre of Medavie Blue Cross told Benefits Canada. “To do that, look at existing data for your organization. For example, the top 10 drugs prescribed under the organization’s drug benefits program may help to identify a leading health issue affecting employees.”
Look at time and attendance, amounts of sick leave taken, employee satisfaction and stress levels, and extended health insurance costs. Talk to both management and employees to get an understanding of where the biggest issues are.
Benefits Canada also stressed that it’s important to get hard numbers and trends out of all that data. Finding out what it will cost the company to keep doing nothing will help make a stronger case for spending on employee wellness.
2. Get input from everyone
Once you’ve figured out the lay of the land, talk to everyone at your company about what they want and need in a wellness program. Crafting a program around what employees want as well as what they need is key for ensuring that they’ll actually use the program.
As with any other workplace policy, the best wellness programs have input from all key stakeholders. Make sure you talk to multiple people from different departments to get a good idea of what will work.
This is especially key for smaller companies that might not have a huge budget for employee wellness programs. For example, Buffalo turned employee suggestions, such as having on-site flu shots, into company policy.
3. Make a plan that fits
Armed with all of that information, you’ll need to put together a plan. Depending on the number of suggestions you received, you may not be able to please everyone.
That said, it is important to design a program that aligns with your company’s existing culture. Otherwise, it may be difficult to get everyone on board with the plan.
What’s your workplace like? Would employees prefer ultimate frisbee tournaments or yoga classes? Flex time or nap time? Healthy snacks, or a pet friendly workplace? At Paysavvy, we love ping pong. Take some time to consider what fits best with your organization.
Also, whatever you choose will be based on the resources you have available. For example, Chesapeake Energy built its own on-site fitness center, but something as simple as instituting walking meetings could make more sense for smaller companies.
4. Encourage employee and management buy-in
Certainly, it’s important to effectively communicate your employee wellness program with everyone in the office.
A good place to start is with an employee wellness committee that includes representatives from each department at your company. Members of the committee can be responsible for getting everyone excited and committed to using the program.
Getting your CEO on board is also key, both for gaining support to invest resources in the program and for motivating employees to take part.
5. Track, measure and readjust
As with any workplace policy, measuring success, soliciting feedback and adjusting accordingly will be key to the long-term success of an employee wellness program.
Once your program is in full swing, survey employees to find out how the program is going, whether they’re using it, and how it could be improved. Measure your ROI by looking at changes in employee absences and turnover rates, benefit costs and safety records, if applicable.
It’s also a good idea to celebrate achievements; anything from recognizing individual employee goals for better health to crowning winners of office challenges can go a long way towards building support around the program.
In favor of employee wellness
All in all, implementing an employee wellness program appears to be a no-brainer. People are usually the most important asset for an organization, so investing in their health is often simply good business.
It’s also a great way to show employees they’re valued and to have a little fun around the office.
From: Paysavvy