Developing a fitness or health habit can take considerable effort, with estimates ranging from 21 to 66 days of daily repetition.
Considering the improvement to the well-being and productivity of a healthy workplace, and the amount of time we spend at our workplaces, it makes sense to foster workplace wellness programs. Not only does it affect the output of team members, but it makes them feel good in all areas of life—including work.
As the world of work progresses, one of the signs of a top-notch employer will be a workplace wellness program.
To jumpstart your creative approach to workplace wellness, we present to you …
6 Great Examples of Workplace Wellness Programs
1. On-site fitness centres
Photo Source: Chesapeake Energy Corp.
This might be considered the granddaddy of all workplace wellness programs. Not everyone can provide their team members with a 72,000 square foot fitness centre, but Chesapeake Energy Corp. considers it a completely justified expense for recruiting and retaining healthy team members. The fitness centre offers team members an Olympic-sized swimming pool, a rock climbing wall, and access to personal trainers.
What makes this program great? The fitness centre is just one part of the company’s ‘Living Well’ program, which offers cash incentives for team members who participate and meet their goals in various areas of the program. Chesapeake Energy Corp. clearly cares about their team members’ well-being and has provided them with as much support as possible to help them reach their goals.
2. Smoking cessation programs
It’s no secret that, on average, team members who smoke cigarettes cost their employers more money due to health issues compared to non-smokers. Some workplaces have found it in their best interest, both ethically and economically, to offer smoking cessation programs to their team members.
Union Pacific Railroad offers a smoking cessation program that consists of lifestyle coaching, as well as pharmacological assistance, to their team members. Their program has helped reduced the number of their team members who smoke from 40% in the 1990s to 17% in 2007.
What makes this program great? Union Pacific Railroad understands that pharmaceuticals alone may not work for all team members. The addition of coaching for team members trying to quit smoking may be the difference between success and failure.
3. Transit options
Encouraging alternative methods of transportation, such as bike sharing or public transit incentives, are beneficial to the workplace and the future of the environment. Facebook’s campus in Palo Alto offers a bike-sharing program for team members to cycle to places around campus rather than driving. At Rise, we encourage our team members to take public transit by reimbursing employees for their transit passes.
What makes this program great? This type of program will appeal to current and potential employees who value environmental responsibility.
4. Paramedical services
Companies like Google and Boeing offer paramedical services, like massage therapy, to their team members while they’re at work. In fact, Google employs a massage program manager, as just one of 35 massage therapists employed in their United States offices. Massage therapists go through an interview process at the company as well, where they demonstrate their skills (which sounds great for the interviewer).
What makes this program great? There’s a reason why Google is consistently rated one of the best workplaces in the world. Going above and beyond what team members expect from their employer is a great way to encourage a reciprocal effort. A relaxed and calm team member is a joy to have in the workplace, which is likely the main reason that Google offers the service.
5. Yoga classes
Photo Source: Mobify Blog
Vancouver tech startup, Mobify, offers their team members yoga classes twice per week, which, weather permitting, is moved to their rooftop boasting stunning views of Vancouver’s ocean and mountains. The most important requirement for practising yoga is the space to do it, and many companies are using their conference or break rooms to provide yoga classes for team members throughout the workday.
What makes this program great? Yoga and meditation is an extremely effective stress reliever. Team members at startups or PR agencies often have to deal with tight deadlines and overtime. Yoga is an effective way to incorporate self-care into work, so that team members don’t have to feel guilty about neglecting work.
6. Lunch and healthy snacks
With only 30 minutes for lunch, many team members may feel that they have to eat fast food when buying their lunch. Bandwidth, a communications company, offers a 90-minute Fitness Lunch to their team members—enough time to play a sport, hit the gym, or to head home for a healthy homemade lunch. Again, Google sets the bar high with their cafeterias, offering catered lunches and snacks to team members throughout the day. Services have popped up recently that will deliver healthy snacks to your office each month, like Vancouver’s Snackbox and It’s Munch Better in Toronto.
What makes this program great? A lunch and snack program will appeal to all of your team members—since everyone has to eat! Google encourages interaction between people from different teams and their cafeterias provide one such place where a large and diverse workforce can mingle and make new friends.
Does your company offer any of these workplace wellness programs? More importantly, why do you offer the chosen program and what results have you seen? Share your answers in the Comments section.
From: Rise
