#TACTIX :: Setting Up A Successful Wellness Program
A healthy business can easily be measured by a healthy workplace. Healthy employees with positive morale are the key to survival for any company. Particularly amid the recent few years of living with a pandemic, creating a wellness program is imperative for your business. Economically, setting up a successful wellness program pays off by helping to decrease absenteeism and costs associated with sick and disability leave. A strong wellness program can also help recruit, engage, and retain top talent. So how does one get started?
Assess your employee’s needs
Survey your employees to see what type of program they want. Find out about specific lifestyle and wellness habits and concerns they have and tailor a wellness program that addresses those needs. A survey should identify any morale issues that also need to be addressed. Also, check with your company’s health insurance plan to determine what types of wellness programs might be integrated and accepted. The plan may even offer discounts.
Get management buy-in
Having senior management support and promotion of your wellness plan is key to building and sustaining a wellness program at your organization. Having a strong buy-in by management also increases employee participation. Make sure to demonstrate the potential value of a wellness program to the organization’s bottom line.
Create a workplace wellness committee
The wellness committee is responsible for promoting the program, planning activities, and communicating with management and employees. The size and composition of the committee will depend on the size of your company and the scope of the program. The committee should include representatives from all levels of your organization. You also need a wellness leader – someone who is charismatic and can champion wellness at your company. Wellness should be part of their job description.
Planning the program
Once your committee is in place and your assessment is complete, you can start planning what your program should look like. Determine a budget and find resources – local gyms, chiropractors, and health and wellness speakers. Create opportunities for wellness seminars, stress reduction programs, weight loss programs, smoking cessation programs, health risk assessments and screenings, massage therapy, and exercise and nutrition programs. Hold wellness contests and competitions and provide rewards for those who achieve their goals.
Implement fitness tech
Companies can utilize fitness/wellness technology for their employees. Tech such as fitness trackers, small, wearable devices that track exercise-related metrics, such as steps per day, miles ran or walked, and length and frequency of workouts. Or they can choose from one of the many fitness apps to track exercise and nutrition, monitor weight and BMI, and allow users to set goals.
Set up company goals and assessments
Businesses should show the outcomes of these programs to show they are working. Also, assessments offer a way to encourage workers to utilize wellness programs and build morale. This allows you to spotlight group efforts. If you offer a weight management program, highlight the fact that the group lost so many pounds during the last quarter. Or your company can celebrate when the team has walked a certain number of miles through a step program. You can also host an “achievement party” to recognize participation in a health program and to recognize results.
Finally, get feedback and optimize your wellness program. To keep the program going, your committee should continue to assess goals, be open to feedback, and look for new ideas. Doing so allows the program to improve and employees to get even healthier.