You’ve probably heard about all the benefits an employee wellness program can bring to a business. Improved productivity, reduced healthcare costs, and reduced absenteeism are among those in a long list of potential benefits to your business. But, employee wellness programs need great planning in order to get the most out of them. Here are six things you can do to hit your employee wellness program out of the ballpark.
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Combine statistics with success stories and empowering messages.
This is a powerful way to inspire your employees to participate in your program. The more success stories you have, the more it will get employees excited about participating in your program.
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Get information on wellness from credible sources.
If you can’t directly consult with an expert, draw information from scientific studies and white papers. Design your program surrounding this information and show your employees what results have been proven in the past.
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Offer incentives to employees to encourage a healthy lifestyle.
Wellness program incentives can range from recognition in the employee wellness newsletter for participating in the company ultimate frisbee team to a small monetary bonus for quitting smoking.
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Communicate with your employees about what benefits are available.
Get them excited about your program and about health and wellness. Employee feedback is also important- make sure you’re addressing health issues that are directly important to them. Make sure to communicate clearly, consistently, and enthusiastically!
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Be inclusive of everyone.
Make sure your program includes people with pre-existing health conditions and disabilities. At the same time, don’t force people to participate.
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Make it adaptable.
Don’t just make a plan for a wellness program and then forget about it. As your company culture changes, your program should change to fit seamlessly with it.
It can seem overwhelming to plan for an employee wellness program, but it’s essential to do these things in order to get the most out of your program and maximize the benefits for both your business and your employees. If you already have an employee wellness program and haven’t done any of the above, it’s not too late! Start making changes today to help your employees optimize their health and wellbeing.
