Why Employee Wellness Matters and How to Invest in It

Just like you invest capital in maintaining and updating your machineries and equipment, a similar approach is essential to keep your workforce happy and productive.

However, it’s also true that with the increased costs of hiring and the rising employee benefits costs, the outlook doesn’t look encouraging for employers.

So, what can be done about it? One relatively low-cost and an impactful option that you can consider to boost employee motivation, improve engagement, and to recruit top talent is to adopt an employee wellness program.

On that note, let us provide you with some clarity on why it’s important for employers to pay attention to the employee wellness program. Also, take a look at how to implement these programs for the employees within your organisation.

4 reasons why employee wellness is significant

• Encourage healthy lifestyle choices

It’s evident from the plethora of diet and exercise trends that people are becoming more health-conscious these days. However, with work stress looming over their heads, it can be difficult to find the time to make wellness a priority.

A corporate wellness program offers the employees with the resources to eliminate stress, as well as to emphasise on personal development. A wellness program also presents an opportunity to strive for their goals – a habit that may ultimately benefit professional performance.

• Promote workplace flexibility

The concept workplace flexibility is nothing new, but surprisingly there are many businesses that have not embraced it, or have only embraced it in theory.

Employees from different generations may not place the same level of importance on workplace flexibility. However, employees at any stage of their lives value flexible work arrangements, and believe that having flexible options for work contributes to their happiness.

• Increase job satisfaction

Employees in an organisation tend to be most productive when they are happy and healthy. The physical and mental health of the employees is connected with the performance of your organisation. This makes it imperative to offer solutions and resources that make them feel their best.

Additionally, studies have shown that organisations with corporate wellness witness a considerable boost in morale and productivity among their employees. The basic aspects of workplace flexibility include allowing employees to choose their own schedules or where they choose to work. Employers should also consider extending their flexibility regarding how the work is completed — in other words, reassessing the existing processes and implementing new technologies.

• Minimise the expenses on healthcare

Limiting health insurance expenses has become a leading priority for most companies. While it may seem that creating a corporate wellness program will elevate expenses, a successful one will actually do the contrary.

“Offering a wellness program presents the scope to educate your employees on the benefits of healthy behaviours. This can result in a decrease in the use of healthcare benefits, and ultimately lower healthcare costs”, suggests Joshua Rutherford, an expert on book report writing from Allessaywriter.

Investing in and implementing an employee wellness program

Irrespective of the type of program you plan to implement or invest on, here are some tips to ponder over before you take the final call. 

• Customise the wellness program

The most vital thing to know when creating your employee wellness program is that you can’t take a one-size-fits-all approach. The wellness program should be designed according to the requirements of your employees. So, you need to ask them what they’re interested in. 

In this case, you may also be required to adjust your thought process. You should stop perceiving employee wellness as an expense, and approach it as an investment.

• Onboard a nutritionist

It’s rather common for most employees to indulge in unhealthy snacking and quick bites. This is often due to pressing deadlines at work. In this case, simply providing healthy meals isn’t adequate. You have to guide employees in the right direction, and that’s only possible with a nutritionist’s intervention.

Let your employees understand their body, and have a personalised nutrition plan to suit the unique dietary needs that can translate to long term physical and mental health.

• Get employee input

Before you put in all your effort, resources, and time – launching the wellness initiatives, it’s best to hear your employees out and ask for their feedback. Your employees are your customers for this program. Maybe some of the initiatives that you intended to take are not suitable for some and would receive minimal participation. 

Many employee wellness programs fail because the employees aren’t eager to participate, and that’s normal. Making sure that you keep employee will increase the odds.

• Put an incentive plan in place

You are aware of the benefits that a program will provide your company. But all your employees may not be completely aware of the benefits for them. Educate and motivate them to participate. Studies have shown that companies that offer incentives to employees see a higher adoption and success rate.

The more people who participate in this new program, the more benefits you will see as an organisation. 

• Get the approval of the management

It’s crucial that your entire leadership team is totally clued in the wellness program you’re set to launch before you launch or involve the rest of your employees. Allow your leadership in the company to understand all the benefits that your organisation will experience in terms of reduced turnover, morale, productivity, talent attraction, proven ROI increase, and so on. This has to be a top-down approach. 

Once your employees see that this is not just an HR or an individual initiative but a company-wide initiative, they will be more likely to participate to make this program a success.

Parting thoughts,

When you invest in wellness programs, you’ll see the results of your investment return to you. A happy and enthusiastic workforce will ensure better customer satisfaction, improved productivity, and an increase to your bottom line.