A healthy workforce is a more productive one. If you’re a business owner or manager looking to help your employees to reach their full potential, one way to do it is to protect their health. From encouraging healthy lifestyles to offering programs and incentives aimed at wellness, making employee health a priority will improve your business’s health, too. For three critical programs to implement to improve your employees’ health, read on.
1. Employee Wellness Programs
Companies all over the global market are implementing workplace wellness programs in order to reduce employee absenteeism, increase morale, and help with productivity. These wellness programs follow no specific guidelines, but generally include incentive programs aimed at healthy lifestyles, fitness challenges, group supports, team building exercises and trainings, wellness seminars and discounts, or gift cards to places that inspire a healthier lifestyle.
Because healthier employees are generally more productive, business owners are finding that the implementation of these programs is adding up to a healthier business and profit, too. From offering free smoking cessation programs to encouraging employees to work in ways that fit their schedules and family life best, businesses are using wellness programs to promote not only overall wellness, but a more employee-centric work environment.
2. Mental Health Services
A big area many wellness programs are focusing on is mental health. Some businesses are offering free counseling or therapy to employees to help with stress. While most companies outsource their vocational therapists, some have even taken the additional step of adding a licensed counselor to their staff to work in the Human Resources department. Others have programs where speakers come in on lunch breaks or after hours to give employees coping skills for balancing busy lifestyles with work. Employees who perform well are often asked for recommendations on topics and subjects they’d be most interested in.
Some companies are working to give employees peace of mind by picking up public liability insurance. In Australia, for example, companies use these policies not only to protect themselves from third party lawsuits from customers, but in the even of an accident for an employee, too. These coverages work to promote a safety net for both the employees and business and can add up to better mental wellness in the workplace.
3. Wellness Incentives
Perhaps the most popular mental wellness programs business are implementing come by way of incentive programs. The following are a few of the ideas savvy businesses have come up with to promote healthier lifestyles for employees:
- Gift cards to spas for employees who meet or exceed quotas.
- Fitness challenges with gifts to winners such as gym bags or water bottles complete with company logos.
- Cash bonuses for high performers.
- Trips for top employees in the company based on exceeding performance.
- Gift cards to health food stores, vitamin supplement shops, and more for employees who have gone above and beyond.
- Regular recognition and free healthy lunches for teams performing well.
- Allowing employees to use company resources and facilities for family functions outside of office hours.
- Tuition to local colleges for individual employee growth and empowerment.
- Seminars or even personal trainers for top departments and aimed at personal growth and development.
- Public recognition of achievements for self-esteem.
In the end, making your employees’ physical and mental health a priority will pay off for your business in the long run. Not only do these initiatives enhance any team environment, but they work to empower individuals, too. From improving employee motivation to reducing fatigue and giving them new goals to strive for, productivity will be up and your business will be healthier for it, too.
