Wellness is not just a pillar of life, but it’s also a staple of today’s modern workplace. Companies are starting to invest in employee wellness programs more frequently because they’re mutually beneficial.
What exactly is an employee wellness program? These are programs designed to promote fitness, nutrition, and other areas of health in the workplace. Companies can implement these programs through providing information, resources, and sometimes events or workshops.
Formalizing this process within your company can improve your bottom line in several ways. Here are some of the main reasons why an employee wellness program is a great investment for your business.
A Healthy Workplace Is More Productive
Employee productivity studies reveal that on average, employees are engaged and productive for an average of 3 or so hours each day. Workplace distractions, brain fog, and poor nutrition can all contribute to attention spans or energy levels fading – sometimes even before lunchtime.
Implementing an organizational plan can keep your workplace healthier and more engaged by encouraging employees to adopt healthier habits.
When you aren’t getting the nutrients that you need, you’re more likely to experience fatigue and poor moods throughout the day. Dehydration also hinders cognitive function, making it difficult for people to focus. An easy starting point is tackling hydration—consider branded water bottles like these for all team members as a way to kick off this initiative.
- Durable, steel 24-ounce bottles
- Eco-friendly, BPA-free 28-ounce bottles
- Under Armour brand 24-ounce grip bottles
These bottles are excellent for workplace hydration and are convenient for people to take to the gym, while jogging, or along for any other workout.
Brainstorming simple ways to promote healthiness in the workplace, such as encouraging regular hydration and nutrition, boosts output. Healthier employees are in a better headspace to foster creative ideas, collaborate, and help your company take actionable steps toward its goals.
Employees Will Take Fewer Sick Days
In sports, a popular adage states that the most important ability a talent can have is availability. The talent in your workplace will pay off more when attendance remains strong.
Sick days can add up and hamper progress in your business. An employee wellness plan that works can affect your entire organization positively by minimizing the need for as many sick days.
Promoting holistic wellness in your company can teach people how to take better care of themselves while working, how to boost their immune systems and which lifestyle decisions may be more likely to lead to illness. This may include resources for counseling, information about preventative screenings or flu shots, and other measures designed to keep everyone feeling their best as the seasons change throughout the year.
Employees Will Feel Cared For
When employees feel appreciated and cared for, the engagement and trust that you build with them will pay off in other areas of your business. Investing in the total well-being of your workplace allows you to build stronger relationships with your teams and can generate more employee buy-in to your company’s mission and vision.
This is increasingly important with Millennial and Gen Z employees—these generations seek more meaning, continuous engagement, and fulfillment from their employment opportunities than ever before. Along with a documented plan, little gestures like gifting employee wellness bundles or bags can make a difference. Try filling a branded tote or drawstring bag with items like:
- Company coffee mugs for people to enjoy organic coffee and herbal teas
- A grow kit for employees to sprout their own herbs
- A lunch set to encourage everyone to prepare and pack healthy food
- Branded cutting boards to help with weekly meal prep
- Resistance bands for building strength and toning muscles
- A jump rope for daily cardio
- A custom exercise mat for yoga, pilates, stretching, and other workouts
- Stretching bands to relieve tight muscles throughout the day
These sorts of items are immediately helpful as they can get daily use. They may encourage employees to focus on areas of their health that they may have been neglecting—plus, exposure to branded items ensure that they’ll build an even more positive association with the organization.
It Helps Your Employees Reach Their Goals
Everyone has some sort of health goal they would like to achieve and, oftentimes, a little support can go a long way in helping them take steps toward that goal.
Your employee wellness program can encourage more cooperation in the workplace. Co-workers may start to form workout groups and kickstart other efforts for support and accountability. In some scenarios, these programs even help people experience breakthroughs such as quitting smoking for the first time.
The fact of the matter is that employees who hit their life goals are happier, healthier, and more likely to do better, more focused work. This results in boosted morale each week and a better work culture for your company.
Your Workplace Will Be Less Stressed
Stress is insidious and wears away people gradually. It may start with a mild annoyance or stressor but can lead to larger issues such as chronic headaches, weakened immune systems, cardiovascular or gastrointestinal problems, and mental health issues.
Employee wellness programs often focus on methods to lower the stress levels in your workplace as a whole. Some steps you can take to lessen stress for teams at work include:
- Having regular check-in meetings with your employees
- Scheduling focused office work blocks to play calming, ambient music and sounds
- Encouraging positive mental health practices
- Setting up toys and games for people to enjoy during their breaks
- Holding workshops teaching people manage their calendars and organize their weeks
- Handing out journals and notebooks to encourage people to de-stress through a journaling practice
- Promoting a healthy work-life balance by example
Helping employees regularly find stress relief creates a lighter, more energized work environment.
It’s a Great Incentive Package
The benefits work from the inside out. Having an employee wellness program positively impacts your company’s brand. Employees today have more options in front of them because of the gig economy, remote work opportunities, and a larger willingness to relocate.
Your company can stand out with a wellness program that incentivizes new employees to want to work for you. You’ll also be better equipped to keep the prized employees that you have. Employee turnover is costly and it takes time to find replacements. Offering meaningful employee benefits and wellness packages will help you maintain a solid employee base that you can build on for years to come.
Energize and Empower Your Workplace
No matter what industry you work in, employees want to feel appreciated and cared for. Everyone can benefit from encouragement and empowerment when it comes to their mental and physical health. Stress and poor health habits are real problems for the average individual and can contribute to anxiety, fatigue, poor sleep, trouble focusing, and more.
Programs that are designated to employees’ total wellbeing will not only improve the spirit of your workplace significantly, but they’ll pay off in terms of tangible output and productivity. Use these ideas as a starting point as you create an application that is best suited to your company’s bottom line and your employee’s needs.
Looking for branded gifts to support the implementation of your program? Whether you’re in the market for sports bottles, fitness equipment, kitchen accessories, or other custom items to hit the ground running on employee wellness, click here to find exactly what you need.