A corporate wellness program can help your company encourage employees to embrace good health practices, which may reduce sick leave and lower health insurance costs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that workplace health programs are increasingly seen as a core component of an attractive employee compensation and benefits package. Wellness programs can also bolster your image in the community and increase employee morale.
How Can I Determine My Employees' Health Needs?
Take a look at health insurance claims to determine the kinds of health problems your employees have. If a significant number of employees have diabetes, you may want to include diabetes screenings and nutritional information in your program. Provide employees with confidential questionnaires regarding their health and exercise concerns to ensure that your program addresses the issues most important to your workforce. Ask questions about medical conditions, frequency of exercise and type of diet. The Center for Prevention and Health Services suggests conducting regular needs assessments to ensure that your wellness program is adapting to changing interests and concerns.
What Kind of Programs Should I Offer?
Depending on the size of your wellness program budget, program offerings can range from free annual health examinations and screenings for cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure to allowing employees to exercise on company time in an on-site exercise room. If you aren't interested in adding an on-site exercise room, you can offer to reimburse employees for the cost of gym memberships. Providing designated smoking areas and offering to pay for smoking cessation programs can help lower the number of smokers on your payroll. Offering weight management and healthy eating sessions during the weekday will enable your employees to make smart choices about food.
What If I Don't Have Much Money to Spend?
While it's impossible to run a completely free wellness program, programs don't have to be expensive. Organizing lunch-time health lectures may only involve the cost of lunch and the services of a local educator from a hospital, insurance company or university. If your building is set on several acres of land, you can create a walking path or make a map of several suggested walking routes in the neighborhood. Providing employees with pedometers is an inexpensive way to encourage walking whenever possible.
How Can I Keep Employees Motivated?
Employees may be more likely to stick with a wellness program if there are rewards for participation. Contests and team competitions can help encourage friendly rivalry among employees, particularly if there is a monetary award. Offering spa days or gym memberships for employee teams that record the highest number of steps walked during a week or providing gym memberships to employees who manage to reduce their body weights by a certain percentage can give employees a reason to join programs. Offering a reduction in health insurance premiums in exchange for participation in programs or screenings can also increase attendance.
Member Comments