WELLNESS PROGRAMS BENEFIT MANAGEMENT & EMPLOYEES
Health. Happiness. Productivity. When businesses promote these three related concepts at work through corporate wellness efforts, everyone benefits. Studies show that company-sponsored well-being programs boost employee engagement and productivity significantly. Additional advantages include decreasing sick days, fewer hospital visits, lower health care costs, and fewer workers’ compensation claims.
Outsourcing essential office tasks can free you up to organize wellness events. Whether you need assistance tracking employee hours and absences, handling health insurance, processing workers’ compensation claims, or recruiting top talent, National PEO’s experts are ready to fulfill your needs. Visit our online Help Center to post a question about these or other services, and we will reply promptly during business hours.
Significant Increases
Effective programs can lead to these desirable personal and business outcomes:
Improved health: Individual benefits include better diet, portion control, weight loss, obesity prevention, smoking cessation, chronic illness management, better overall health and safety, stress management, and sleep.
Better morale: Healthier people are happier workers, and a contented team is a powerful recruiting tool. Upgraded morale improves job performance, fosters greater personal responsibility, and increases reliability. When management prioritizes employees’ well-being, they exhibit a positive outlook that elevates your brand.
More loyalty: If your top players move on to rival companies for better benefits, productivity may decline. Filling temporary voids and acquiring new talent can be costly. However, demonstrating that your organization cares about the health of staffers and their families fosters strong feelings of belonging and allegiance. Workers are likely to respond with better concentration, commitment, and longevity.
Greater productivity: People receiving encouragement to maintain healthier lifestyles experience upgrades in attitude, focus, energy level, and job satisfaction, which increases productivity. Improving even one staffer’s workplace stamina can boost overall efficiency significantly.
Enhanced teamwork: On-site health-improvement events persuade employees to bond while sharing personal challenges, tips, support, and successes. Stronger relationships can lead to better on-the-job teamwork.
Superior talent: Gifted job hunters scrutinize benefits carefully. Demonstrating concern for their well-being attracts top talent. Existing employees who appreciate your facility’s atmosphere will spread the news, enticing exceptional candidates.
Positive Declines
Decreased absences: As staffers absorb health knowledge, lifestyle management tips, and fitness training, they enjoy healthier, more rewarding lives and use less sick time.
Fewer hospital admissions: Studies found that wellness initiatives decrease hospital stays by 66 percent.
Lower health care costs: Healthier workers and their employers pay less for almost everything — particularly health care. Your investments in wellness projects will help everyone financially. According to a 20-company investigation, those with wellness options had average annual health care cost increases of just 1 to 2 percent while the national average is 7 percent. After analyzing 62 studies, scientists determined that companies with wellness activities spent 25 percent less on sick leaves, workers’ compensation, and medical and disability insurance.
Company Motivations
A recent poll of 443 human resources (HR) professionals reported these top reasons for why organizations offer wellness programs:
- 85 percent: Boost staff health
- 79 percent: Workers’ perceived value
- 77 percent: Lower medical premium costs
- 73 percent: Increase employee productivity
- 72 percent: Improve workforce engagement
- 64 percent: Decrease absences
An overwhelming 96 percent of firms supported workforce well-being activities with 75 percent preparing to enhance them during the next 24 months. Among businesses that eliminated company-sponsored health care, only 29 percent indicated that they would discontinue disease management efforts, and 26 percent would withdraw wellness-coaching services.
Employers’ top wellness initiatives are:
- 73 percent: Immunizations
- 70 percent: Physical fitness
- 69 percent: Mental and behavioral insurance
- 62 percent: Nutrition and diet
- 60 percent: Smoking cessation
Successful Program Elements
If your business is experiencing low team morale, dropping productivity, and/or more absences, try these results-oriented wellness program approaches:
Practical, accessible events:
- Health fairs
- Yoga classes
- Healthy recipe swaps
- Cooking classes
- Weight loss contests
- Smoking cessation
- Health screenings
- Fitness challenges
- Stress management guidance
Health-conscious facility features:
- Vending machines with healthy options
- Healthy refreshments at meetings
- Encouraged breaks
- In-house exercise areas
- Walking paths
- No-smoking policy
- Mandatory seat belt usage in company vehicles
- Limited workplace noise
- Prominent signage promoting wellness events
Incentivized participation: Bonuses could include extra vacation days, company contributions to staffers’ flexible spending accounts, grocery store gift cards, and cash prizes.
Company structures that incorporate wellness: A cohesive HR strategy combines benefits, workplace safety, and healthy lifestyle encouragement.
Wellness that supports other efforts: For example, coordinate with your employee assistance program (EAP) that offers counseling when challenging physical or emotional situations affect staffers’ work and health.