Employee Wellness – Good for People, Good for Business
By Marcia Hammonds
The start of a new year is a good time to focus on the health of your business and your employees. Find out how a wellness program can give you a kick start.
In spite of an increased focus on the overall health and wellness of employees, many efforts in this area remain concentrated on traditional health concerns (i.e., employee dental and drug plans) or safety and security issues. As the personal and professional lives of our employees continue to intertwine, and thus provide increased pressures and demands from all areas, it becomes more important (both from a practical and cultural perspective) for employers to be aware of the ways they can support not only the physical side of employee good health, but also the emotional and social aspects. The implementation and formal focus on employee “wellness” is a way of doing just that. With some innovative thinking and a minimal amount of time and cost, a focus to “wellness” can significantly and positively impact culture, employee engagement and attendance.
The specifics in terms of how your organization’s Wellness Program is developed, implemented and promoted should be unique and reflective of your culture and values – and also dependent on your current and medium to long-term needs. “Rome was not built in a day” and neither is an effective Wellness Program. Instead, laying out a road-map that includes short and long-term initiatives, ongoing activities and incentives, and formal supports (i.e., Employee Assistance Program) that will built momentum and integrate a feeling of wellness into the cultural fabric of your organization is the key to sustainability and success.
The input and commitment of employees is vital to building and maintaining a robust wellness program that can addresses the needs, priorities and interests of those who will participate, as well as their dependents. To that end, the development of a Wellness Committee is a necessary component of any wellness program. Surveying team members to understand what they would like to have included in a wellness program is time well-served. Once this information is collected and reviewed, priorities and initiatives can then be agreed upon and put in place. Furthermore, employees should remain involved in the process to keep things on-track, supporting initiatives and addressing ongoing and/or changing wellness needs and concerns. Although requiring the support and buy-in of senior leadership, this Committee is best-served as an employee-driven group with a significant amount of autonomy to make decisions and drive outcomes.
Awareness and improvements in overall health and wellness will only serve to benefit employees – and in turn the organization. Why not start working on putting together something that works for you and your employees? You will not be disappointed in the results – and neither will your team.