One component of keeping your team safe and on the job, is keeping them healthy. We have partnered with a local organization to implement an internal wellness program to do just that. However, what happens when the program is there, but you haven’t gotten the buy-in from your team. Not only does wellness improve the health of your employees, but also your bottom line by decrease healthcare costs. Creating innovative, fun ways to get your employees engaged will help improve participation rates as well as that bottom line.
How can you make sure your wellness program is successful?
- Designate an employee to track participation. Traditionally this falls on the plate of your wellness coordinator, however if you don’t have one on staff, your Human Resources department often leads this charge.
- Make it fun. During the month of October our Wellness Representative set-up a “World Series Challenge.” The event was a full month long and it created a bit of friendly rivalry amongst the team. Pushing each other to stay on track. Points were earned and there was a chance for participants to earn an additional incentive.
- Incentivize! Good health should be it’s own reward right? Sure, but sometimes the promise of movie tickets or a gift card makes the effort just a bit more rewarding. Insurance companies may actually offer discounted premiums for employers who implement a wellness program, share the wealth; Maybe offer a discount on employee coverage for active participants.
- Education. It’s easy to fall off the wellness wagon, especially if there is a holiday thrown into the mix. Fourth of July barbecues and Thanksgiving dinners all threaten to derail any progress. By offering healthy alternatives to chose while at different events or in “at-risk” scenarios can help arm your employee against making poor food choices.
- Exercise is your friend, but can be a tricky nut to crack. Not every employee is at the same fitness level. Those gym-savvy employees who can be found on a treadmill or weight machine after work will be at different fitness level than those who lead a more sedentary lifestyle. Encouraging those employees to start an exercise program which consists of an easy to maintain routine will help them keep on track. Offer gym alternatives, for example: One hour of push mowing the lawn is equivalent to 5 points, 20 minutes of cleaning your house is worth 1 point, 30 minutes of walking equals 4 points. Make exercise something your employees want to do, not dread.
Wellness isn’t only diet changes. Wellness is a lifestyle change. Making conscientious food choices and implementing moderate activity into daily routines can help keep your employees on track. Wellness programs can seem a bit daunting to implement initially, however if you have the buy-in from your team it can be a fun way to improve the health of your employees, build morale and strengthen your bottom-line.
