Many companies today provide their employees with tips and resources on how to adopt healthy self-care habits. These wellness initiatives lead to better health for the employees, which tends to increase their job satisfaction and productivity. It also lowers your health care costs as the risk of them developing serious health problems will decrease. Adding a wellness program to your business shows your commitment to your employees' health. Here are several activities you can include in your program.
Encourage Fitness at Work
The Mayo Clinic reports sitting for eight hours or more a day increases a person's risk of developing cardiovascular disease or cancer. It is important to provide your employees with ways to exercise during their workday. One of the best ways to do this is by encouraging them to take a brisk 30-minute walk at lunchtime or regularly taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
Fitness trackers and smartwatches are useful tools to encourage your employees to get up and move throughout their workday and track their activity levels. These devices also have alerts to keep people healthy and safe whenever they exercise. You can encourage smartwatch use by offering a company-wide wellness challenge that rewards a person or a team for achieving monthly fitness goals. Prizes could be accessories for their smartwatches, such as a screen protector or a trendy new watch band.
Offer Annual Health Screenings
Many employees put off getting an annual physical. Providing health screenings at the office makes it easy and convenient for your workforce to check their weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose levels.
Provide a Weight Loss Program
Obesity is a common problem in the U.S. and is the cause of many serious health issues, such as stroke, heart attacks, diabetes, and cancer. Hiring a weight loss company to provide weekly meetings at your office is an excellent way to help your employees reach and maintain a healthy weight.
Stock Healthy Office Snacks
Stocking the break room with various delicious healthy snacks gives hungry employees the extra sustenance they need to power through the day. Fill the refrigerator with bottled water, juice, yogurt, and cheese. Make fresh fruit, nuts, pretzels, popcorn, and granola bars regularly available.
Develop a Mental Health Program
Make a mental health program an important component of your company's wellness plan. The World Health Organization found that for every dollar you spend providing employees with mental health tools, you receive $4 back in productivity. Put policies in place to prevent harassment or bullying in your company. Provide your employees with a discounted subscription to a wellbeing app that provides advice and relaxing music or meditations. Contract with an Employee Assistance Program to provide your workforce with confidential counseling and educational tools to handle various issues.
Starting a wellness program at your business helps your employees learn healthy self-care habits to improve their lives. It creates a positive work environment employees want to stay in for years to come.
Thanks to guest author, Dylan Foster, for the information in this post. Dylan co-founded Health Well Wise to provide informative resources that help others find ways to make their homes feel healthy.
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