Employee wellness programs are a standard benefit at many organizations and as a result employees are happier, healthier and more productive – a win-win. There are also studies out there—albeit controversial ones—that suggest the workplaces with the best wellness programs significantly outperform the stock market. But what if you are not getting the results you want from your program? You may need to take a step back and re-evaluate the components of your initiative.
Organizations that were early adopters of workplace wellness benefits are now reviewing, evaluating and enhancing their original plans. Traditional and first generation wellness programs encouraged employees to complete health risk assessments, undergo biometric screenings, attend seminars and submit logs of physical activity to earn discounts on insurance premiums.
The companies that truly understand the financial value of comprehensive wellness programs know they need to identify the health risks that are unique to their workforce and develop a targeted program that meets the needs of their employees. The successful programs have also expanded from wellness to overall well-being. Wellness programs need to offer ways for employees to change lifestyle habits through better management of physical activity, nutrition, stress reduction, emotional well-being, sleep, behavioral health, spiritual health and financial fitness.
Recently, one company’s research found that employees know far less about wellness than they think they do. For instance, few understand the relationship between sleep and obesity or realize that chicken has far more cholesterol than peanut butter. Education is a key component for lasting change. At Wellness Workdays, we work with our clients to develop unique programs that target the specific risk factors of their employees and provide education in all areas of well-being. Using our proprietary four-step approach, we can help you re-evaluate your current program an implement a well-designed, comprehensive program that gets results.