Prioritizing employee wellness has become even more essential since the start of the pandemic. The job market is competitive, and you need to find creative ways to make your organization stand out to recruit and retain top talent. Recently, wellness programs have become the forefront of employee recruitment efforts. However, building a wellness program that helps to recruit and retain top talent is not simply starting an exercise or healthy eating challenge every quarter, but it involves a process around assessing your population and their needs, developing a strategy to promote the outcomes the organization is seeking and then implementing appropriate interventions and evaluating regularly. To stand out from competitors, many employers are offering more than just the benefit programs that meet employees’ basic health needs; they’re creating innovative wellness packages to promote employee well-being, prioritizing physical and mental health, which attract top talent and boost retention rates.
Your organization may not be returning to an office on a full-time basis in the near future, or ever. The negative mental health impact the pandemic has had will continue to affect employee well-being. Organizations that offer strategic wellness programs will help you retain your hard-working employees, demonstrating that their wellness is a priority to you and that you recognize that employees that take care of their health are more productive at work. It also gives your organization a competitive edge when it comes to attracting top talent. A comprehensive wellness program can meet your employees’ wellness needs wherever they are.
Prevent Burnout and Improve Mental Health
Some employees have found many benefits in working from home, including more time to be physically active and saving money by preparing more meals at home. However, many employees struggle with their work-life balance while working remotely. When leaving an office, many can leave their duties behind. When your office, kitchen, and living space are all the same, these lines blur, and for some, this has meant working around the clock.
Fatigue and burnout have become large concerns among organizations. In fact, 75% of employees have experienced symptoms of burnout in the past year. Employees suffering from burnout are 260% more likely to quit their job, 23% more likely to go to the emergency room, and 63% more likely to take an unplanned sick day. Your company’s wellness program can help employees prioritize their mental health and work-life balance by incorporating initiatives focused on mental health. Improving employee mental health can improve productivity, decrease presenteeism, and increase morale.
Some things you can do for your employees’ mental health now:
· Allow fitness breaks during the workday
· Offer meditation or yoga classes
· Suggest walking meetings when possible
· Organize team exercise challenges
· Encourage wellness breaks so your employees can step away from their screen
· Enable PTO days
Team Building
In addition to improving the mental well-being of your employees, wellness programs can help your team bond, ultimately improving company morale and culture. Having team wellness challenges can encourage your employees to participate in activities together, allowing them to build relationships while improving their health, which can lead to better teamwork.
Team challenge examples:
· Couch to 5k, have a company-wide 5k (safely in-person or virtual)
· Step challenge- this can encourage your employees to get up and move during their day
· Nutrition challenges- who can prepare the most meals at home? Who can eat the highest variety of fruits and vegetables?
· Mental health challenges- offer group meditation or yoga class, self-care calendars, practice giving back
· Wellness webinars- gives employees a topic of discussion after the session
People want to contribute to and work in an environment where they feel valued. By offering wellness programs, employers can show they’re invested in their team, and investing in employee wellness, will not only help you recruit and maintain top talent, but also save your organization money.
Given the current job market, employers should re-examine their current benefits package and make sure their offerings are competitive. A robust benefits package that provides varied and unique health and wellness initiatives will help an organization attract and retain the best employees. Contact us to learn about the innovative wellness initiatives we've developed for our clients and how we can help your organization.