A Complete Guide To Corporate Wellness Programs

Section 1: Introduction

Our body benefits by moving, and our mind benefits by remaining still.

– Anjan Pathak, Co-Founder, Vantage Circle

For far too long, we have prioritized doing well over being well.
But if we compare our present scenario, things have changed. An inactive and sedentary lifestyle has made health and well-being hit rock bottom. Besides, easy access to soda and junk food has worsened it.

Do you know doctors recommend 10,000 steps per day for good health? Yet, an average employee walks only about 2000 steps daily. Their lifestyles have been changing due to the consumption of unhealthy food and no exercise.

This has also been a major contributor to the ever-growing health risk today.

Section 2: The Current State of Employee Health and Well-being

Employee wellness is something that has been gaining serious attention over the last few years. The percentage of employers interested in including an employee wellness program in their workplace is rapidly increasing.

According to an International Labor Organization study, about 2 million lives are lost to workplace illnesses annually. Modern-day employees are prone to developing chronic illnesses. The reason is simple - a sedentary lifestyle, poor eating habits, and poor stress management.

Here are some common chronic disorders that are most likely to occur:

• Type 2 Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Obesity
• Depression
• Musculoskeletal disorders

But what are employers doing about these issues?

You ignoring your employees' health might be costing you quite a bit more than you think. As per a study by Integrated Benefits Institute, it was found that poor health costs US employers an average of $575 billion in lost productivity per year.

This is exactly why offering wellness programs is crucial. Corporate wellness programs significantly reduce employee turnover rates and increase employee satisfaction and revenue goals.

Building and integrating a suitable corporate wellness program requires an elaborate workforce study. Understanding your employees’ well-being needs is the key to finding the ultimate corporate wellness solution.

Here, we present an all-inclusive corporate employee wellness guide for your organization. A guide that will help you understand the significance of wellness in today's era.

Section 3: What Are Corporate Wellness Programs?

A healthy workforce always equals a healthy business, and there is no doubt about that.

The inclusion of technology at work might have made things easier at work. But this happens at the cost of lesser physical activity, a basic need for a person to lead a healthy life.

With more hours at the work desk, an employee often struggles with long-term health goals. Such problems have been neglected for a very long time.

The traditional health plans were limited to insurance and sick leaves. But, modern employee wellness plans are more diversified and all-inclusive. Which is why, most companies have implemented corporate wellness programs in their workplaces.

So, what exactly is a Corporate Wellness Program?

A corporate wellness program is an employer's approach to achieving a healthy workplace. It incorporates wellness activities into their daily life to promote employees' well-being. In comparison, taking a holistic approach to creating a better work culture.

These health activities range from anything to everything centered around health.

The benefits of corporate wellness programs are manifold.

Creating wellness programs helps in solving various workplace health risks. Mostly that arises from unhealthy habits, stress, lack of physical activity, etc.

The importance of having an employee wellness program at the workplace can also be linked to employee retention and acquisition. A corporate wellness program can change according to the organization's needs, size, and budget.

Corporate wellness programs are in many forms across different organizations. Some only provide insurance covers, while others are aiming at holistic wellness.

Section 4: What are the benefits of Corporate Wellness Programs?

The whole point of introducing corporate wellness programs is to instill a healthier lifestyle habit in your employees.

Let's discuss some of the benefits of successful corporate wellness programs.

Physical Health Benefits:

Better fitness level: Your employees will witness improved fitness levels over time. They do have to religiously participate in the wellness initiatives to see the positive effects.

Decreased risks of chronic illnesses: Modern employees are prone to chronic illnesses. But, as your employees’ health status improves with the increased participation in the wellness initiatives, the risk of chronic diseases will decrease eventually.

Improved weight management: Obesity is one of the biggest health risks your employees are prone to. With corporate wellness programs, you can offer better weight management for your employees.

Mental Health Benefits:

Reduced stress: Corporate wellness programs are designed to focus on the mental health aspects of employees. These programs help employees learn to manage stress through relaxation techniques, mindfulness meditation, and other forms of self-care.

Improved mental well-being: Employee wellness programs help reduce your employees’ mental health stressors. Along with stress reduction, wellness programs boost overall mental and emotional well-being.

Reduced risk of burnout: A Deloitte report suggests 77 percent of employees experience burnout. Wellness programs help to reduce the risk of burnout by providing access to resources such as stress management, mental health counseling, and physical health activities such as yoga and mindfulness.

Productivity and Performance:

Enhanced focus: Employee wellness programs aid employees battling mental health blues. The wellness initiatives are curated in such a way that employees can retain their focus at work.

Improved work quality: Employees who lead a healthier lifestyle are seen to deliver better work. The successful introduction of an employee wellness program ought to motivate employees to deliver better work performance.

Reduced absenteeism: Research suggests that burnout causes many employees to take a day off from work. Since wellness programs help reduce employees' stress levels, they are less likely to suffer from burnout. Hence, the absenteeism rate will also be reduced with the introduction of a wellness program.

Employee Retention and Satisfaction:

Increased job satisfaction: Employees with improved well-being tend to have increased job satisfaction. This can lead to improved employee morale, motivation, and productivity.

Reduced turnover rate: Increased job satisfaction can increase employee retention.

Improved morale: A wellness program helps create a positive workplace culture, which can be beneficial in boosting employee morale.

Financial Benefits for Companies:

Reduced healthcare costs: As wellness programs will minimize the risks of chronic illnesses, the healthcare costs that employers may have to bear will decrease.

Increased ROI from a healthier workforce: Employees with improved well-being tend to deliver quality work with motivation and productivity. This, in turn, helps the company achieve the real ROI goals.

Section 5: Wellness In The Workspace

Employees are the most important asset of any organization. Keeping them fit and happy is the first step towards ensuring good employee health.

Corporations are dealing with constant stress and increased working hours. It only makes sense for a company to provide wellness solutions to hold employees and motivate them to do their best. Income is no longer the most focused area in the current world. Job satisfaction, appreciation, and work-life balance provisions reach the top ranks.

Corporate wellness initiatives may sometimes appear out of reach if you have a restricted budget and resources.

But here's the reality. As mentioned above, investing in corporate wellness programs may improve your company in the long run, espceially in financial benefits.

Researchers from Harvard published an extensive summary from 22 different studies over 3 years, and here's what they found:

“For every $1 that was spent on a wellness program, the company saved $3.27 because of reduced healthcare costs.”

Here are some statistics supporting why you need to invest in it:

By investing in corporate wellness programs, employers can drive employee engagement. They can also create healthier, happier, and more productive workforces.

Due to this, progressive companies make provisions. For example, lifestyle education, fitness sessions, health assessments, and more. Employees, in general, tend to make unhealthy choices compared to healthier ones because it’s more convenient and easily available.

Do you know that this set of lifestyle choices has resulted in a generation of workers suffering from many health problems?

All these illnesses, in general, state poor physical health among employees.

But there is a larger concern at hand.

We ignore another crucial part of complete wellness, namely Mental Health, in our rush to achieve the best physical health.

A "healthy mind" and "healthy body" shouldn't be considered separate entities. Nowadays, organizations work so hard to promote excellent physical health. They fail to consider the consequences of disregarding mental health in the organization.

There is a clear way to fix this problem.

You play an (if not the most) active role in encouraging employees to make healthier choices and creating a health-centric culture. It's not as easy as simply hanging motivational posters and providing healthy snacks in the breakroom.

Encouraging employee wellness goes far beyond these very basic steps. In this guide, we will go through the ways through which you can encourage healthy living in the workplace.

Section 6: The 9 Dimensions of Wellness

People frequently associate wellness with physical health — nutrition, exercise, weight control, and so on — but it is so much more. Wellness is a complete integration of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. It nourishes the body, engages the intellect, and satisfies the soul.

To understand and achieve overall wellness, we must first know all its interconnected dimensions.

1. Physical Wellness

Physical fitness is a state of health and well-being. It also implies the capacity to participate in sports, professions, and daily activities. Physical fitness is often accomplished with proper nourishment, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, adequate rest and system recovery plan.

2. Mental Wellness

Mental wellness is characterized as being aware of your emotions and being able to control and express them in a healthy and age-appropriate manner. It entails having strong mental and physical health, a high level of life satisfaction, and a feeling of purpose.

3. Intellectual Wellness

Intellectual Wellness is being open to new ideas, thinking critically, and finding ways to be creative. It is about seeking knowledge and partaking in mental activities. This further improves existing skill sets, fosters critical thinking, and heightens global awareness. Being intellectually healthy is essential for keeping our brains healthy.

4. Spiritual Wellness

Spiritual well-being is being linked to something greater than oneself. Having a set of values, principles, morals, and beliefs brings a feeling of purpose and meaning to life and then puts those ideals into action. Some examples of spiritual wellness are optimism, connecting with people, experiencing a sense of belonging, and exercising self-care.

5. Social Wellness

Social wellness is the state of well-being attained via positive and wholesome interpersonal connections at home and work. Having a genuine connection with well-wishers contributes to one's overall wellness. In fact, when there are companionable people around you, your emotional and mental well-being also stays intact.

6. Financial Wellness

Financial wellness is how meaningfully you balance your economic life, based on your financial health. With the rise in stress levels today due to the workload and busy schedules, people are still working to attain that financial security. Because, at the end of the day, being financially secure leads to a good quality of life.

7. Environmental Wellness

Environmental wellness means being at peace with our natural surroundings. The physical surroundings we live in have much influence on our wellness. And thus, coexisting happily with our planet and community is the first step toward environmental wellness. Breathing fresh air, working in a clean environment, or being around nature - all contribute to our well-being status.

8. Occupational Wellness

Occupational wellness is the feeling of contentment one derives from their professional life. It implies living life with a fulfilling job that brings you joy while enabling you to manage workplace stressors easily. Being occupationally well is important and very difficult.

9. Cultural Wellness

Cultural wellness means accepting and celebrating various cultures interacting with one another. The act of getting along with each other regardless of gender, age, religion, or sexual orientation and acknowledging cultural identities establishes the state of cultural wellness.

Section 7: DREYMSS- The Seven Ways To Wellness

Wellness /ˈwɛlnəs/noun: the state of being in good health, especially as an actively pursued goal.

Wellness is not just a program to be implemented; wellness is in itself a way of living.

And we believe there are 7 most important aspects of wellness, namely -

Drinking: Even mild dehydration can greatly decrease energy levels. Which then leads to major reductions in cognitive brain performance and memory.

Running: Increased indulgence in regular cardio helps to increase the blood and oxygen flow throughout the body. It shows a visibly increased heart and healthy cholesterol rate.

Eating: You are what you eat. A healthy, nutritious diet acts as medicine- to manage, prevent, and treat disease.

Yoga: Yoga uses physical postures, breathing exercises, and meditation to improve overall health.

Meditation: Helps to elevate positive mood and outlook. Also helps in enhancing self-discipline, healthy sleep patterns, and even increased pain tolerance.

Strength: Regular exercise can help build self-confidence and boost immunity. It will also protect you from health problems like diabetes and high blood pressure.

Sleep: Healthy sleep can help your body regulate better blood sugar levels. It will keep your immune system functioning properly and improve your heart health by decreasing stress.

In a nutshell, to achieve overall wellness, we should focus on the factors mentioned above. We even have a name for it- DREYMSS that stands for Drinking, Running + Eating + Yoga + Meditation + Strength + Sleep.

1. Drinking

Think of water as a nutrient your body needs that is present in liquids, plain water, and foods. These are essential daily to replace the large amounts of water lost daily. - Joan Koelemay

Around 60% of the human body is made up of water.

More than three-quarters (77%) of employees did not think they consumed enough water daily to meet their health needs. - Quench Survey.

What are the Benefits of Drinking Water?

• Increased Brainpower
• Healthy Weight Management
• Immunity Booster
• Flushed Out Toxins
• Prevention of Cramps & Sprains
• Reduced Headaches
• Smooth Bowel Movements

How Can You Encourage your Employees to Drink more water?

• Review floor designs to ensure water supplies are close to workspaces.

• Provide fresh, filtered, great-tasting water that doesn't run out.

• Encourage employees to get up, move, and drink water during the day.

• Make hydration a habit and lead by example.

Keep advocating the benefits of drinking water and guzzle down some regularly. You can ask your fitness-savvy employees help to encourage their peers to stay hydrated.

2. Running

The real purpose of running isn't to win a race, and it's to test the limits of the human heart.

– Bill Bowerman, Co-founder, Nike, Inc.

Running, as we all know, is the best way towards fitness. According to various studies, running for just thirty minutes five times a week helps mitigate-

• Obesity,
• Type 2 diabetes,
• Heart diseases
• Depression,
• Irregular blood pressure
• Unwanted health conditions

What are the Benefits of Running?

• Weight Management
• Improved Cardio Health
• Muscle and Bone Strength
• Stress Reliever
• Better Sleep
• Immunity Booster
• Reduced Cancer Risk

How can you Encourage your Employees to embrace Running?

• Organize workplace step challenges or marathons are feasible ways to introduce running to your employees.

• Leverage digital wellness platforms for hosting these wellness contests in easier ways and boost more engagement as they offer features like step tracker, calorie counter etc.

• Reward your employees with redeemable prizes for embracing the path toward a healthy life will motivate them to stay on track for a long time.

• Spread awareness and convey the benefits of running as part of their daily routine to the employees.

3. Eating

"Let Food Be Thy Medicine, Thy Medicine Shall Be Thy Food" – Hippocrates

Eating healthy is the foremost precaution one can take for various health-related issues that may arise at any time. However, maintaining a healthy diet could be quite challenging. Especially for the employees working under a tight schedule having a nutritious meal is more like a dream in today's date.

According to WHO, 80% of heart disease, stroke, and Type 2 diabetes cases could be prevented by adopting a healthy diet.

What are the Benefits of Healthy Eating?

• Enhanced Immunity
• Improved Metabolism
• Better Mood
• Healthy Heart
• Memory Booster
• Weight Loss
• Strong Bones and Teeth

How can you Encourage your Employees to embrace Healthy Eating?

• Give your employees an option of nutritious snacks in the cafeteria and instill healthy eating habits within them.

• Host healthy potlucks and boost workplace camaraderie along with implementing healthy food habits.

• Subsidize healthy food items to lure the employees to go for them instead of regular junk meals.

4. Yoga

Derived from the Sanskrit word "Yuji," meaning union, Yoga is an ancient practice that brings together mind and body.

The purpose of yoga is to build strength, awareness, and harmony in both the mind and body. - Natalie Nevins, DO, a board-certified osteopathic family physician and certified Kundalini Yoga instructor in Hollywood, California.

As more and more people discover the benefits of Yoga, the 3,000-year-old practice is increasingly finding its way into the workplace. The demand for corporate yoga has created whole squadrons of yoga teachers who specialize in office settings.

Yoga has many scientifically proven benefits, which include:

• Reduced muscle pain
• Reduced Stress
• Reduced Anxiety
• Improved quality of life
• Boosting Fitness
• Flexibility and strength

With all the benefits of Yoga for office workers, it can be a crucial component of your workplace wellness program.

What are the Benefits Of Yoga?

• Reduced Back Pain
• Lower Burnout Rates
• Less Absenteeism
• Calm Temperament
• Stress Relief
• Improved Focus
• Increased Flexibility
• Better posture

How Can You Encourage your Employees to do Yoga?

• Consider the work environment and introduce a variety of practical classes for a workplace setting.

• Remove the pre-requisites that workplace yoga requires athletic strength, flexibility, and meditation experience. All those are just some side benefits that one may receive along the way.

• Educate your employees on the benefits of yoga.

• Throw out any notions that your workplace yoga initiatives must mirror a typical boutique studio setting.

• Gamify the initial experience by encouraging managers to engage their teams in a competition to get people in the door.

5. Meditation

"The goal of meditation is not to get rid of thoughts or emotions. The goal is to become more aware of your thoughts and emotions and learn how to move through them without getting stuck." – Dr. P. Goldin

Office distractions can be of any form: relentless emails, gossip, or non-stop client meetings. Thus, finding peace of mind amongst this constant draw of distractions has almost become impossible to achieve.

Regular meditation practice helps to open creative doorways in the brain.
With increased focus, problem-solving skills get more creative, and new ideas enter the mind more freely.

What are the Benefits Of Meditation?

A study from Harvard found that a meditation program led to changes in brain regions.

• Improved Focus
• Improved Mood
• Meditation = Less Stress
• Self-Awareness
• Increased Attention Span
• Decreased Addictions
• Improved Sleep

How Can You Encourage your Employees to practice Mindfulness?

• Encourage staff to use short mindful exercises like a breathing exercise and start their day with it.

• Introduce a quiet space for your employees who are not into meditation and offer them that comfort to refocus without digital distractions.

6. Sleep

"Sleep is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together." – Thomas Dekker

Having a good sleep is one of the major parts of the puzzle for a healthy life. Proper sleep ensures better concentration and stress relief. It also improves immune function and tissue rebuild time.

Poor sleep cycles are responsible for various physical and mental health issues. Issues such as depression and anxiety, as well as it also leads to stress giving rise to stroke and other heart diseases.

What are the Benefits of Proper Sleep?

• Better Brain Function
• Lower Stress Level
• Muscle Repair
• Increased Attention Span
• Weight loss
• Prevention of Diabetes
• Decreased Inflammation

How to Ensure a Good Night's Sleep?

• Implement a No-Work at Home policy to avoid employees taking their excess work home.

• Discourage consumption of excess caffeine as it blocks adenosine, a substance that induces sleep resulting to sleep deprivation

• Provide Free Counselling to deal with Sleep Deprivation and Stress

7. Strength

Training gives us an outlet for suppressed energies created by stress and thus tones the spirit just as exercise conditions the body. – Arnold Schwarzenegger

Strength is the basic physiological trait that enables us to push ourselves. It helps us to achieve maximum endurance capability. Strength training is essential for keeping our muscle mass and skeletal health intact, which tend to degrade as we age.

What are the Benefits of Strength Training?

• Strong and lasting skeletal health
• Weight management
• Reduced risk of various chronic diseases
• Increased bone density
• Reduced risk of injury
• Better mood and energy levels
• Induced balance and flexibility

How Can You Encourage your Employees to Embrace Strength Training?

• Encourage "Walk Breaks" between work to help employees deal with their fatigue and stretch the vital muscles ensuring smooth motor functions.

• Introduce fun wellness challenges like office fitness challenges and office weight loss challenges to promote physical activity and fitness among your employees.

• Provide in-house healthcare facilities like yoga rooms, gyms, meditation rooms, or subsidized gym memberships.

• Use corporate wellness applications like that of Vantage Fit and run multiple wellness challenges over some time.

Section 8: How To Encourage Workplace Wellness?

American Institute of Stress report suggests that an estimated 75–90% of visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related conditions. Studies confirm that occupational intimidations and fears are most Americans' ultimate stress sources. Approximately 40% of American workers say that their jobs are very stressful.

According to United Health, 75% of workers are interested in having corporate wellness programs. Again, another 59% of those who have one credited it with helping them live healthier lives.

There are plenty of practices with which employers can help employees mitigate stress and anxiety at work. They can do it while promoting the importance of workplace wellness. But here are the top 30 ways to encourage workplace wellness.

1. Health Ambassador

You will always find a health enthusiast at work who can be inspiring for the rest. Such employees can act as role models for all the others and encourage them to lead healthy lives. You can assign them the title of "Health Ambassador" and let them be the face of good health in the organization.

2. Gym Memberships

Building an in-house gym might not be cost-effective. But, you can opt for a better alternative, i.e., partnering up with a nearby gym. You can provide your employees with subsidized memberships.

3. Health Articles And Newsletters

Starting health campaigns in the organization takes a lot of effort in the beginning.

But, you can send health articles and newsletters as part of your wellness promotion activities. It can help you spread awareness about the costs of an unhealthy lifestyle.

4. Healthy Snacks

There's the fact that what your employees eat affects their performance. The Harvard Business Review says, "Food directly impacts our cognitive performance."

A bad decision at the vending machine can derail a day's worth of productivity. Healthier snack options can provide sustained energy for high performance throughout the day.

A study of more than 200 adults in a worksite wellness program found that snacking choices at work affected the quality of one's diet and BMI. The healthier the snacking choices, the better the participants' diet and health.

5. Ergonomic Office Equipment

According to obesity researcher James Levine, "chairs are lethal." In his study, he found that a sedentary lifestyle is harmful to your health. It slows down your metabolism and promotes fat accumulation. But if you stand up while you work, you'll decrease your risk of obesity. Active workstations will improve while also keeping them in shape.

Invest in office equipment that encourages movement like standing desks, stationary bike, and treadmill desks.

6. Time Off For Exercise

No matter how "healthy" your office workstations are, they will never come close to the beneficial effects of exercise.

To give your employees the full effect of exercise, allow them to take an hour off every day as Cliff Bar does. Even 30 minutes of exercise in a day will rejuvenate your employees, and they will come back refreshed, healthier, and more focused.

Infact, as per a recent study, employees who exercise were found to be more fit and productive.

7. Set Reminders

A study was conducted on employees to test the effects of a 30-minutes long morning exercise routine vs. 5-minute walks throughout the day. It found that both types of exercise improved energy levels.

Encourage your employees to get up and move around for 5 minutes every hour. In this process, it is unthinkable to go up to each employee and coax them to do something for themselves.

What you can do is set up some form of online reminders like using a corporate health platform.

You can also set up posters in and around the office to motivate your employees.

8. In-House Library and Courseware

Employees have to bear a lot of mental stress in their day-to-day work life. Having an in-house library is one of the ways to help out your employees here.

Encourage reading amongst your employees during their free time. Also, you can help your employees with various in-house courses to learn.

9. Monday Meditation

Everyone hates Mondays, and your employees are no different. To help them get on the right track, you can organize meditation sessions at work on Mondays every week. Meditation helps bring tranquillity to one's thoughts.

You can help your employees to start their week by practicing meditation at work. It will help them stay focused. Moreover, meditation comes with its own set of benefits. It helps to control anxiety, brings self-awareness, boosts one's attentiveness, and more.

10. Smoke Cessation Campaign

Smoking has become a very common habit among professionals around the world. And the most obvious reason cited by many for this is the ever-growing work stress. Everyone knows that smoking can cause various chronic heart and lung diseases. It has become very important to curb this.

However, implementing a smoke cessation campaign at the workplace can help mitigate this issue to a certain extent, if not the whole. You can reach out to the employees with ways to recede smoking. You can incentivize their efforts to leave smoking too. You can declare "no-smoking" zones in and around the workplace. It will help the employees achieve better stamina and reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases.

11. Work Breaks

Working longer hours at a go harms an employee's body. These include backaches, headaches, muscle cramps, and eye strains. You can encourage your employees to take breaks at regular intervals. It is important to unwind and relax from work for better balance and health.

12. Pace Up With the Senior

Every change in the workplace should begin from the top level. Most of the time, employees look up to their seniors for motivation. Embracing workplace wellness ideologies for a healthy work environment is no exception.

You should lead by example. Motivating the employees by challenging them to pace up with their seniors will create healthy competition.

13. Games and Other Activities

Indoor and outdoor games can be a great addition to your workplace wellness program. Indoor games like chess and checkers can help relieve employees of mental stress. Having a space for outdoor activities will let employees test their physical endurance.

14. Let It Be Green

A clean and green campus helps to create a cool and calm environment. Plants filter out unnecessary gases, which positively impact employees' productivity. They give them a feeling of freshness. Small plants around office spaces also help create a healthy work environment.

15. Hosting a Virtual Wellness Retreat

A virtual retreat can be a great way to bring all your employees together and celebrate wellness. You can arrange a full-day retreat by holding online yoga classes and nutrition sessions by top-level experts. This way, you can make your employees experience all things wellness from their comfortable couches.

16. Celebrating Fitness Friday

Friday is almost the weekend, making it the best day to try wellness activity in the office. One day a week is enough for the employees to freshen their minds through fitness activities. Infact, Fridays can act like getaways from work towards healthy living.

17. Health Fair

Health fairs in the workplace can be a great way to encourage employee wellness. Plan a health fair where you invite experts to promote their health services. Besides, fun-filled wellness activities will implant enthusiasm and excitement among the employees.

18. Employee Survey

Implementing wellness programs in the workplace is possible if your employees enjoy them. You have to know what programs keep the workforce engaged. Due to this, it is better to do a basic employee survey for their feedback.

19. Walking Meetings

Meetings are pretty much tiring. So try to make them fun by introducing the concept of walking meetings at times. As you know, walking is a great form of exercise and meetings are mandatory.

20. Stairs instead of Elevators

Climbing stairs every day is great for fitness. If your office is on the 5th floor, there is no chance employees will take the stairs. You can put a note on the elevator door asking employees to take the stairs instead and make it more healthy.

21. Workout Passes

Offering an hour to your employees every day for a workout can be key to motivating them.

All you need to do is create workout passes and distribute them to your employees. They can take some time out from their hectic schedules for minimal workout sessions. A little flexibility kick is what they deserve to get some exercise.

22. Fitness Challenges and Contests

Hosting various fitness challenges like walking, running, and cycling challenges can play a big role in fostering employee wellbeing. These challenges will engage employees and boost their fitness motivation.

Also, when there are contests and challenges, there should be prizes. And when there are prizes, no one lets the opportunity slide. Assigning fitness rewards against tasks will increase active participation leading to productive results.

Fun attached with fitness- employees will be thrilled and already. These types of challenges bring the entire office on board.

23. Promote Walking and Cycling

It is sometimes possible to be running late for work in the morning amidst all the rush. Employees either commute by public transport or private. However, as an employer, you can seek to change that and ask your employees to start walking or cycling to the office.

24. Lunch and Learn

A lunch and learn proves to be an excellent way to develop health consciousness in the employees. It involves all employees having a lunch where they can share each other's fitness activities and get inspired.

The employees can motivate each other to maintain good health. Collaborate and learn to drive each other towards development.

25. Wellness Application

Technology has taken over the current world. There are plenty of wellness applications out there in the market. These employee well-being tools can come in handy if you want to promote healthy living at work. You can introduce several wellness activities on these applications' virtual platforms.

The best part of these apps is their ability to sync and keep track of all physical activities. You can track health assessments, heart rate, step tracker, and every other health activity of your employees. It further helps to make employees and employers aware of their health.

Also, employee participation increases through gamification and fitness rewards. So, launch a wellness application to see the change and how they works towards leading a healthy life.

26. Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness practices in the workplace have become more popular than ever. It can include breathwork, cultivating positive thinking and emotions, meditation, and many more.

Incorporating mindfulness meditation into employees' routines will help them become productive at work. You can do it by encouraging employees to take a 10-15 minutes break between work.

27. Flexible Work Hours

Flexible working hours are the need of the century. Work culture is evolving with time, and so are employees and their skills.

Flexible working hours allow employees to start and finish their day when they want. Employees can come to work earlier and leave earlier, and vice versa. It will encourage employees to take time to practice health and wellness activities and indulge themselves in productive hobbies.

28. Corporate Yoga

Corporate Yoga falls under corporate wellness. It guides employees in simple yoga postures or techniques. It can be either stretches, breathing techniques, or introspection exercises.

Corporate Yoga enhances the workplace's mental, physical, spiritual, and intellectual well-being. It further saves healthcare costs and makes corporate wellness more fun.

Here are a few corporate yoga postures -

• 2 minutes of Shoulder Rolls

• 1-minute Open Chest Stretch

• 30 secs to 1-minute Neck Stretch

• 2 minutes Chair Twist

• 1-2 minutes Reverse Prayer Pose

• 2 minutes Twisted Arm

29. Group Outings

Team outings serve as an ice-breaker between new and old members. It helps the employees de-stress and chill.

Expedition and exploration activities among teammates can rejuvenate their minds, body, and soul. They increase employee productivity and enthusiasm for work. Organizing an outdoor event once a month reflects a strong company culture.

30. Practicing Gratitude

Gratitude is one of the best way to uplift corporate wellness. You can do it by encouraging the practice of recognizing teammates and co-workers. Care, compassion, and gratefulness are essential in the workplace.

Practicing gratitude will leverage workplace culture and the working environment. It will boost spiritual wellness, employee morale, and employee mental well-being.

Section 9: Customizing Wellness Programs for Different Work Environments

Organizations should tailor wellness programs to meet the unique demands of various work settings—remote, in-office, and field.

For instance, remote workers could benefit from virtual wellness challenges, while office workers might appreciate on-site fitness sessions and ergonomic assessments.

Field workers, on the other hand, could be supported through mobile health tracking and outdoor team-building activities.

Section 10: Technological Tools and Platforms for Corporate Wellness

The tech world is constantly evolving and coming up with new tools every now and then. Modern tech tools definitely make everyone’s lives easier. Here are some tools that companies can use to provide their employees with corporate wellness programs:

Self-assessment health tools: Health assesment tools are a must to make a person health conscious. These tools include mood meters, heart rate tracker, and sleep tracker, which provide crucial health data.

Nutrition tracker: Improving one’s health is all about the food intake and the fitness level. Providing a nutrition tracker to employees allows them to make conscious decisions about their calorie intake.

Virtual Marathon: This is a great way for employers to care for their employees’ physical fitness and health. This initiative is also known to improve team camaraderie. Employers can also incentivize employees to participate in the virtual marathon.

Activity trackers: Activity trackers, also known as fitness trackers, are very popular today. As an employer, you can offer your employees an activity tracker as a mobile application to track essential health vitals.

AI chatbots: The integration AI chatbot is another tool that may assist your employees AI chatbots can provide personalized advice to your employees per their health requirements. This tool can also motivate and support employees to stay active and healthy.

Employee wellness platforms: Such platforms are designed to offer a wide range of tools which HRs and employers can use to instill healthy habits for their employees. Employee wellness programs include features like wellness programs, reward system and other resources to encourage participation.

Section 11: Implementation of Cue, Action, Reward

Amidst numerous deadlines and hectic plans, workers may not always be in a condition of well-being. Establishing and maintaining lifelong healthy behaviors takes a great deal of resolve and drive.

Many of us might have heard of the habitual process of cue, action, and reward. Vantage Fit has based its entire platform on this. It's a comprehensive corporate wellness platform with a range of tools designed to encourage healthy living among your employees.

Cue

The first component, i.e. the cue, includes presenting motivating wellness objectives through frequent prompts and updates. This keeps employees updated with the current and upcoming programs.

Action

The next step is putting those goals into action by hosting wellness challenges on the platform. Those challenges include several tasks like walking 3000+ steps for 4 days per week, measuring your heart rate, running 3kms for 3 days per week, etc.

Reward

Then comes the reward part, which involves incentivizing employees who finish the tasks and achieve the given goals within the stipulated time. Vantage Fit follows a point-based reward system where they reward their employees with redeemable Vantage points. These points can be redeemed as gift cards of various brands available on the application.

Section 12: Common Misconceptions about the Costs and Benefits of implementing Wellness Programs

Corporate wellness programs often need to be more understood and plagued by myths that prevent them from achieving their full potential. The reality is that not only are these programs cost-effective, but they also reap significant benefits for employers and employees alike.

Let’s debunk some of the common misconceptions and shed some light on the true value of employee wellness programs-

Misconception: Corporate wellness programs are too expensive.
Reality: Investing in employee well-being can reduce healthcare costs.

Misconception: Corporate wellness programs may not deliver tangible benefits.
Reality: They can boost productivity, morale, and employee retention.

Misconception: Wellness programs are one-size-fits-all solutions.
Reality: Tailored programs can address specific employee needs and preferences.

Misconception: Implementing wellness programs is complex and time-consuming.
Reality: With the right support and resources, integration can be seamless and efficient.

Section 13: Legal and Ethical Considerations

The well-being of employees has become a crucial component of organizational success. Consequently, workplace wellness programs have gained popularity, aiming to boost employee health, reduce absenteeism, increase productivity, and create a more engaged workforce.

When implementing a wellness program, navigating legal and ethical considerations is crucial to ensure its success and compliance.

Ensuring Privacy of Health Data:

• Implement robust data protection measures to safeguard employee health information.

• Design programs with inclusivity and fairness to avoid discrimination.

• Ensure voluntary participation.

• Adhere to regulations like HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) to maintain confidentiality.

• Offer diverse options catering to various needs and abilities.

• Ensure equal access for all employees.

• Consider the program's impact on subgroups such as older persons and persons with disabilities and providing employees with necessary accommodations.

• Obtain explicit consent from employees before collecting any health-related data.

• Make sure any rewards or penalties comply with legal limits.

• Do not reduce employee’s pay due to health-related issues.

Avoiding Potential Pitfalls and Ensuring Inclusivity and Fairness

• Design wellness programs accessible to all employees, regardless of background or abilities.

• Avoid discriminatory practices and ensure equal opportunities for participation.

• Provide diverse options that cater to different health needs and preferences.

• Regularly review and update policies to align with evolving legal and ethical standards.

• Consult with a lawyer or other legal counsel before implementing your program to reduce the likelihood of encountering legal problems later.

Section 14: Feedback and Continuous Improvement

Implement a structured process for collecting feedback through surveys, focus groups, or digital platforms. Use the insights to refine and enhance the wellness offerings continuously.

This could involve introducing new activities based on popular demand, discontinuing less effective ones, or adjusting resources to meet employee needs better. Regularly revisiting and updating the program ensures it remains effective, engaging, and aligned with the evolving wellness goals of the workforce.

These enhancements will help create a more personalized and adaptive wellness program that can effectively support the well-being of all employees, regardless of their work environment.

Section 15: What are the Challenges in Implementing Wellness Programs?

Organizations worldwide have recognized the importance of implementing a corporate wellness program in recent years. However, implementing wellness programs is not without its challenges.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll delve into the common obstacles that organizations today face when implementing a program centered around wellness at work.

Understanding some of the common obstacles companies face:

1. Financial challenges

A major obstacle to implementing wellness programs at work is the financial limit. Organizations can face serious challenges due to budget constraints and resource allocation. Consequently, program design, evaluation, and implementation are often compromised.

2. Organizational challenges

The implementation of wellness programs at work requires both organizational and managerial support. For many organizations, it can be challenging without both. Despite the potential benefits of wellness programs, most organizations are unaware of them.

It is important to align wellness programs with company culture and values to mitigate employee resistance to change.

3. Communication and participation challenges

The success of any corporate wellness program depends heavily on communication. Managing a diverse workforce can present challenges regarding internal communication strategies.

Hence, organizations must effectively communicate program details, benefits, and incentives to employees to encourage participation.

4. Wellness program design challenges

Developing a wellness program that meets the needs of a diverse workforce is another challenge. Creating long-term engagement initiatives that capture employees' attention can also be challenging.

Section 16: Major Companies Using Workplace Wellness Programs and Plans

It's hard to balance work and wellness. At some companies, though, it's a little easier, thanks to the awesome corporate wellness programs they offer.

Organic lunches, gym memberships, 24/7 access to a physician, in-office massages, yoga classes, and much more. It's all about wellness in today's work world.

Here are some companies that rank wellness alongside success and invest in employee wellness benefits:

Microsoft

Microsoft designed the Living Well Health Center and Pharmacy for comprehensive care. Employees can visit the doctor and get other health services on the Redmond, Washington, campus.

Microsoft offers generous paid parental leave to its employees. Yet, it also requires that Microsoft suppliers offer their employees paid parental leave for a minimum of 12 weeks, up to $1,000 per week.

Apple

Apple’s Cupertino facility has a wellness center where the waiting time is reportedly just 5 minutes. Here all Apple employees can avail of services from general health to dental care.

A green campus itself creates an environment of wellness all around it. Committed to its stand on conserving the environment, Apple has planted almost 9000 trees in and around its campus. The trees planted are all drought-tolerant.

Apple's revived Parental Leave Scheme allows its employees to take more weeks off. Employees can take 4 weeks off before delivery and up to 14 weeks post-delivery. Non-birth parents can also avail of parental leaves for as many as 6 weeks.

Draper

Draper introduced its employee wellness program back in the year 2006 with the inclusion of an on-site health clinic. It partnered with the Henry County Memorial Hospital for employee healthcare services. Moreover, the in-house healthcare services are also extended to an employee's family for a minimal co-pay.

Draper achieved its goal of smoke cessation among its employees. It educated them about the adverse effects and provided them with free medication.

Google

Google is well-known among millennials for its employee health and corporate wellness programs. This credit goes to its on-site gyms and various other wellness facilities.

Its unique corporate wellness programs ensure everything. From nutritious meals to healthcare, they are within the employees' easy reach. Keeping in mind the need to keep an employee's social life intact.

Whole Foods Market

Whole Foods acknowledge their employees' mental and physical health issues. They provide health services to assist their team members on their paths to wellness and happiness. They expect everyone to arrive at work feeling motivated and inspired.

They have a "Total Health Immersion" program for their employees. They send chosen team members to a week-long health retreat to build and sustain healthy lifestyle changes.

Pinterest

When it comes to employee engagement, Pinterest is changing the game. In 2020, the firm established the "Pinside Out," an internal Pinspiration group in human resources. This group was solely created to hold wellness-focused activities.

It also offers workers employee assistance programs to address mental health challenges.

Pinside Out invites health professionals, experts, and outside speakers to discuss various subjects.

GoodRx

GoodRx believes workplace wellness programs show that a firm values its employees' well-being. Furthermore, wellness benefits facilitate lower stress and increased productivity.

The company provides flexible work schedules and generous parental leave.

Asana

Asana specializes in work management software recognizing the significance of employee health. Their objective is to help their employees "work harder and better." They want people to give their all alongside naps.

Yes, Asana is a company where sleeping on the job is openly encouraged at times. Besides the greenery, natural light, and healthy cuisine, their offices have designated "sleep rooms."

Asana has even focused on employee happiness with daily yoga classes and complimentary gym memberships for all staff.

Nike

Just do it! Of course, Nike provides some exceptional employee wellness initiatives.

Nike places a strong focus on physical fitness. You can find weight rooms, yoga studios, an indoor basketball court, and a turf field on their 200-acre property. Besides, there is a cross-training room, a rock-climbing wall, and an Olympic-sized swimming pool for their staff.

So there you have it! Installing an Olympic-sized swimming pool in the office is all it takes to initiate a solid employee wellness program.

Accenture

Accenture is concerned with its workers' minds as well as their bodies. They provide EAPs and support for concerns like stress, substance abuse, depression, and anxiety.

Employees are also provided with Teladoc services. These services allow them to ask a physician for any health risk assessment 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

For physical fitness, Accenture has a revolutionary wellness program. It enables workers to establish health goals and pays them for participating in healthy activities.

Netflix

In an article by Huffington Post, workplace culture expert Timothy Stenovec recognized Netflix's employee policy as contributing to the company's success.
What was their central idea? New parents can take unlimited time off and up to a year of paid time off.

It's all about ensuring staff can accomplish their jobs without being concerned about what's happening at home.

Intuit

At Intuit, you can get your "Om" on. The company's "Fit for Life" program reimburses employees for meditation and mindfulness workshops. Employees are rewarded for stress-reduction activities like walking, breathing exercises, or peaceful music.

Employees can write "mindful moment" advice on the conference rooms' whiteboards and on the company's website.

Expedia

Expedia's UK headquarters was reportedly called "the happiest workplace in London."
Employees are entitled to a Wellness Allowance. It is worth between £400 and £1,200 and is intended to be used on fitness-related things.

Running shoes, skis, a new tennis racket, a gym membership - whatever you want! The argument is that it is up to the employees to decide. And employees are more likely to support the wellness program if they have the flexibility to select.

SAS

The world headquarters in North Carolina of SAS contains an on-site recreation and exercise center and a healthcare center. The software firm also provides instructional seminars to help staff stay on track with their goals. SAS also provides subsidized on-site childcare for full-time employees who are parents.

Unilever

Unilever addresses mental health in several ways. Unilever has built a culture where employees feel comfortable seeking help when required. Also, they are not stigmatized for the same. The company provides in-person mindfulness sessions and management training on mental health concerns.

RingCentral

RingCentral, a leading (cloud) communications firm, recognizes the need to unplug to recharge. That's why RingCentral provides its staff with paid time off, and this scheme is called "CaRing Days."
CaRing Days give employees an extra paid holiday and an extended weekend off every quarter.

Thermo Fisher Scientific

Thermo Fisher Scientific recognizes that mental health is a part of overall well-being. And that employees are best supported when they can unite to build a community of care.

The firm established a paid time-off donation program to enable co-workers to assist others in need.

ClearSale

ClearSale provides "personal improvement" workshops for team members every week. Some topics include the significance of work/life balance, dealing with unpleasant emotions, and an in-depth look at things. They invite specialists to speak at these seminars and have discovered that they inspire their employees.

ClearSale has supplemented activities by offering team members fascinating interests, like Yoga, Zumba, musical skill, and so on. They also host online sessions or performances for their co-workers.

This allows the team members to participate in an entertaining wellness program. By doing so, they can also learn about the personal lives of other colleagues. It's a great bonding exercise.

Rapid7

Rapid7's fundamental principles are the belief that supports and inspires them forward. Bring You is one of them. Their benefits and wellness programs are available to help employees and their family members. The programs are designed to motivate employees to bring their best versions to work every day.

"Learn to Live" and Care.com are two examples of wellness programs they provide. Learn to Live is a free, confidential online resource that offers interactive programs. These programs are mostly focused on combating stress, worry, anxiety, and depression.

Whereas Care.com provides a variety of webinars on topics such as elder care, how to support our children during the pandemic, and so on.

CSAA Insurance Group

At CSAA, employees participating in several wellness programs can result in up to $700 in workplace wellness contributions to a Health Savings Account or Health Reimbursement Arrangement.

Also, employees and their family members can access comprehensive mental health coverage. That includes up to ten free therapy sessions for each issue.

Conclusion

Employers should provide their employees with the best healthcare and wellness programs.

So, why not invest in one that provides both?

In this guide, you can read about the importance of a corporate wellness program and how it benefits a company in tangible and intangible ways. Also, you can now be familiar with the whats and hows of corporate wellness programs. In addition, you will know its significance and how to apply it to your workplace.

Our Vantage Fit Corporate Wellness guide inspires action around corporate wellness. Also, it includes information to organize corporate wellness activities. It also lets you award your employees for any big or small achievements. In conclusion, a successful corporate wellness program is a circumstance where everyone benefits.

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