Did you know that for employees to do their best work, they need to be both happy and healthy?
Even if your employees love working for you, if they take ill or are injured due to stress, or if their mental or physical health is poor, they won’t be able to continue working and productivity will come to a halt.
Workplace wellness programs can help in this situation – providing employees with opportunities for growth and development improves motivation and reduces stress.
Physical health is only one of the possible benefits. Workplace wellness programs can also boost morale, improve financial understanding, enhance communication and collaboration, and create a culture of trust and respect. Furthermore, they can help to reduce absenteeism, increase productivity, and create a healthier workplace.
Below, we’ve listed some of the different wellness offerings available and how they fit various workplace needs, preferences, and use cases.
While many of these programs operate with incentives, rewarding participation or specific achievements, others prioritize a culture of active involvement without necessarily tying it to rewards. Have a look to see which solution works best for your organization:
1. Nutrition Programs
By promoting healthy eating habits among your employees will ensure that they understand the importance of a good diet, and wellbeing often needs to start from the inside. When the body is deprived of quality fuel, it cannot work at its best. Over time, this leads to the body sourcing energy from other systems, creating stress on the overall physiological system which results in heightened inflammatory processes, impaired movement, and a heightened physical workload.
Nutritional health solutions can help educate your employees on the importance of healthy eating practices, helping them change habits to maintain energy levels, essential for meeting work and life demands. Since a balanced diet not only fortifies immunity and energy levels, but also bolsters cardiac health and metabolic resilience. It’s also an investment in employee longevity, vitality, and resilience.
2. Mental Health Programs
Employee performance, productivity, and happiness are greatly influenced by mental health, and with the rise of remote work, employees now have the option of connecting with certified mental health experts via video, phone, or messaging via digital therapy platforms.
In comparison with traditional face-to-face sessions, these online platforms can often provide a more accessible route to getting help and support. The convenience of digital therapy means no more commuting to a therapist’s location and with a stable internet connection, mental health support is at a person’s fingertips. Nevertheless, online therapy might not be the best option for those who need immediate assistance, and not all platforms provide mental health diagnosis or medication prescriptions.
3. Fitness Programs
Whether your staff like HIIT, want to join a zumba class, or get guidance while training for a triathlon, there are a wide selection of apps and online solutions to motivates your staff to get up and move.
Promoting physical activity, such as yoga sessions, walking meetings, or workplace challenges is an ideal solution for employees looking to integrate fitness into employees busy schedules. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, adults are recommended 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardiovascular activity and two strength sessions weekly, and online platforms negate the need for gym visits, or in person coaching – offering diverse workouts that can be accessed anytime, anywhere.
4. Meditation and Breathwork Programs
Workplaces are increasingly offering science-backed meditation and mindfulness solutions tailored to their workplace environments (which are often geographically dispersed). Stress is a prevalent concern in the workplace, often hindering productivity, focus, and overall well-being, leading to potential issues such as burnout, increased absenteeism, and tension within teams.
The pandemic heightened the urgency for businesses to directly address the mental well-being of their employees. Utilizing online platforms that offer evidence-based mindfulness programs can lead to more resilient and healthier organizational cultures, as demonstrated by notable improvements in stress reduction, focus, and decreased burnout. Employers recognize the value of these platforms as an on-demand, adaptable tool to support their teams’ mental wellness wherever and whenever they need help.
5. Social Engagement Programs
Employee engagement programs help employees develop emotional connections with their work, colleagues, and the organization. Higher engagement correlates with increased happiness and performance within teams. In the modern age of remote work, creating these connections has become challenging, emphasizing the need for innovative solutions.
Online social engagement platforms for workplaces have emerged as invaluable tools, bridging the distance and creating a remote-centric culture. These platforms prioritize collaboration, recognition, rewards, feedback, fun activities, and casual communication, thus ensuring employees remain connected, valued, and engaged in their roles, irrespective of their physical location.
6. Community Service Programs
Volunteering opportunities can create opportunities for team bonding and provide employees with a sense of fulfillment, so workplaces are increasingly integrating volunteering or community service programs into their wellness benefits portfolio.
This approach not only helps the broader community but also brings value to the company itself. By promoting such initiatives, businesses create a culture where employees can offer their skills to nonprofit causes during their regular work hours. This isn’t just about giving back; it’s about personal and professional growth. By taking part in these activities, employees often find new perspectives and skills, enriching both their work lives and the communities they serve.
7. Parent Coaching and Caregiver Support Programs
Specially designed wellness programs for working parents can significantly reduce stress and improve work-life balance for employees and their dependents. It is challenging to be a full-time working parent or carer- and thankfully many workplaces now offer online programs dedicated to supporting employees on their parenting and caregiving journeys.
These programs guide employees while preparing for parental leave to returning to work, ensuring a balance between career and family well-being. They also cover a broad spectrum of family needs, from early parenting stages to elder care and offer resources and education on career planning, flexible working, and leadership development.
8. Financial Health Programs
Employee financial strain can detrimentally affect performance, job satisfaction, and retention, underscoring the need for employers to address these issues for a healthier work environment. According to the Financial Health Network, 78% of highly financially-stressed employees admit it affects their job performance. Yet, less than a third have access to benefits addressing critical financial needs, and 42% feel uninformed about the available employer-provided benefits and programs.
Providing resources about budgeting, investing, and retirement planning can alleviate financial stress and provide employees with the tools and knowledge to manage their finances effectively, covering areas like budgeting, saving, and investing. Offering this benefit not only aids in enhancing productivity but also serves as a valuable tool for attracting and retaining talent in a competitive job market.
Any form of wellness is a strategic investment
Prioritizing employee wellness in any of its many formats is not just a benefit but a strategic investment that can enhance productivity, engagement, wellbeing and morale.
An online format has made providing health benefits more convenient for employees to access a range of wellness services without the need to travel, or be physically present. Better still, some integrated platforms offer an even more comprehensive approach, combining various wellness services under one umbrella. For businesses keen on providing a holistic approach to employee well-being, considering such platforms could be the way forward.
At the end of the day, healthy employees are better employees – and preventive workplace wellness is far less expensive and risky than reacting after a concern develops.
At Sprintcrowd, we understand that every workplace is different and has unique needs, and we are passionate about ensuring that each program we deliver is specifically tailored to that workplace’s needs. Want to find out more?
