An employee wellness program has a lot of benefits for your company. Healthier employees miss fewer days at work, are less likely to spread illness, and are overall more productive. Not only that, they’re more likely to stick with your company, since they have a strong incentive for staying with you.
How do you get that important wellness program started? Try some of these key tips:
Step One: Learn What Your Employees Need
Before you design an employee wellness program, you need to get to know your employees! What are their health challenges? What does your company culture look like? If you have employees who are struggling to get healthier due to chronic illness, you may need a different wellness program from a company where employees are overall relatively healthy, but simply need to get moving more frequently. Consider what your employees need most, whether it’s:
- A company fitness center located on-site
- Fitness challenges throughout the company
- Healthy foods offered as company-sponsored meals
- Flexible lunch periods that allow employees time to cook in the office or take other options
Keep in mind that as a construction company, you may have unique needs with regard to your wellness program. Your employees are often off-site: does that mean that they will benefit more from a discounted gym membership elsewhere than an on-site wellness center? Is there a way to make it easier for your employees to find healthy food options for lunch? Listen to their feedback to learn more about what each employee considers most important and what they face every day.
Step Two: Decide What You Can Afford
Your company might not be able to dive in with a full, big-picture company wellness program immediately. In fact, you might need to start a lot smaller: virtual challenges, healthier food at corporate events, and other options. Take a solid look at your budget before you start your company wellness program, and know what you’re able to spend. Then, prioritize based on what you know your employees need most.
Step Three: Offer Incentives
If you really want to motivate employees to take advantage of your wellness program, offer incentives! You might, for example, offer a reduced-price gym membership for employees who visit the gym at least twice per week. You could conduct a company fitness challenge, where the employees who complete the most steps per week or month are offered a reward. Conversely, you could encourage employees to join you at company events with reduced prices: take a team to a fun 5K race or head out together for an enjoyable hiking challenge, all with rewards for employees who meet specific goals.
Step Four: Spread the Word
Your new wellness program doesn’t do you any good if no one knows about it! While it might be hard to miss the grand opening of a new fitness center, employees who have avoided the vending machines for years might not notice that it’s suddenly been filled with granola bars, nuts, and yogurt. Make sure that you spread the word about your new offerings! This could include:
- Sending out newsletters
- Announcing wellness program changes in meetings or at company events
- Posting memos or signs
The more employees know about the new program, the more likely it is that they’ll take full advantage of it–and that means you get to reap the benefits.
Step Five: Collect Feedback
Your new wellness program is a great idea, and you’ve put plenty of time and effort into planning it. That doesn’t mean, however, that it has no room for improvement. Make sure that you’re taking the time to collect feedback regarding your program. In many cases, this will enable you to make changes that will make it more accessible to or enjoyable for employees.
Your company wellness program can be a big step for your company–especially if you launch it the right way. By following these steps, you can ensure a smooth transition that will allow more of your employees to take full advantage of the program.
Do you want to learn more about the types of benefits that help your company attract and retain the best candidates? Check out this new eBook to learn more about how the right benefits (like a great wellness program) can transform your company. At Harbor America, employee benefits are only one of the many great services we provide.
