Top 10 Reasons to Include a Corporate Wellness Program

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When a company takes care of its employees, the employees, in turn, care for the company. A healthy employee, supported by a corporate wellness program, is able to give her best to the company while also improving her overall well-being and mental health. Consider these top ten reasons to include a corporate wellness program into your company’s employee benefits:

    1. The number one reason for a corporate wellness program is to improve the health of employees. While this may seem clear, the benefits to the company are extensive. When an employee understands and incorporates the value of exercise, healthy eating and healthy choices into her daily life, she decreases company costs in the form of insurance payments for doctor’s office visits, payments for sick days and for temporary employees to cover while an employee is out sick. Since a healthy employee misses fewer work days than an unhealthy employee, a company meets deadlines and maintains productivity when they encourage employee wellness.
    1. When an employee feels valued and that his health is important to the company, he remains loyal to the business. A corporate wellness program shows employees that they are invested in, which makes them less likely to seek out alternative employers. As a result, company retention increases which lessens the time, effort and cost to hire and train new employees.
    1. Participating in a wellness program and making healthy choices, leads to improved mental health according to the journal World Psychiatry. Diet and exercise contribute greatly to a reduction in mental health concerns such as depression and anxiety. For example, if a corporate fitness center is available on site and an employee exercises before work, she is less anxious and as a result, is able to focus on the day’s tasks. This keeps employees on time for deadlines, maintains a calm work environment and the place where employees will look forward to returning to the next day.
    1. Educating employees on making healthy choices such as nutritional foods, hydrating with water and avoiding nicotine, benefits both the employer and employee. These enhanced health choices create a clearer mind and stronger body, which is one that requires less breaks throughout the day. For example, if an employee is going for a smoking break every hour, those five minutes over an eight-hour work day add up to 40 minutes. When employees are educated on the health improvements that result from not smoking, these breaks are often eliminated or can be used for short bursts of physical activity such as ascending stairs which will boost productivity when the employee returns to his work area.
    1. A healthy employee is one that has a decrease in health risk factors that may lead to heart attacks, strokes, elevated blood pressure and high cholesterol levels. For instance, The American Heart Association cautions that excess weight can contribute to an increase in a risk for diabetes and high blood pressure. When risk factors are present, an employee may require high amounts of medication to lower blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Medications can be expensive and an employee may require a higher-paying job or one that has a better insurance co-payment. Instead of risk losing hard-working employees, a corporate wellness program educates them and decreases their health risks so the employee can remain at her job for the long haul.
    1. Instead of seeing employees nod off at their work stations, employers see energized and productive employees when they use corporate wellness programs to educate their staff. An employee who exercises daily and eats nutritious meals and snacks, has improved sleep. When an employee gets adequate and restful sleep, he is less fatigued during the day and is better able to focus on projects that require full concentration. Or, tasks that are repetitive and can make one feel sleepy, are completed with energy and a clear mind since the employee understands the value of sleep and his body and mind are prepared for a full night’s rest.
    1. Employees that participate in corporate wellness programs together, have greater teamwork. This teamwork leads to less arguments, improved morale and greater productivity. A corporate wellness program can include large off-site events such as swimming or hiking as a group, but the wellness program can also be exercising together in the company fitness center. Some employees enjoy belong to a fitness tracker group and having daily challenges over who can walk the greatest distances. All these activities increase teamwork and respect between co-workers.
    1. As an employee learns which decisions are healthier than others, she uses this information in all of her choices. For example, instead of relying on coffee because she is tired and needs a caffeine boost, she now turns to more water. When she hydrates with water, she is less likely to experience fatigue or the afternoon headaches that can accompany dehydration. A simple change such as having filtered water available for employees or providing water bottles with corporate logos on them can increase employee’s water consumption. The water bottles can be left out on desks or other work stations which can be a form of advertising for the company as well as a reminder to drink more water.
    1. Preventive measures often lead to decreased anxiety and a decreased risk for greater health challenges. A corporate wellness program promotes preventive screenings such as annual physicals, blood tests and eye examinations and may incorporate many tests and screenings into a workplace health fair. For example, at a health fair companies bring in local chiropractors to test spinal alignment, fitness professionals to measure body composition and nurses to screen blood pressure levels. Visiting a doctor on an annual basis may help to catch health concerns before they develop into greater challenges. These preventive visits help to decrease insurance costs, reduce missed work days and also increase employee mental focus.
  1. Create a happy environment that employees enjoy being a part of. A corporate wellness program boosts employee confidence, physical health and mental attitude. Employees and supervisors are happier, feel less stress and are able to better handle stressful situations when they arise.

Corporate wellness programs more than boost employee health. In addition to educating employees about the benefits of healthy choices for the body, wellness programs also improve mental health and attitude. Happier employees create a more positive atmosphere and this is one that employees will desire and new employees want to be a part of. As word spreads about the corporate wellness program leading to an improved work environment, employers will not struggle to find new employees in the future, and will have less of a need since employees will want to maintain their employment for long durations.

Sources


  1. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-attack/understand-your-risks-to-prevent-a-heart-attack
  2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4911759/

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