Why have a worksite wellness program

While there is no one solution to this problem, there are several steps we can take, both as organizations and as individuals, to make work a place of humanity and compassion where individuals can bring and accept their full selves, mental health challenges and all. Through mental health education, companies can teach employees at every level how to build the vocabulary that is necessary to seek and offer emotional support.

Ignorance not only perpetuates a broader societal stigma about mental health, it also creates a culture in which leaders and employees feel ill-equipped to support, and even identify, emotional distress.

Structurally, flexible policies and benefits can give employees the freedom to make independent choices that foster their mental health. In their research, Dr. Worline and her colleague, Dr. Dutton told me. To make sure all employees are aware of their benefits, managers and HR professionals need to prioritize making these policies visible and clear. Beyond this, organizations can show their support by sharing stories about those who use them.

According to Dr. This may seem excessively simple. Research shows that when leaders encourage vulnerability and cultivate compassion at work, they enhance positive feelings and trust among workers — and that trust in leaders not only improves worker performance , it also helps employees feel safe opening up to their managers about personal challenges.

Further, employees who work in compassionate environments are shown to be more innovative and adaptable , delivering higher-quality and more consistent work. In the longer term, compassion has been shown to help organizations attract and retain its most talented workers. A simple but not always easy way leaders can strengthen their compassion muscles and develop greater trust among team members is by exposing their own vulnerability on occasion.

Sociologist Dr. For leaders, vulnerability may mean opening up about a personal challenge, taking responsibility for something gone wrong, or reaching out to a team member who seems like they are struggling without trying to change or solve the issue. If managers are more open about taking mental health days, for instance, then the rest of their teams will feel empowered to do the same.

It's no secret that, on average, team members who smoke cigarettes cost their employers more money due to health issues compared to non-smokers. Some workplaces have found it in their best interest, both ethically and economically, to offer smoking cessation programs to their team members.

Union Pacific offers a smoking cessation program that consists of lifestyle coaching, as well as pharmacological assistance, to their team members. Union Pacific understands that pharmaceuticals alone may not work for all team members. The addition of coaching for team members trying to quit smoking may make the difference between success and failure.

Encouraging alternative methods of transportation, such as bike sharing or public transit incentives, are beneficial to the workplace and the future of the environment. Facebook's campus in Palo Alto offers a bike-sharing program for team members to cycle to places around campus rather than driving. At Rise, we encourage our team members to take public transportation by reimbursing employees for their transit passes.

These types of workplace wellness programs appeal to current and potential employees who value environmental responsibility. Google offers paramedical services, like massage therapy, to their team members while they're at work. In fact, Google employs a massage program manager, as just one of 35 massage therapists employed in their United States offices. Massage therapists go through an interview process at the company as well, where they demonstrate their skills which sounds great for the interviewer.

There's a reason why Google is consistently rated one of the best workplaces in the world. Going above and beyond what team members expect from their employer is a great way to encourage a reciprocal effort. A relaxed and calm team member is a joy to have in the workplace, which is likely the main reason that Google offers the service. Mobify offers their team members yoga classes twice per week, which, weather permitting, is moved to their rooftop boasting stunning views of Vancouver's ocean and mountains.

The most important requirement for practising yoga is the space to do it, and many companies are using their conference or break rooms to provide yoga classes for team members throughout the workday. Yoga and meditation is an extremely effective stress reliever. Giving up on the habit of smoking will help the employees achieve better stamina as well as reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases.

These include backaches, headaches, muscle cramps, and eye strains. As such encouraging the employees to take small breaks at regular intervals between the work becomes very important. Such breaks help employees to get rid of the stress that accumulated during the work.

Also, using these small breaks for drinking water and stretching vital body parts helps them rehydrate and keep the normal blood circulation intact. Thus, making the employee feel rejuvenated. Every change in the workplace should begin from the top level. Employees most of the time look up to their seniors for motivation. Embracing workplace wellness ideologies for a healthy work environment should also begin at the top level. Motivating the employees by challenging them to pace up with their seniors will give rise to a healthy competition.

This will lead to the effective implementation of various workplace wellness ideas put in place. Moreover, it also lets the employees know their top peers and understand their thoughts. Hence, helping employees learn more and excel in their careers. Encouraging games both indoor and outdoor can be a great addition to your workplace wellness.

Where indoor games like chess and checkers can relief employees of mental stress. Having a space for soccer and other sports will let employees test their physical endurance.

Also, you can opt for many other activities like taking in-house courses, cooking classes, dance studios, etc.

A clean and green campus really helps to create a cool and calm environment. Plants filter out the unnecessary gases.

Small plants around office spaces also help to create a healthy work environment. It also makes the office landscape look good and vibrant. A virtual retreat can be a grand way to bring all your employees together from their respective homes and celebrate wellness. Right from holding online yoga classes and nutrition sessions by top-level experts, you can arrange a full day retreat.

And, make your employees experience all things wellness from their comfortable couch. Friday is almost the weekend and that makes it the apt day to try to do some wellness activity in the office since the very next day is a holiday where they can rest. One day in a week is quite enough for the employees to freshen their mind through some fitness activities.

That Friday can act like a getaway from work towards healthy living. Not too much. Holding health fairs in the workplace once in a while can serve the exact motive of encouraging employee wellness. Plan a health fair where you invite experts to promote their health services while talking about the various benefits of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Besides, fun-filled wellness activities will implant enthusiasm and excitement amongst the employees. There is no point implementing wellness programs in the workplace if your employees do not enjoy them.

You have to know what programs keep the workforce engaging. Due to which, it is better to do a basic employee survey for their feedback. Once you get the insights, it becomes easier to implement. So try to make them fun by introducing the concept of walking meetings, at times. As it is known, walking is a great form of exercise and meetings are mandatory. Combine the two and get yourself a healthy workforce. Climbing stairs everyday can turn out to be great for fitness. If your office is located on the 5th floor, there is no chance employees will take stairs.

Because elevators make it easy and less exhausting. Put a note on the elevator door asking employees to take the stairs instead and make it compulsory. Offering an hour to your employees everyday for workout can act as a key to motivation for them. Amid all work-stress, if they get a chance of doing something for their health, what else does anybody require? All you need to do is create workout passes and distribute to your employees so they can take some time out from their hectic schedule for minimal workout sessions.

A little flexibility kick is what they deserve to get some exercise. When there are contests and challenges, there should be prizes. And when there are prizes, no one lets the opportunity slide. Walking, running, cycling challenges, if organized, employees will get a lot out of it. Fun attached with fitness- employees will be thrilled and all ready. These types of challenges bring the entire office onboard.

Holding sleep challenges, water challenges, nutrition challenges incentivize crucial lifestyle change especially when awards are attached to them. The contests can be one week or 8 week long which will eventually push the workers to enter the fitness challenges.

Get the competition out and everyone will come around. As discussed, walking is a great way towards starting a healthy lifestyle. Although it is quite obvious to be running late for work in the morning amid all the rush. Employees either commute in public transport or private. However, you as an employer can seek to change that and ask your employees to start walking to the office.

This is as healthy as it can get. Infact, what you can do is stop providing parking space to people who live in close proximity to the office thereby promoting walking and cycling. A lunch and learn proves to be an exceptional way to develop health consciousness in the employees.

Hosting a lunch and learn involves all employees going for a lunch where they can share each other's fitness activities and get inspired. Even though in an informal atmosphere, there is a lot to learn. The employees can motivate each other along the lines of maintaining good health. Collaborate and learn to drive each other towards development. Technology has taken over the current world. Having said that, there are plenty of wellness applications out there in the market.

These employee well-being tools can come in handy if you are working towards promoting healthy living amongst the workforce.

Several wellness activities can be held on the virtual platform of these applications which will keep employees engaged and active. The best part of these softwares is their ability to sync and keep track of all the physical activities. Health assessments, heart rate monitor, step tracker and every other health activity is tracked thereby making employees and employers aware of their health.

Also, employee participation increases through gamification and fitness rewards. So, launch a wellness application and see how the entire workforce wakes up and works towards leading a healthy life. Microsoft designed the Living Well Health Center and Pharmacy to offer employees convenient access to high-quality, comprehensive care.

Whether employees need to visit the doctor, fill a prescription, or get nutrition counseling, they can access these services and more, right on the Redmond, Washington campus. Employees are encouraged to look after their wellness with a full health package that includes physician house calls, paid gym memberships, and on-campus perks that include a spa and sports fields. Here all the Apple employees can avail services from 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 trees in and around its campus.

The trees planted are all drought tolerant. An employee can take a 4 week off before delivery and up to 14 weeks post-delivery.

Non-birth parents can also avail parental leaves for as much as 6 weeks. Draper introduced its employee wellness program back in the year with the inclusion of an on-site health clinic. It also partnered with the Henry County Memorial Hospital to provide their employees with healthcare services. Draper achieved its goal of smoke cessation within its employees by educating them about the adverse effects and providing them with free medication.

The company has put in place various fun activities to drive their employees towards wellness. Google is very well known amongst the millennials for its employee health and corporate wellness programs. The credit of all of this goes to their on-site gyms and various other wellness facilities.

Its unique corporate wellness programs make sure everything from the nutritious meal to healthcare is within the easy reach of all the employees. The IT giant allows its employees to take paid voluntary leaves. Googlers can avail various courses like guitar, professional development, languages, singing within the campus. It also allows the employees to pursue higher education and resume their jobs after returning.

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In addition, relying on outside entities to attend to organizational needs may not get at the root of a systematic problem. So what does? Leadership commitment and support. A successful health promotion program starts with a commitment from company leaders, and its continued success depends on ongoing support at all levels of the organization.

Building a culture of health. A healthy company culture is built intentionally. It is first and foremost about creating a way of life in the workplace that integrates a total health model into every aspect of business practice, from company policies to everyday work activities. Examples include offering flexible work schedules, giving workers latitude in decision-making, setting reasonable health goals, providing social support, enforcing health-promoting policies and establishing a healthy physical environment healthy food offerings, staircases instead of elevators, walking trails in and outside buildings and treadmill workstations.

This, of course, takes time and support. A company like Dow Chemical is a success story in this way. Asking for help.

A workplace health promotion program cannot be imposed on workers as yet another management cost-containment initiative. Boosting engagement in wellness can only be achieved when workers own the program, understand how they and the company benefit, and are given a meaningful voice in its ongoing operation. There are a few simple ways to start doing this. The most common approach is to conduct regular surveys or focus groups to determine which aspects of health and wellness are important to employees, and which initiatives are not a good use of time.

Honest Tea discovered that employees were not interested in yoga sessions offered by the company and instead began a series of vigorous workouts that many of its younger workers wanted. Another approach is creating and supporting wellness committees. These groups of employees can be given a budget to come up with initiatives supported by their co-workers.