A healthy staff is crucial to the success of a business, given that the ability of your employees to work is what keeps generating revenue. Poor health and obesity cause workers to take off an increased number of sick days, along with negatively impacting their focus, mental clarity and productivity. Because of this, it’s in a business’ best interest to keep workers healthy. How? Create an employee wellness program. Once this program has a chance to take effect, businesses have reported an ROI of up to $3 for every $1 spent.
Appoint a committee to oversee the efforts, which can begin by conducting a survey to find out what types of services would be most beneficial in improving employee health. This survey can address health areas such as managing stress, weight loss and exercise goals, healthy snacking, smoking cessation, etc. A wellness program can be created based off of collected data. Here are some ideas that your business can incorporate into its own wellness program:
· Stock the vending machine with healthy snacks
· Offer free fruit once a week
· Hire a fitness coach or yoga teacher for lunchtime/after work fitness classes
· Encourage employees to take breaks and walk around to reduce stress
· Provide free nutrition resources
· Reimburse workers for gym memberships (or cost share)
· Offer free flu shots
· Promote smoking cessation services (may require external assistance)
· Plan team walks once a week
· Sponsor employees who participate in charity runs or marathons
· Offer free pedometers, stress balls and other health-promoting items
The wellness committee should monitor the efforts to determine what’s working and what isn’t, then adjust accordingly. This may seem like a large effort, but it may just be worthwhile after your healthier staff brings in more revenue than ever before thanks to their boost in productivity and their increased loyalty to a company that cares.
Take care of your staff today and every day. Call Loftis & Wetzel Corporation at (580) 363-3434 for more information on Oklahoma City employee benefits.
