3 Ways to Build a Great Corporate Wellness Program
In recent years, corporate wellness has become a well-trodden subject among workplace planners and HR teams. Chronic health conditions are on the rise, and the traditionally sedentary lifestyle of most modern workers isn’t helping. This is why many employers are turning to strategic corporate wellness programs to help keep their employees healthy and offset insurance premium costs. After all, a healthier employee population can actually lead to lower healthcare costs for employers and employees alike.
While corporate wellness programs might have started out as a flashy perk from early adopters, they’ve grown into a complex, strategic offering that can have a lasting, long-term impact. Healthier employees are more productive and efficient, tend to socialize more with their peers, and are more active at work. Wellness programs are also beneficial for employers as they can lower costs and even provide tax breaks if done right.
If your team is thinking about starting a corporate wellness program, here are three easy ways to get started providing amazing benefits to employees:
- Incentivize healthy behaviors
In order for most people to want to do something, there has to be something in it for them personally. So, while building to a corporate wellness program, there has to be some sort of reward or incentive to get employees involved. Cash bonuses, access to special programs, and employer HSA contributions are all good places to start. Even sending out supportive emails and encouraging employees to stay on top of wellness programs can help keep people on track.
- Offer compensation for wellness investments
Many times, people avoid working out or getting healthy because it takes too much time or money. If you really want to make a long-term impact on your employee’s health habits, your corporate wellness program should remove as many of these barriers as possible. By offering compensation for a gym membership, fitness classes, or another type of health investment, employers can smooth the road to wellness and increase utilization. Contact local fitness studios and gyms in your community to see if there are any promotions or deals that you can offer your employees.
- Provide access to healthy alternatives
While working out and exercising are additions to a corporate wellness program, but there are other ways to encourage your employees to lead healthier lifestyles in the office as well. Instead of stocking your office fridge with sugary drinks and food, provide fresh fruit and healthy alternatives for employees to snack on during the day. Invest in walking desks to get people moving or offer activities during the day, such as a lunchtime yoga class or walking club. Having access to healthy options at the office (where people spend most of their time) can encourage healthy decisions at home.
A successful long-term corporate wellness program doesn’t come together overnight. In order to provide your employees with the programs and solutions they need – and that they’ll actually use – your team should research your employee population, understand what they’re looking for, and develop a strategic plan for execution. Once a plan is in place, Paramount’s corporate wellness tools can help you manage partnerships with local businesses. Click Here to contact us today to learn more about our corporate wellness tools and how they can help you.
