The modern corporate climate, often marked by long work hours and unmanageable workloads, can quickly lead to burnout, which the World Health Organization (WHO) calls an "occupational phenomenon" and considers a disease. In addition, the American Stress Institute reports that 80% of workers experience stress at work, which can exacerbate existing health problems, create new ones and, if left untreated, negatively affect employees' mental health.
“So many employers are pushing their employees to be highly engaged without providing resources to support their well-being,” says Dr. Laura Hamill, director of human resources at Limeade and chief scientist at the Limeade Institute. In doing so, they push employees towards burnout. “Employers can maintain productivity and avoid burnout by investing in well-being,” she adds. “When engaged employees have [a chance] to reflect, recharge, or bring some flexibility into their lives, they are more likely to stay long and be resilient in times of change.”
Supporting employee well-being is evidence that an organization cares about them, which can be of great benefit to the business: Limeade's "The Science of Caring" report found that when employees feel like their employer cares about them, they are nine times more likely to stay with their company for three years or more. more, four times less likely to suffer from stress and burnout, and twice as likely to be employed.
Supporting the well-being of employees shows that the organization cares about them, which can bring significant benefits to the business.
The business case for employee wellness programs is clear. How do the best manage to improve the well-being of employees and, consequently, the profits of the business? Let's look at the key characteristics of wellness programs that achieve both of these goals.
They make health more accessible
A recent study by Harvard Business Review Analytic Services and League, Inc. found a mismatch between companies' investment in health benefits and their impact on employee health. In particular, 58% of respondents said that "employees are not aware of the company's medical benefits to which they are entitled" and 63% said that "employees do not know enough about how to use their benefits." The researchers concluded that employers understand that "modernizing employee health care is more important than ever," according to a press release.
Organizations can modernize their wellness programs by integrating flexible offerings available to a wide range of employees. For example, after ClassPass expanded its offerings to corporate wellness, companies such as Google and Facebook began using its mobile app to strengthen their wellness initiatives. The app allows employees to sign up for more than 20,000 fitness classes and other wellness activities, such as massages and meditation sessions, around the world. “In terms of accessibility, because of the variety and flexibility of the product, it [can] be used anywhere, anytime, anywhere, by anyone on the platform,” says Nicole Wolfe, Director of Programming at ClassPass.
Wellness programs should also make annual checkups, preventive care, and other health services easily accessible to reduce sick days and prevent future health problems. These offerings are critical from a business perspective; e-days (a leave tracking and management software company), a study published in the 2019 State of Absence Report found that a single sick day can cost a business approximately $143.
Of course, not all organizations can offer large-scale solutions to employees, but there are simple ways to integrate health into the daily lives of employees. Lainey Hooper, CHES, lead health coach at Healthgram, suggests promoting lunchtime walks and wellness-focused lunches and training as ways to encourage wellness among employees. Even these minor integrations can help boost productivity, she says.
There are simple ways to integrate health into the work of employees.
They implement wellness coaching
Wellness coaching has become a popular (and effective) way to motivate employees to improve their health, especially as more people become certified wellness coaches. Brad Cooper, CEO of US Corporate Wellness, says: "Coaching is all about this person: their lives, their past, their history, their discouragement, their day-to-day ups and downs, and that's why I think this really starts change. come to the fore."
By giving employees actionable advice related to their wellness goals, coaching can improve participation in corporate wellness initiatives. If employees seem resistant to health education, Cooper suggests encouraging it. Then, after trying it, at first the hesitant employees might think, “This was actually very helpful. They didn't tell me to eat spinach. They didn't tell me to go buy sneakers. They learned about my life and what we can do in the future.” For organizations seeking sustainable engagement and behavior change, Cooper says, “this is where coaching comes in.”
Wellness coaching also helps employees identify specific areas for improvement, such as eating or sleeping habits. Hooper says that even for employees in good health, "there is always work to be done - stress management, water intake - it may not necessarily be due to a chronic disease or an elevated lab [value], but it may still require some coaching or some work. ". Through wellness coaching, employees can learn where to focus their wellness efforts.
They take a holistic approach to wellness
Wellness is about more than just eating healthy and exercising at 6 a.m. before coming to the office. There are many aspects to wellness, and more job seekers are looking for employers who are committed to supporting the overall well-being of their employees. The Bright Horizons report "Dream Company Business Benefits" found that employees consider organizations to be "dream companies" if they have a culture that supports employee well-being, professional development, work-life balance, productive meetings, and effective communication. More information about this can be found here
https://plann.ly/for-employees
Corporate wellness programs can significantly improve employee well-being and in turn increase productivity and engagement by staying accessible, implementing wellness coaching and taking a holistic approach. While this is undeniably good for business, since the average employee spends 90,000 hours of their life at work, investing in employee well-being is just as well.
