One of the many ways to promote wellness in your office or other place of work is with programs designed to improve the health and well-being of employees. Programs come in many, many forms, from fitness challenges to nutritional consultations to meditation sessions and beyond. Review the benefits of workplace wellness programs below to inspire custom plans.
Encourages Healthy Habits
Wellness programs can inspire your team to make healthier choices for themselves. For example, programs about the dangers of using tobacco and healthy, effective quitting strategies can result in fewer employees smoking, whether at work or not. Depending on the program, team members can also learn more about the importance of nutrient-dense diets, such as which foods provide the body with energy, support optimal immune system function, contribute to healthy skin and hair, and maintain muscle and bone health. The risk of bigger health issues, including chronic diseases, decreases as a result. Team members have less chance of developing health issues such as hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar.
Better physical health often begets better mental and emotional health, especially when healthy habit programs include tips for managing stress and recognizing the signs of depression.
Reduces Absenteeism
The healthier your team is, the less likely they are to call out of work for illness-related reasons. While sick days are important components of any employee work package, unscheduled call-outs can cost employers thousands of dollars per year. Less absenteeism subsequently offers financial benefits, because you’re paying team members to do their jobs instead of paying them to miss time at work. You’ll also experience less stress, since employees who are sick and cannot come to work can miss important projects, presentations, and meetings.
Improves Productivity
When employees are able to work at their highest level because of improved health, productivity increases. Feeling ill or simply having less energy because of unhealthy lifestyle habits does nothing for productivity, and can easily result in missed deadlines, poor-quality work, and lacking attention during meetings and important events. A healthy team is a productive team, allowing your office or other place of business to get more done every day. The office’s reputation improves as a result, because it quickly becomes apparent that your team is skilled, professional, and task-oriented.
Decreases Healthcare Costs
Providing healthcare coverage isn’t cheap. And while implementing a workplace wellness program can seem like another expense, it reduces healthcare costs over time. The healthier your team members are, the fewer costly healthcare issues they will experience. For example, by investing in an exercise program, your team’s risk of hypertension and high blood sugar lowers. As a result, their risk of prediabetes and diabetes–and the related expensive healthcare costs these issues incur–decreases. Preventative care always costs less than treating larger health issues.
Contributes to Workplace Harmony
One of the arguably best benefits of workplace wellness programs is office harmony. When team members believe their employers truly care about their health and wellness, they feel better about coming to work every day and look forward to doing their best. They get excited about upcoming programs, such as yoga sessions or team building hiking trips, and often enjoy healthier relationships with one another. After all, it’s easy to be in a good mood when you feel fantastic and have plenty of energy. A happier work environment is often a more productive one with few issues relating to high turnovers. Your business subsequently becomes more attractive to prospective employees, since high turnover rates are off-putting.
For more about the benefits of workplace wellness programs, contact Peaceful Leaders Academy today!
