Employee wellness programs are familiar to you. Even your company might have one. These initiatives put a special emphasis on your employees’ physical well-being by providing gym memberships, rewards for quitting smoking, healthier snack options, and other initiatives to make your staff more fit.
Here, there are two main points: (pretty old school). The first benefit is that healthy workers take fewer sick days. Second, having healthy workers lowers healthcare expenses, which in turn lowers insurance premiums.
However, businesses are becoming more and more aware that employee wellness goes beyond just their physical health. Your team’s health and attendance are important, to be sure, but the main objective is to make sure they’re engaged and productive. Financial pressure, childcare issues, and other “life” issues can have a significant impact on your employees and prevent them from giving you their best work.
Check out these employee wellness initiatives to improve the health, engagement, and job satisfaction of your staff.
1. Flexible hours of operation
This is something that startups and other new businesses have already figured out. The larger, more established businesses are the ones that have been slow to join. Why are you requiring your employee to work during those hours if their job doesn’t require them to do so?
Let’s face it, the traditional 40-hour workweek is no longer required for many jobs. Additionally, there is a good chance that the schedule is a pain in their necks if your employees are managing children, sharing a vehicle, or scheduling college courses.
By allowing flexible working hours when it makes sense, you can lessen the daily stress on your team while putting an emphasis on Employee wellness programs. Allowing an employee to change their schedule even by just one hour could have a significant impact. You might even think about letting employees choose a four-day workweek. Which employee, one who is rushing to work in a frazzled mess or one who arrives calm and prepared to get to work, is more productive?
Who is doing it properly:
Raytheon, a cybersecurity and defence contractor, realised that employees were becoming more and more concerned with work-life balance. They implemented a flexible work schedule with a number of options, including what they refer to as the “modified workweek,” in an effort to lessen the burden. With the modified workweek, Raytheon employees can choose the days and times that best suit their schedules as long as they put in a minimum of 80 hours every two weeks.
2. Flexible work schedules
Why not give your team the option to work remotely in addition to offering flexible working hours? Even though it’s not appropriate in every circumstance (or for every employee), the majority of businesses have at least some roles that can be performed remotely, which makes this a fantastic choice for an Employee wellness programs. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the viability of remote work.
Employees who have the option to work from home, even on occasion, are happier, according to statistics. Take into account how many calls you receive during flu season (or worse yet, people who come to work sick.) How frequently does bad weather prevent people from going to work where you live? These are both typical occurrences that stress your staff and put a strain on your company. One simple fix is to permit remote work.
Moreover, the inflexibility toward work-from-home arrangements has been a major factor in people leaving their employers during the Great Resignation. According to a FlexJobs survey, 58% of respondents said they would “absolutely” start looking for a new job if they couldn’t continue working remotely in their current position.
Who is doing it properly:
iMarketingMY, a leader in Search Engine Optimisation Industry, discovered early on that employees who are confined to a desk are probably not giving their best work. Most of Anthem’s offices across the nation are included in a long-standing remote work programme. In fact, it has converted a large number of positions to full-time remote status. Some people have the choice to work one or more days per week from home.
iMarketing has discovered that their remote work programme draws in and keeps the best talent and consistently high-caliber work.
3. Financial literacy
Everyone has experienced financial stress at some point. The burden of financial stress can have an impact on all facets of your life, including your job. There’s a good chance your employee is disengaged at work and doesn’t have time to concentrate on wellness if they are preoccupied with financial problems.
Your employees will appreciate it if you give them financial education because it can help relieve this stress while teaching them a valuable life skill. This extends past the 401K representative who visits the office once a year. Your staff can gain from instruction on financial management, investing, and retirement planning.
Keep in mind that your company probably consists of individuals from all walks of life, from recent college graduates in their 20s to seasoned employees who are getting ready to retire. Adapt your Employee wellness programs and financial education offerings accordingly.
Who is doing it properly:
Wegmans, an east coast supermarket chain based in the US, is aware that employee wellbeing extends beyond physical health. Their extensive Employee wellness programs provides, among other advantages, assistance with planning for the costs of caring for dependents and elders as well as long- and short-term financial planning.
In addition to teaching their staff about financial planning and literacy, Wegmans provides an extraordinary 6% 401k match.
4. Honor the achievements of your staff
Any company goal achieved, no matter how small, should be celebrated. When your team works toward a common objective but receives little to no praise once the objective is achieved, engagement naturally dwindles. Even worse, they might not be as motivated for the subsequent task or project.
Through this employee wellness programme, you can demonstrate to your staff how much you value and care about their efforts. Trips, local outings, office parties, or even just a simple mention in the newsletter each month can accomplish this.
Don’t forget to brag about your team’s accomplishments outside of your organisation. If you’re pleased with your team, share the news with the public via a press release, an article in a professional journal, or a video.
Who is doing it properly:
IT behemoth Cisco understands the value of success celebration. At Cisco, there is a “fun fund” assigned to each team. This money will be used for celebrations of accomplishments, successful projects, and other positive milestones, including parties and other events.
Motivation is aided by knowing there will be a rewarding experience at the conclusion of a difficult task. But more importantly, Cisco’s fun funds show staff members that their efforts are valued.
5. Include cooperative work spaces
In a number of different ways, collaborative workspaces can improve the wellness and engagement of your team.
It has been demonstrated that just being physically close to others at work encourages engagement and creativity. Give your team the chance to leave their offices or cubicles and work in a communal area where conversing and collaborating are simpler.
Giving your staff a break from their regular environment is like inhaling fresh air. It promotes new ideas and different ways of thinking. A bonus is getting to know your coworkers.
But keep in mind that not every employee is suiting for a collaborative environment. Some might find it difficult to focus, while others might find it intrusive. It might be preferable to give your team the choice to collaborate rather than requiring them to do so.
Who is doing it properly:
Citibank, a leader in global banking, has recently begun utilising collaborative workspaces in a number of their larger international offices. They are not the only ones, either. When working on projects or other shared tasks, other big businesses like Google give their team members the option of working in a collaborative space.
6. Stress-relieving exercises
Offering yoga, meditation, tai chi, or other similar relaxation techniques classes can lower employee stress and increase engagement.
Even though you might not do it on purpose, there are undoubtedly times when your employees’ jobs lead to tension and stress. Demonstrate to your staff that you are willing to assist them during these trying times.
It has been demonstrate that team players who can effectively manage stress are among the best employees. Helping your staff learn to unwind and cope with stress will set them up for success.
Who is doing it properly:
With their on-site health and wellness assessments and personalised yoga programmes accessible to all team members, Engagelife makes our list once more. Engagelife made the conscious decision to address the issue head-on because stressed-out workers are not the best employees. Their specialised yoga programmes equip team members with the skills and strategies needed to unwind, decompress, and even improve their health.
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