Eddy’s HR Mavericks Encyclopedia
The world's largest free encyclopedia of HR, with 700+ HR articles and podcasts.
Created by Eddy and our HR Mavericks community.
Workplace Wellness
Workplace wellness can prompt healthy behaviors, reduce absenteeism and possibly reduce health cost. When leadership is fully involved, most employees will overcome the barriers and be involved in the wellness programs.
What Is Workplace Wellness?
Workplace wellness can be a workplace that prompts wellness activities or has an organizational policy centered on supporting healthy behavior and work-life balance. A wellness program facilitates and supports employees in creating a culture of health. These programs would promote healthy habits for better physical and mental health for employees.
Holistically healthy employees are 74% more likely to be satisfied with their job
Compensation and Benefits StatisticsWhy Is Workplace Wellness Important?
Workplace wellness is important because it gives employees insight into the benefits of healthy habits. A good workplace wellness program recruits and maintains employees because they believe the company cares for them.
- Healthy behaviors. Employee health has become a major player in human capital. A wellness program helps employees adopt healthy behaviors. Human resources can sponsor a wellness day to inform employees of the benefits granted to them by the company.
- Reduced health risk. Reducing health risks can prove beneficial and promote a healthier lifestyle. Workplace wellness programs can offer classes on better eating and exercise habits. Wellness clinics sponsored throughout the year can help an individual gain understanding of the program and his or her health.
- Possible reduction in health costs. A carefully implemented workplace wellness program creates events and incentives for employees. For example, a company could offer savings for participating in a walking club.
- Improved productivity and decreased absenteeism. Healthy employees are present in their positions.
In a workplace that cultures health, absenteeism drops. Less absenteeism relates to cost savings in health care and greater work production.
The Barriers of Workplace Wellness
Some barriers to workplace wellness can have a negative effect on an employee's mindset. These can include:
- Lack of interest. Lack of interest can come from several places. There may be a lack of knowledge about workplace wellness plans. Employees may not know how to sign up or participate in events. Any misunderstandings about workplace wellness programs will also hinder employee participation.
- Lack of funding. Sometimes leadership is not fully informed or has no buy-in on the idea of workplace wellness. For the program to succeed, leadership must help create a culture of wellness along with employees. Leadership's lack of participation will give employees the wrong impression and they will not want to take part.
- Lack of invested time. Employees often want to be healthy, but if the workplace is not supportive of participation in walking clubs or giving employees time to go to the gym. Employees already feel stress from work. Why would they want to participate in a program that the leaders are not willing to invest the time into?
How to Gauge Your Current Workplace Wellness
Companies evaluating their workplace wellness programs should consider several factors. To measure and track the wellness program, employers can track various factors from the start. Keeping the program to identify such numbers instead of names will alleviate any stress or pressure on participants.
Sick Time
Tracking sick time measures how well the program is working because often sick time lowers within the first year of a program. This may vary during flu and cold seasons.
Turnover Ratio
The turnover ratio is another good place to start. This type of report allows HR to take the pulse of the company. It tells leadership and HR how stressed out employees are and how the wellness program impacts this by measuring the employee’s views of the workplace. An example measurement could be something like: % turnover = # of employees who left/ (beginning & ending # of employees)/2 X 100
Compare Overall Medical Claims
The cost of employee health should go down rather than up in the first years of a wellness program. Taking a look at the overall claims should give you an idea if employees are taking advantage of all the benefits.
Survey the Employees
Understand the heart of the company with surveys and company feedback. Ask open-ended questions about how they feel a wellness program is working. Ask if they feel that these programs have helped them reduce stress and create a better work/life balance. Be careful about asking questions that may be considered too personal because human capital may find it invasive.
How to Promote Workplace Wellness
Wellness programs are critical to workplace culture in any company. When leadership is fully invested and takes part with employees, it creates trust and inspires employees to invest themselves.
Step 1: Keep It Simple
Programs with a short but effective message get employees' attention. You can create simple emails with incentives and calendar reminders about events sponsored by the leadership. Use any chance to show employees how leadership is involved and fully invested into the wellbeing of their workforce.
Step 2: Target Employees Resistant to Change
Some employees who think that it is all another ploy by the leadership may be skeptical and not want to engage. How do you get their attention? Find ways to entice them out of their mindset. If you’re trying to reach remote workers, help them find ways to be more active.
Step 3: Use Storytelling for Effective Communication
Leaders can communicate the importance of the program by sharing success stories of others who used the program. Use the power of storytelling to express how the program can help them and motivate them to participate.
Topics
Eva (Keri) Tancredi
Eva helps committed business personnel in the business world improve their job performance and secure future career opportunities by advancing their communication and presentation skills in English. Eva never thought that she would teach because she is so introverted. This world has been changing and with the changes, she has discovered that individuals need help with improving their English as well as lifestyle to deal with that pandemic. So Eva has started a business to help those individuals achieve their goals.
Frequently asked questions
Other Related Terms
Eddy’s HR Mavericks Encyclopedia
Workplace Wellness
Workplace wellness can prompt healthy behaviors, reduce absenteeism and possibly reduce health cost. When leadership is fully involved, most employees will overcome the barriers and be involved in the wellness programs.
What Is Workplace Wellness?
Workplace wellness can be a workplace that prompts wellness activities or has an organizational policy centered on supporting healthy behavior and work-life balance. A wellness program facilitates and supports employees in creating a culture of health. These programs would promote healthy habits for better physical and mental health for employees.
Holistically healthy employees are 74% more likely to be satisfied with their job
Compensation and Benefits StatisticsWhy Is Workplace Wellness Important?
Workplace wellness is important because it gives employees insight into the benefits of healthy habits. A good workplace wellness program recruits and maintains employees because they believe the company cares for them.
- Healthy behaviors. Employee health has become a major player in human capital. A wellness program helps employees adopt healthy behaviors. Human resources can sponsor a wellness day to inform employees of the benefits granted to them by the company.
- Reduced health risk. Reducing health risks can prove beneficial and promote a healthier lifestyle. Workplace wellness programs can offer classes on better eating and exercise habits. Wellness clinics sponsored throughout the year can help an individual gain understanding of the program and his or her health.
- Possible reduction in health costs. A carefully implemented workplace wellness program creates events and incentives for employees. For example, a company could offer savings for participating in a walking club.
- Improved productivity and decreased absenteeism. Healthy employees are present in their positions.
In a workplace that cultures health, absenteeism drops. Less absenteeism relates to cost savings in health care and greater work production.
The Barriers of Workplace Wellness
Some barriers to workplace wellness can have a negative effect on an employee's mindset. These can include:
- Lack of interest. Lack of interest can come from several places. There may be a lack of knowledge about workplace wellness plans. Employees may not know how to sign up or participate in events. Any misunderstandings about workplace wellness programs will also hinder employee participation.
- Lack of funding. Sometimes leadership is not fully informed or has no buy-in on the idea of workplace wellness. For the program to succeed, leadership must help create a culture of wellness along with employees. Leadership's lack of participation will give employees the wrong impression and they will not want to take part.
- Lack of invested time. Employees often want to be healthy, but if the workplace is not supportive of participation in walking clubs or giving employees time to go to the gym. Employees already feel stress from work. Why would they want to participate in a program that the leaders are not willing to invest the time into?
How to Gauge Your Current Workplace Wellness
Companies evaluating their workplace wellness programs should consider several factors. To measure and track the wellness program, employers can track various factors from the start. Keeping the program to identify such numbers instead of names will alleviate any stress or pressure on participants.
Sick Time
Tracking sick time measures how well the program is working because often sick time lowers within the first year of a program. This may vary during flu and cold seasons.
Turnover Ratio
The turnover ratio is another good place to start. This type of report allows HR to take the pulse of the company. It tells leadership and HR how stressed out employees are and how the wellness program impacts this by measuring the employee’s views of the workplace. An example measurement could be something like: % turnover = # of employees who left/ (beginning & ending # of employees)/2 X 100
Compare Overall Medical Claims
The cost of employee health should go down rather than up in the first years of a wellness program. Taking a look at the overall claims should give you an idea if employees are taking advantage of all the benefits.
Survey the Employees
Understand the heart of the company with surveys and company feedback. Ask open-ended questions about how they feel a wellness program is working. Ask if they feel that these programs have helped them reduce stress and create a better work/life balance. Be careful about asking questions that may be considered too personal because human capital may find it invasive.
How to Promote Workplace Wellness
Wellness programs are critical to workplace culture in any company. When leadership is fully invested and takes part with employees, it creates trust and inspires employees to invest themselves.
Step 1: Keep It Simple
Programs with a short but effective message get employees' attention. You can create simple emails with incentives and calendar reminders about events sponsored by the leadership. Use any chance to show employees how leadership is involved and fully invested into the wellbeing of their workforce.
Step 2: Target Employees Resistant to Change
Some employees who think that it is all another ploy by the leadership may be skeptical and not want to engage. How do you get their attention? Find ways to entice them out of their mindset. If you’re trying to reach remote workers, help them find ways to be more active.
Step 3: Use Storytelling for Effective Communication
Leaders can communicate the importance of the program by sharing success stories of others who used the program. Use the power of storytelling to express how the program can help them and motivate them to participate.
Topics
Eva (Keri) Tancredi
Eva helps committed business personnel in the business world improve their job performance and secure future career opportunities by advancing their communication and presentation skills in English. Eva never thought that she would teach because she is so introverted. This world has been changing and with the changes, she has discovered that individuals need help with improving their English as well as lifestyle to deal with that pandemic. So Eva has started a business to help those individuals achieve their goals.
Frequently asked questions
Other Related Terms
Eddy's HR Newsletter
Sign up for our email newsletter for helpful HR advice and ideas.
