Wellness is a big buzz word for many companies. They want to instill sense of healthful living in their teams, which can improve morale and even offer insurance coverage benefits from their health insurance provider. Having a program and encouraging everyone to participate are often two different things, but you can improve morale by creating a program where everyone wants to be involved. Here are some tips to get you started.
- From the top down. To encourage more of your employees to take an interest in your wellness program, lead by example. If their leadership teams are participating, and enjoying the activities, they are more likely to take an interest and try it out as well. If you simply tell them that wellness is important, they aren’t likely to join up. But if you show them how great it is, you’ll have more people taking an interest.
- Encourage the advocates. Once people are engaging, look at those employees who are leading the charge. If they’re excited about the program, they can become advocates for it in the workplace. The next step is to find those in your office who are excited about the program. These may be employees who already embrace healthy living. They will be the people who already eat healthy and exercise regularly.
- Start out small. You don’t have to implement huge changes from the start. Big changes will cost money and if people don’t want to participate right away, it won’t have the results you’re looking for. Instead, start small and grow slowly over time. For example, instead of offering sugary sodas in the break room, replace these with bottles of water.
- Know what they want. You also need to take a look at what your employees really want. Different generations and demographic groups will have different health needs. For example, your younger employees may want a flex savings account while older employees can benefit from regular health screenings. Make sure you’re also paying attention to mental wellness by including relaxation, access to mental health care, and the recognition of stress triggers.
Do you want to improve employee morale by starting a wellness program? Contact Hutco to learn more today.