When done right, wellness programmes can increase productivity, wellbeing, employee retention, and engagement. However, implementing a new corporate wellness programme is by no means a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. Here are 5 tips for implementing the most effective programme for your business.
1. Take your time to understand the wants and needs of your employees
To ensure that your corporate wellness programme is the best that it can be, it is essential that you take the time to really understand what your employees will benefit from the most. For example, you might send out a questionnaire to find out what your employees need, what they want, and what they might value the most.
The benefit of this is twofold. Firstly, you can ensure that your wellness programme is properly tailored to your workforce, boosting overall morale in the workplace. Secondly, from a business perspective, you can reduce the risk of paying for something that won’t be used, and thus reduce wasted capital.
2. Make sure it is worthwhile
According to the Office for National Statistics, in 2021, the sickness absence rate rose to 2.2%, resulting in an estimated 14.9.3 million lost working days due to sickness or injury, which is the equivalent to around 4.6 days per worker. Thus, encouraging employees to participate in your wellness programme can dramatically reduce potentially lost time within your organisation.
To do so, make sure that it is worthwhile for them to join. This might mean implementing various additional incentives and benefits alongside your wellness programme, such as group critical illness cover. By offering such a worthwhile benefit, you will show that you are not only looking to support their health and wellbeing in the short term, but will also help them if they unfortunately become chronically ill, too, supporting them through even the worst case scenario.
3. Ensure there are no barriers to success
The easier the corporate wellness programme is to navigate, sign up to, and participate in, the more effective it will be. In the modern world, people don’t want to have to take time out of their busy schedules to figure out something overly complicated – we have enough obstacles to overcome as it is! Make sure that there are no barriers to success, and the rest will come naturally, as it will be the logical next step.
4. Create a wellness committee with wellness champions
Create a wellness committee to oversee the implementation of the corporate wellness programme. These employees will be able to spot any bumps in the road, and make the necessary adjustments to ensure it runs as smoothly as possible.
Make sure the committee is representative of all demographics and departments in your organisation for the best results. You can also consider nominating wellness champions to promote the programme.
5. Adapt wellness programme throughout the year
The key thing with a corporate wellness programme is to keep people engaged all year round. We all know people who make a New Years’ resolution and then give up when the novelty wears off! To make sure progress does not drop off, adapt your programme to suit the different seasons, or theme challenges around the notable holidays throughout the year.
With these 5 tips in mind, you will be able to ensure that your new corporate wellness programme is implemented as effectively as possible.
