Implementing a Wellness Program at Work: Steps, Benefits, and Examples

A proper wellness program implementation strategy is utterly crucial for achieving employee wellness. It ensures the success and sustainability of the programs in the organization. Effective implementation also transforms the abstract wellness ideas of the program into actionable and practical initiatives.

As we know by now that there are far-reaching benefits of employee wellness programs. These programs have shifted the mindset of corporate employers to prioritize the physical and mental well-being of the employees.

When employers take care of their employees' well-being, it improves the employees’ morale and productivity. Increased productivity and workability, in turn, boost company profit.

However, even an excellent wellness program fails to deliver success if not implemented properly. Hence, in this blog article, we will discuss the various steps and methods for the same in detail. So, tag along!

How to Create and Implement a Corporate Wellness Program?

The groundwork of all happiness is health. ~ Leigh Hunt

So, how do you devise a data-driven and evidence-based wellness program for your employees that actually works? Before you create a wellness program, ask yourself some questions-

• Is my employee absenteeism hampering my business?

• Are my employees taking sick leave every other day?

Is my office culture toxic? If it is, how can I promote a healthy work culture and thrive on it?

Go through our guide on wellness program implementation. Follow the steps given below to create and implement a program in your organization as well.

Step 1: Conduct an Assessment

Conducting an assessment is the first step to creating a wellness program for your employees. This assessment will determine the features of the program you need to provide for your workforce.

With these assessments, you can peek into your employees' health. Knowing the specifics of your workforce's healthcare will benefit you in creating a wellness program for them. Gather data such as absenteeism rates, healthcare claims, and employee turnover to identify organizational trends.

Once you are through with assessment, the next step is to get your upper management involved.

Step 2: Secure Upper Management’s Support

Once you decide, pitch the idea to your upper management. Help them understand the potential benefits of the program for the company and its employees.

Use prior case studies and reports from different companies to leverage your proposal. Mention how these programs enhance the ROI and boost employee retention rate. All of these can further be leveraged by a dedicated wellness community.

Step 3: Establish a Dedicated Wellness Community

An effective employee wellness program takes some time to be planned and created. It is wise to build a wellness community at work that will encourage and promote your program.

This community can include representatives from different departments to foster inclusivity in a diverse workforce. These representatives can work flawlessly to promote initiatives, encourage participation, and share valuable feedback.

Step 4: Develop Goals and Objectives

Developing goals and objectives for the implementation of wellness programs is crucial. You cannot implement the program properly if its objectives and employee needs do not align.

For example, if the survey revealed a protein deficit in 70% of your employees, you could set a goal to increase the average protein intake by 10 grams per day within the next three months. Introduce high-protein snacks in office pantries or partner with local meal service providers.

Therefore, clear objectives must be established to track progress and adjust strategies as needed. Goals should align with both organizational priorities and individual employee needs.

With the goals and objectives in place, it is time to create a realistic budget for the program.

Step 5: Create a Budget

Determining and managing financial resources is at the heart of starting any program. These resources can include program materials, vendor fees, employee incentives, technology tools, and marketing expenses.

Create a realistic budget for the program, considering all the possible short-term and long-term costs. Present a cost-effective report or a payoff approach to the higher management or stakeholders.

Step 6: Research and Choose the Right Vendor

Research your way in and choose the best employee engagement and wellness platform for your company. Pick a vendor that provides well to align with your wellness goals. Browse through their services like trainer, nutritionist, wellness classes, real-time health metrics collection, and a mobile application.

Before you choose, analyze every vendor's technological approach and past record. Be doubly sure of the vendor's features and services.

Step 7: Include Prizes and Rewards

No wellness program will function correctly unless you add prizes and rewards. Incorporate employee incentives to encourage participation and sustain employee interest. For example, gift cards, wellness-related items like fitness trackers or yoga mats, or additional paid time off.

Set monthly awards such as "Walker of the Month," or "Wellness Champion of the Month," for enhanced participation. This is the point where you market your program to your employees.

Suggested Reading: 8 Employee Wellness Awards that Every Company Should Aspire to Win

Step 8: Promote or Communicate the Plan

Once you have the wellness program implementation plan drafted, go ahead and create hype about it. Communicate the commencement of the wellness program through different channels to increase participation.

Reach employees using multiple channels, such as email campaigns, intranet updates, team meetings, posters, and social media. Explain the program's benefits, goals, and how employees can participate.

Step 9: Building Wellness Policies

A wellness program can only work effectively in the long run. Therefore, wellness policies should be added to the company and aligned with the company policies. Connect loose ends with the program and your business to benefit most.

These policies may include flexible schedules for wellness activities, subsidies for gym memberships, or guidelines for healthy food options in the workplace. Document these policies to ensure consistency and transparency.

Step 10: Regularly Update the Wellness Program

To ensure the program's proper functioning, update the program guidelines and features as and when needed. Analyze metrics such as participation rates, employee satisfaction surveys, and more, and update the program as needed.

Adjust initiatives to keep them relevant and impactful. Encourage employees to provide input to ensure the program continues to meet their needs. This is a crucial step to wellness program implementation.

Download your free wellness calendar from Vantage Fit and start your corporate wellness journey today!

Examples of Some Amazing Wellness Program Initiatives

There are many examples where companies around the world have successfully pulled off wellness initiatives for their employees. Here are some examples:

Telehealth

Telehealth is an incredibly advantageous wellness program initiative for employees. It eliminates the need for employees to take time off for minor health issues.

Virtual medical consultations provide convenient and prompt advice and may even urge early intervention before problems worsen. Plus, they're ideal for remote teams.

Financial Counselling

Managing finance is a burden for employees. Therefore, providing the employees with financial training and counseling regarding debt management, retirement planning, and more can be a great wellness program.

When the employees’ finances are at peace, the employees will be at peace and more productive.

Flexible Working Hours

Flexible work hours may seem insignificant, but they are in demand today. The Gen Z individuals entering the workforce have a different mindset toward work. They prefer getting the job done to spending all day at work.

For instance, at Vantage Fit, we provide our employees with a work option every month. Employees are also allowed regular breaks to recharge themselves.

“By not commuting, I have more time to spend with my family and more time for daily things, like cooking a meal and eating together.” ~ An American Working Professional

Mental Health Resources

Mental health is a burning topic in the corporate world. Any company that doesn’t take care of its employees’ mental well-being is bound to fall. Therefore, mental health resources such as counselling and therapy are crucial in a wellness program.

What are the Benefits of Implementing a Wellness Program?

Wellness programs bring many benefits to any organization. They promote employee well-being through walking meetings, weight-loss challenges, and more. According to a report by Gallup, businesses saw 81% reduced absenteeism due to an engaged workforce.

Here are some significant benefits of implementing a wellness program in a company.

Increased Productivity

Studies have shown that employee productivity increases by 5% when participating in a corporate wellness program. This means the employees feel good and healthy about coming to work.

These programs also keep employees engaged and make them feel good about work. This boosts their productivity and happiness at work.

Reduced Absenteeism

The wellness initiatives taken under an employee wellness program significantly reduce absenteeism. In a UnitedHealthcare survey, 56% of employees claimed they could take fewer sick days due to these programs.

When employers care for their employees' well-being, their morale and attitude toward the company also improve.

Decreased Healthcare Coverage or Costs

Companies have to cover their employees' healthcare under health insurance. However, this cost can be reduced if the employees are healthy and fall ill less. Implementing wellness programs can help achieve this.

These programs help maintain a culture of good health in the office. They also help employees build healthier habits for home and work. Therefore, they fall sick less.

Reduced Stress

A work culture that focuses on employee well-being and engagement produces less stress for the employees. Reduced stress because of wellness initiatives can improve employees' engagement and productivity.

Improves Employee Behaviors and Habits

We are what our habits make us. Therefore, every employer tries to form a better and healthier workforce that stands out. This can be achieved with wellness programs.

Wellness programs and their challenges can help employees live a healthy life. For example, they can help employees quit drinking and smoking, exercise, eat right, and get checked up occasionally. This enables them to build healthier habits and behaviors.

Attracts New and Talented Employees

The benefits of employee wellness programs are limitless. Apart from benefiting the current employees, they also attract new talents to the company.

When choosing a job, employees look for more than just a salary. They also look for health benefits and wellness programs that can support a healthy work culture. Therefore, having an active wellness program can help the company retain current employees and attract new ones.

How Can Vantage Fit Help in Creating and Implementing Wellness Programs?

Vantage Fit is an employee wellness platform that provides seamless employee health data for the organization and helps create and monitor various wellness challenges for the employees.

It can help organizations create and implement wellness programs with the help of its features.

Holistic Wellness Tracking

Vantage Fit helps track employees' health data through a series of challenges. These metrics include -

• Activity tracking
• Nutrition and hydration
• Fitness and exercise
• Mental well-being

Multiple Device Compatibility

The Vantage Fit application is easily accessible on mobile devices. You can even import data from other health applications like Google Fit and Apple Health. This gives the employees and management convenience to track real-time data.

Admin Dashboard

The organization can monitor and control the program and its guidelines from the super admin panel. They can also make informed decisions with the help of the extensive data portrayal on the dashboard.

Incentives and Rewards

To ensure the smooth functioning of a wellness program, Vantage Fit comes with engagement tools, incentives, and rewards for employees.

Fully Secure and Compliant

Every piece of employee data is secure with Vantage Fit. We make sure employees feel confident in sharing their health and other data pieces.

So, if you are an employer or an HR looking for a wellness platform for your employees, Vantage Fit is your go-to solution. Get customizable features for your organization's policies and ensure your employees’ welfare with us. Book a call with us today!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can wellness programs help you improve employee health?

Yes, wellness programs can help improve the health of the employees through various wellness challenges such as jogging, mindfulness, nutrition and hydration, and more.

2. Will they receive any wellness stipend for participating?

No, they do not receive any stipend for participating. However, there are incentives and rewards on completion of the assigned tasks and challenges.

3. How can HR measure the success of a wellness program initiative?

HRs can easily track the success of their wellness program initiatives through employee wellness dashboards. These dashboards help track real-time data such as steps, jogging distance, squats, and more, which can later be exported into comprehensive reports.

4. What are some affordable wellness program ideas for small business?

Some budget-friendly wellness program ideas for small businesses can be -

• Flexible work hours
• Tobacco free initiatives
• Yoga and fitness classes once a week

5. How can HRs promote employee engagement in wellness initiatives?

• HRs can take various measures like giving wellness stipends and allowances to improve employee engagement in the wellness programs.