The Benefits of Wellness Programs and How to Get Started

Before starting a workplace wellness program, it’s important to assess the needs of your workforce. Consider asking your employees anonymously what they would most like to see in a wellness program and what motivates them to be healthy. Additionally, scanning national statistics on workplace health and safety can help you recognize which areas may need additional focus.

Once you have a better understanding of your employee’s needs, desires, and statistically what is important, it’s time to develop your wellness program. Consider having diverse departments within the organization collaborate on the development of programming offerings. This will help ensure that activities are tailored to the employees while also providing thoughtful, holistic coordination of all aspects of the program. Finally, make sure the program is interactive, engaging and constantly changing in order to keep it both dynamic and effective.

Knowing how many employees in each department are currently engaged in health-promoting activities, what areas they have reported as needing improvement, and their personal goals related to physical and mental health will provide a starting point. This information should be used at the onset of development to assess the current needs of the employees, then inform your program offerings over time with input from experts concerning changes in trends or new developments in health promotions.

It is essential to continually revise programs to keep it fresh and interesting. This requires both frequent assessments of program outcomes and employee feedback. Employees should have the ability to express ideas around what types of activities and events would be useful for promoting health, or how to provide a better atmosphere that encourages balanced lifestyles among employees. By utilizing surveys, management can focus attention on areas needing improvement and spend resources accordingly.

Whether choosing an online web-based program or an on-site solution, customized programming will ensure healthier and happier employees.