10 Examples of Health and Wellness Programs in the Workplace

Over the years, organizations have greatly emphasized employee health and well-being, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. As an integral part of business operations, management who prioritizes the well-being of their employees is most likely to experience lesser employee turnover.

However, the scope of employee health and well-being has gone far beyond physical health. Managers must realize that keeping employees ‘healthy’ isn’t just about providing them with hospital bills or medications but keeping them fulfilled, happy, and engaged in the workplace.

In this article, we will discuss the importance of health and wellness in the workplace and what you can do to improve your employees’ overall well-being so they remain fulfilled, healthy, and productive toward their professional and personal growth.

Why is employee health and well-being important?

For a team to thrive, its working core needs to be able to perform its functions well. A team with unmotivated and sickly members is less likely to reach its target or contribute to a company’s goals. Employee health and well-being are beneficial not only to personal development but also to the organization.

Some of the reasons why health and wellness programs should be an integral part of any organization include:

• Job satisfaction and employee retention. According to Gallup, employees with employers who care for their well-being are three times more likely to be more engaged at work and are 69 percent less likely to search for a new job. This is because employees who are cared for as people, not just as workers, feel more at home and safe with managers who consider their personal growth.
• Healthy work environment. Team members who actively engage in a company’s health and wellness programs together experience better synergy and relationships than those who do not. Allowing employees to bond and improve their well-being through these programs improves their health and their working relationships with colleagues.
• Lower healthcare costs. Every organization must have a health insurance plan, and giving employees regular health and wellness programs helps lower healthcare costs by encouraging healthy lifestyles in the workplace. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, well-implemented workplace plans can result in a 25% reduction in healthcare costs, absenteeism, workers’ compensation, and disability claims.

What are the essential components of wellness programs?

• Physical activity. A properly developed wellness program should first and foremost promote and encourage physical activity among workplace employees. Employees, especially those with desk jobs, must be exposed to regular physical activities like after-work Zumba or spin classes or given gym memberships.
• Mental health. Thriving in the workplace isn’t just achieved with physical health but also with sound mental health. Depression and disassociation can easily creep into the workplace today, so giving employees access to mental health counseling is a great help in managing their overall well-being.
• Balanced nutrition. Keeping employees healthy in the workplace starts with giving them access to a well-balanced diet, including healthy meal options instead of fast food or instant meals.
• Work-life balance. A good wellness program should also allow employees to achieve proper work-life balance, giving them opportunities to have fun and spend time with colleagues in addition to their work responsibilities.

Examples of Health and Wellness Programs in the Workplace

Some examples of well-rounded health and wellness programs that management needs to consider for the well-being of its employees include:

1. Regular health screenings

Just as healthcare costs are rising, management must conduct regular health screenings to assess the health status and possible medical needs of its employees in the future.

Many organizations conduct health screenings for their employees at least once a year, including a comprehensive health assessment spanning blood to X-ray tests. This helps employees have peace of mind from any possible sickness or illnesses, and it also allows management to prepare for any significant medical costs it may incur that may not be covered by insurance policies.

2. Access to fitness centers

Giving your employees access to fitness centers helps encourage them to be proactive in maintaining their physical health. Access to fitness centers doesn’t necessarily mean putting up your own on-site gym. You may also give them full gym memberships or discount vouchers for gym memberships.

Axel Lavergne, Founder at ReviewFlowz, says,

“You can also take a creative turn in encouraging employees to sign up for gym memberships or maintain their physical health by giving incentive programs to milestone physical achievements among employees.”

3. Flexible work arrangements

“Working hybrid or remotely has greatly benefited many businesses, especially for those in the customer support industry, says Kyran Schmidt, Co-Founder at Outverse.

“Many startups are now transitioning or are immediately implementing these work structures to meet the needs of the younger workforce.”

Flexible work arrangements are not a unique concept in the workplace. Giving employees a choice on their preferred working schedule (so long as they meet necessary deadlines) and preferred working environment (whether they like to work remotely, work hybrid, or work full-time in the office) will help encourage work-life balance among employees.

You can conduct regular surveys on the preferred work arrangements that your employees might like and study how to incorporate these choices effectively within the organization.

Reyansh Mestry, Head of Marketing at TopSource Worldwide, says,

“This would allow employees to be more productive in their professional work while also being able to attend to personal matters in their schedule, allowing for a more productive synergy between their personal and professional lives.”

4. Access to healthy food and meals

Access to a healthy and balanced meal in the workplace is just as important as giving them access to physical activities and fitness centers. A good and balanced meal provides a person with the right energy and focus during work hours, helping employees become healthier and more productive while in the organization.

This is incredibly important, especially for companies that do not have easy access to restaurants or healthy food options—such as manufacturing companies that are mostly located in remote areas.

5. Naps

Just like healthy food, allowing employees to nap at given times of the day can significantly help their productivity and wellness in the workplace. Called the ‘afternoon crash,’ many employees experience a dip in energy after lunch and towards the afternoon.

Once frowned upon, a power nap is now considered a necessity among many companies, with several even setting up napping pods within the company. According to a study published in the National Library of Medicine, napping in the afternoon, especially early afternoon naps, improves cognitive performance and alertness.

6. Access to counseling

Making counseling accessible in the workplace is a big step in recognizing and eliminating the stigma of mental health-related illnesses like depression, anxiety attacks, disassociation, and anger issues.

Employers can offer individual or group counseling services to help employees improve their emotional and mental well-being and reduce mental workload, allowing each individual to address and face their problems most comfortably.

7. Financial education

In addition, employers can offer financial counseling sessions to interested participants. Employees are often plagued by financial difficulties brought on by their circumstances, significantly impacting their work productivity and motivation. Today, Americans face unprecedented levels of debt, making financial education necessary at every opportunity.

“By providing financial counseling sessions, employers can guide their employees on effectively managing their finances, slowly eliminating debt, and planning for retirement as early as possible,” says Jeffrey Zhou, CEO and Founder of Fig Loans.

By doing this, employers can address financial problem-related absenteeism and loss of motivation due to financial difficulties, guide employees in navigating their finances smartly and effectively, and improve work productivity in the long run.

8. Smoking cessation programs

According to the CDC, 11.5 percent, or at least 28.3 million adults, smoke cigarettes in the U.S. The harmful effects of smoking are not a secret, and in fact, it kills at least 480,000 Americans each year. For this reason, many have incorporated smoking cessation programs as part of their organization’s health and wellness programs.

Smoke breaks aren’t uncommon in the workplace, and legally, employers cannot force employees to stop smoking (as long as it is done in designated smoking areas.) What employers can do, however, in smoking cessation programs is to:

• Provide incentives for people participating in this initiative
• Impose penalties on certain violations
• Provide smoking cessation items like tablets, patches, or gums
• Counseling on the effects of tobacco addiction

9. Collaborative workspaces

A critical concept that many organizations are trying to incorporate in the workplace these days is the existence of collaborative workspaces. Gone are the days when employees needed to stay within their seats and cubicles to be productive—getting employees to work together, talk, and be in proximity while working fosters a better working environment than any individual work can.

John Baek, Founder of JSB Digital Works, says, “Providing employees with collaborative workspaces allows them to breathe, be active, and become more creative and engaged in team discussions. This fosters a healthier working relationship between colleagues, improving their mood and productivity.”

However, it is important to remember that not all employees are cut out for collaborative work. Allow your employees to choose to work in a more accessible, collaborative session if they choose to do so, but don’t take away their personal peace and individual focus if that’s what’s most comfortable for them.

10. Employee socialization activities

All work and no fun makes one dull—that’s not just a statement—it’s a fact. This is why employers need to provide avenues for employees to have fun, mingle, and socialize through company-initiated events, team-building activities, and get-togethers to improve workplace relationships.

Employee get-together activities can go as grand as organizing annual sports events for your employees or as simple as after-work yoga classes, creative classes, movie sessions, or dinner get-togethers—they don’t have to be extra special. You just need to give them an avenue to have fun and enjoy themselves outside the four walls of your office.

Conclusion

As employees are the brick-and-mortar of a business, health and wellness in the workplace are integral parts of employee management that HR managers and top executives must not forget about.

HR managers should conduct health and wellness programs holistically—from physical and mental wellness to proper nutrition and improving work-life balance. These programs help not only the personal development of the employees but also consequently improve their work productivity to help achieve the company’s goals.