Are you trying to motivate your employees to be more engaged and productive? Would you like your employees to be healthier, happier, and more driven to do their best? If so, running a wellness program definitely puts you on the right track. The President of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), John C. Taylor, said it best: “When we feel better, we work better.”
In the business world, workplace wellness programs have become increasingly popular for good reason. They bring benefits to both employers and employees, striking a balance between both of their interests. However, running a successful wellness program is no walk in the park. Key steps need to be taken to make sure it is set up properly.
In this article, we will take a deep dive into the initial phase – defining essential workplace wellness program goals and objectives that your company should strive for:
In this article:
- What is a Workplace Wellness Program?
- Why Do Companies Adopt Wellness Programs?
- Why Wellness Programs Can Fail
- Workplace Wellness Program Goals and Objectives Your Company Should Strive For
Understanding Wellness Programs
Before getting into the specifics of how to set SMART goals and objectives for your wellness program, let’s take a quick look at what it all means.
What is a Workplace Wellness Program?
Workplace wellness is all about promoting good health and encouraging positive behavior among employees. Employee wellness programs are one way businesses make their employees healthier and happier. There may be wellness challenges, mental health tools, healthy eating incentives, and more in these programs. Companies can encourage people to be beneficial in many ways, such as offering exercise programs, health education fairs, medical screenings, and health care memberships.
Companies that put money into their employees know how important it is to promote health at work. People who are happy at work usually do a better job. They’re more motivated, take on new projects, get more done, and manage their time well.
The Evolution of Employee Wellness
Workplace wellness programs for employees have come a long way since they were first created. What was once seen as a token gesture in the form of a few yoga classes or an on-site fitness center has grown into a comprehensive strategy that addresses physical health, mental health, and overall job satisfaction. As more people realize that a holistic approach to health and wellness is good for employees and their companies, employee wellness has changed.
The idea of workplace wellness programs came about as a proactive reaction to the rising cost of health care. As the health care costs went through the roof, it became clear that the real reasons for health issues had to be addressed. Companies started to understand that putting money into preventative steps could help lower the rising cost of health care. The start of wellness initiatives in the workplace can be linked to a primary goal: reducing health costs.
Why Companies Adopt Wellness Programs
For companies to support wellness at work, they need to be willing to look into different health care options that can help their employees.
According to a report by the Kaiser Family Foundation, only 56% of employees have health insurance through their jobs. Various factors could contribute to this situation, such as employees needing to meet the eligibility requirements for specific health benefits or small companies needing help to afford healthcare costs.
Companies now often have workplace wellness programs, which is a common trend in the business world today. People no longer see these programs as extras or trends; they are essential parts of any company’s plan to keep their employees healthy, engaged, and effective. Workplace wellness programs are becoming more popular in businesses for several strong reasons.
1. Reducing Turnover
Employee turnover rates can significantly impact an organization, both financially and operationally. Employee wellness programs are genuinely crucial for lowering employee turnover! They make the workplace a great place to be because they encourage and value their employees. When employees feel that their well being is essential to the business, they tend to stay committed to the company, resulting in lower turnover rates.
2. Improving Employee Retention
In today’s competitive job market, retaining talented employees is vital. Employee wellness programs can enhance employee retention by creating a workplace where employees are compensated well and enjoy various benefits contributing to their overall well being. Companies prioritizing employee retention recognize that investing in wellness can be a powerful incentive for employees to stay with the organization.
3. Demonstrating Corporate Social Responsibility
Companies that want to do good worldwide are paying more attention to corporate social responsibility (CSR). An employee wellness program shows that a company cares about its employee health and the community’s health, which aligns with its CSR goals. Companies that care about CSR often put money into a workplace wellness program as part of their more significant efforts to help society.
4. Meeting Diverse Employee Needs
Workplace wellness programs can be changed to fit the needs of a wide range of workers. Employees adhere to various health goals and come from multiple walks of life. A good wellness program takes these differences into account and gives employees of all ages, fitness levels, and abilities a variety of choices to choose from. Companies that support this kind of inclusion show that they care about the health and happiness of all their workers.
5. Enhancing Work-life Balance
A good work life balance is essential for employee health. A workplace wellness program can encourage this balance by letting workers set their hours or pushing them to take time off as it suits their health. When employees feel like they have control over their personal and work lives, they are more likely to be loyal, happy, and productive.
6. Attracting a Diverse Workforce
Companies that offer comprehensive employee wellness programs are often more attractive to a diverse range of employees. Individuals from different backgrounds, age groups, and abilities are more likely to be drawn to employers that prioritize their well being. An employee wellness program can enhance diversity and inclusion efforts within an organization.
Reasons Why Wellness Programs Can Fail
- Unclear Goal Setting: Most workplace wellness programs fail because they lack proper planning and smart goal setting. When there are no measurable goals, employees aren’t able to understand what needs to be done and why, and they lose the motivation to participate.
- Lack of Employee Engagement: Often, issues like the implementation of boring or generic wellness awareness initiatives, perceived time constraints, and lack of management support result in disengaged and unenthusiastic employees.
- Poor Leadership and Communication: Lack of financial transparency, favoritism, and insufficient commitment from management are some of the notable reasons why most wellness programs fail.
Workplace Wellness Program Goals and Objectives Your Company Should Strive For
For a workplace wellness program to be successful, it needs not only smart goals from the outset but also a path to facilitate (and a plan to motivate) employee engagement and participation. The overarching, long-term workplace wellness program goals provide the foundation upon which your programs should be built.
Control Healthcare Costs
Costs of medical care are becoming a bigger worry for both companies and employees. The cost of health care can have a significant effect on a business’s bottom line. Because of this, a big goal of many fitness programs is to keep health costs down.
A workplace wellness program should focus on stopping problems before they happen and helping people immediately. This can involve routine health tests to identify potential concerns before they become severe ones. Programs can also encourage employees to live healthy lives to lower the number of chronic diseases that happen, often leading to high healthcare costs.
An employee wellness program can lower health care costs by getting workers to take action to keep their health in good shape. Think about programs that encourage healthy choices, like on-site fitness center, preventive care, and different health insurance options.
Increase Productivity and Activity
There is a saying that goes, “A healthy body makes a healthy mind.” It’s important to stress the link between good health and effectiveness at work. When workers are physically healthy, they usually have more energy, can concentrate better, and can think more clearly.
An important long-term goal for workplace wellness programs should be to make employees more productive. This can be done by setting up wellness challenges and giving stress-relieving activities like yoga classes. To ensure workers bring their best selves to work, it’s also essential to encourage them to keep a work life balance.
By emphasizing physical health, wellness programs improve employee health and help make the workplace more productive and efficient.
Improved Employee Morale/Engagement
Employee engagement and morale are essential elements of an effective business. Employees are more likely to do their best work when they feel valued, supported, and involved.
By creating a more supportive company culture, an employee wellness program should boost happiness and motivation among workers. Promoting a healthy being approach that includes physical, social, and mental health can make the workplace a place where people feel like their health is essential.
Support from leaders is a vital part of reaching this goal. When leaders of a company take part in wellness events and show that they care about the health of their employees, it sets an example for the rest of the staff.
Reduced Health Risks
As a long-term goal, an employee wellness program should also work to lower health risks. This includes finding health problems and risk factors among workers and taking care of them.
Regular health checks and wellness tasks can help workers learn more about their health and motivate them to make changes for the better. For example, finding workers who are at risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, or obesity can help stop the development of these long-term illnesses early on.
Cutting down on health risks leads to fewer absences, more loyal employees, and better health. Employees who take responsibility for their health are likely to stay healthy and work hard, which is good for both the employee and the company.
Plan More Immediate Goals
Long-term wellness goals and objectives give a workplace wellness program its overall direction, but short-term goals are needed to reach those long-term goals. These goals are all about building momentum and keeping workers interested.
High Engagement Rates
It’s important to get workers to take part in wellness activities actively to reach long-term workplace wellness program goals. When participation rates are high, workers care about their health and well being.
On the other hand, workplace wellness programs should have a range of tools and activities for people with different fitness levels and interests. Fitness tasks, access to a fitness center, and wellness challenges can all make it more appealing for people to join.
Adding a sense of friendly competition can also get people more involved. Using leaderboards, prizes, or public praise for employee accomplishments can get people to participate.
Positive Behavior Changes
The goal of workplace wellness programs for workers should be to get them to change their bad habits. Motivating employees to live healthy lives and make better decisions can have a significant effect on their health.
To reach this goal, companies should provide education through these initiatives. Workplace wellness programs should teach workers about the benefits of being active, eating healthy foods, dealing with stress, etc. Giving your staff lifestyle coaching or self-care resources can help them form healthier habits.
Improved Employee Satisfaction Ratings
How well a workplace wellness program meets its goals can be seen by how satisfied employees are with it. Employee happiness should go up if the program is well-thought-out and works well.
Access to healthy foods, physical activity, and a healthy environment can affect someone’s satisfaction. Wellness committees can help ensure that activities and projects are planned with the wants and needs of workers in mind.
Lower Absenteeism
One of the main goals of fitness programs is to cut down on absenteeism, which has a direct effect on an organization’s output and healthcare costs. Less absenteeism means that employees are healthy and less likely to miss work because of illness.
There may be an on-site fitness center, wellness rooms, nap rooms, and a massage therapist as part of workplace wellness programs to help people deal with stress and improve their overall health. Giving your workers gym memberships or fitness classes can motivate them to live a healthy life.
Additionally, workplace wellness programs should include anonymous polls to find out what employees think about how well the programs are working. This feedback can help figure out what needs to be fixed and make the app work better.
Incentive Programs
Motivating employees to participate in wellness activities can be achieved through incentive programs. Incentives can take various forms, such as financial rewards, gifts, or recognition. By offering rewards for achieving wellness goals, companies can increase participation and motivate employees to make healthy changes.
Final Thoughts
The goals and objectives of your workplace wellness program will be different depending on the culture, needs, and workforce of your company. A fundamental way to track success and ensure your program is on track is to set smart goals and specific, doable objectives.
A well-thought-out backed by management and based on what employees want can help each person and make the workplace healthier, more involved, and more productive. Because of this, your company saves money on health care costs and keeps more employees, which is good for the bottom line. By creating a company culture that puts health and happiness first, you’re investing in your employees and also in the future of your business. Now is the time to initiate the process of establishing a healthier and happier workplace.
Boost your employees’ wellness and engagement with IncentFit. Offering the best solutions for health incentives, we prioritize your team’s well-being and your company’s success. Choose IncentFit today – sign up for a demo today!
