Enhancing Employee Well-being through Comprehensive Wellness Programs

By Megan Wroe MS, RD, CNE, CLEC

In today’s hybrid work culture, where potential employees have access to a wider variety of job opportunities in addition to skyrocketing rates of job burnout, prioritizing employee health and wellness can be the crucial edge that a company needs to both attract and keep quality staff. Implementing robust health and wellness programs not only fosters a happier, healthier workforce but also significantly impacts the overall productivity and success of an organization.

According to a report from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, companies with wellness initiatives notice a significant decrease in absenteeism and an improvement in employee morale and loyalty. Companies that invest in comprehensive wellness programs also observe a 28% reduction in employees calling in sick and 61% of employees participating in a wellness program exhibited healthier behaviors which lead to lower health risks overall.

While most organizations likely know these statistics, the tricky part is implementing a wellness program that delivers benefits to employees rather than just checking out a box. There are plenty of comprehensive online programs available to provide a baseline of employee health services, but here are some other innovative ideas to infuse wellness into the inner workings of your own unique business culture.

Functional Fitness :

A gym or dedicated exercise area is an incredible offer if you have the space. However, what we often see here is a lack of use. Workplace gyms are often barren due to a mixture of lack of knowledge of what to do and a lack of confidence to exercise in front of colleagues. Consider hiring a qualified trainer to be on site during a certain day of the week or even just a couple of hours a month so that staff know there is someone too who can guide their exercises. Another great offering is a series of classes on various types of functional movement. Examples could be a 4-week series on upper body strengthening, a 6-week series on weight-free circuit training, or even a workshop on specialized topic like achieving a proper squat. The added benefit of these is you don’t even need a gym, just a large space to welcome interested movers!

Personalized Nutrition:

Every workplace wellness program has a nutrition component, but they are often standardized with nothing catchy. A “dietitian on call” can be a great way to offer mini private sessions to your staff. If the price point of private services is too high, you could hire a dietitian to teach a series of classes on various conditions or perhaps to host cooking demonstrations intermittently so staff can taste new recipes. It would be even better if healthy foods were also provided on site!

Restorative Breaks :

Yoga and meditation are amazing. But very rarely are recordings of these types of sessions well received or highly utilized. Staff simply don’t have time during a workday and are too distracted to use these types of services virtually. If the company’s desire is to provide some mental health respite, then it should be infused into the standard workday. This could be as simple as “10am Take a Breath” and get on the intercom to instigate a 1-minute-deep breath exercise for everyone. Chair yoga offered in short 10-15minute intervals during standard lunch breaks are great too, rather than expecting staff to give up their entire breaktime for a class and missing out on time to eat. Cronometer make it easier than ever. They track food intake, provide personalized meal plans, and offer insights into nutritional content, empowering users to make informed dietary choices.

There is no one size fits all in employee wellness, but the key is to find a handful of ways to personalize wellness to the staff and their culture. Take surveys, bring people onsite rather than relying solely on virtual offerings, and executives should walk the talk and create an environment where the wellness services are welcomed to thrive.

For more information:

www.stjudewellnesscenter.org/educational-wellness-programs/

Megan Wroe MS, RD, CNE, CLEC manages St. Jude Wellness Center, an integrative wellness department of St. Jude Medical Center. St. Jude Wellness Center is located in Brea, CA and offers a variety of nutrition, fitness and restorative programs and services for population health.

Visit their website for blog content, recipes and more information: www.stjudewellnesscenter.org