Trends

TrendS Why WELLNESS is the new buzzword

 DALLAS SHERRINGHAM

WELLNESS has suddenly become a key word in attracting and maintaining employees in the new age of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A quick search of Google will fi nd a plethora of companies springing up to provide wellness resources for companies keen to establish a ‘healthy’ reputation.

But what is wellness and how can it be applied to the workforce?

Google defi nes wellness as: “the act of practicing healthy habits on a daily basis to attain better physical and mental outcomes”.

So instead of just surviving you will be thriving and as a result you will be a better performing staff member, whether you are in management or a worker.

In the past, the wellness of staff was of little concern to management, except when somebody took “too many sick days” or had a mental meltdown.

Today’s manager must be more than just a leader and slave driver. He or she must be part doctor, part fi tness expert and part social worker to keep staff happy and productive.

For progressive companies it may mean converting unused offi ce or factory space into a wellness centre. One new age company is Wellness Solutions. It creates wellness centres for businesses looking to join the health revolution.

Its aim is to assist companies considering converting an existing room into a wellness lounge.

Wellness Solutions has a range of options including: • Immersive Studios for Movement. • Innovative Wellness Pods with privacy screens. • Community areas such as lounges, co-working spaces and wellness cafes.

The company says If you're limited for space it's easy to create your own custom wellness lounge.

And the wellness pods are a new innovative type of retreat where you can enjoy breathing, massage and meditation sessions while relaxing with your feet up.

It’s now WE not ME

Employee wellness is high on employers’ to-do lists as they look to not only cut health care expenses but improve productivity and recruit and retain top talent.

And as with the rest of their benefi ts portfolio, employers are looking for ideas that will not only set themselves apart from the competition, but also actually drive excitement and interest among employees.

Some places are getting truly creative in the ways they’re working to engage employees in their own wellness, with ideas unique to them.

Others are picking up on what others are doing and then tweaking those ideas to suit their own employee populations.

Another wellness firm Benefits Pro said some companies were really taking on the challenge and reflecting it in the very design of the workplace.

“Whatever strategies they’re trying, companies are finally recognizing that, when it comes to wellness, it’s not enough to talk the talk. They have to walk the walk and incorporate ideas into the mission and values of the company.”

However, companies are now finding that wellness really needs to be a “we” rather than “me” rejuvenation.

“Workplace wellness programs are implicitly focused on the individual: biometric screenings, individual incentives, gym member reimbursements,” Benefit Pro said.