Corporate wellness isn’t just for large companies and Silicon Valley startups. These programs are becoming popular in all types of workplaces, as they have been shown to boost productivity, cut healthcare costs, improve employee retention and even attract new talent.
As Employee Wellness Month comes to a close, this is a great time to enhance your existing program or to get one started where you work. If you’re an employer or administrator, consider implementing these initiatives that are right for your workplace and office culture. And if you’re an employee, ask about opportunities to start the ones you want to see!
1. Provide healthy snacks. Ditch the traditional vending machine in favor of nutritious (and tastier!) fare like fresh fruit, yogurt and hummus.
2. Offer fitness classes and workshops. These can be active events such as workplace yoga or informational sessions on cooking, meditation and other wellness topics.
3. Walking meetings and standing workstations. You don’t need to install expensive treadmill desks to get employees up and moving! You can try a meeting on the go or an innovative desk to keep you on your feet.
4. Create greenspace. Adding office plants, taking work outside or even opening the blinds can help keep employees happy and productive.
5. Host a healthy potluck. Come up with a theme such as vegetarian, soup and salad or an ethnic cuisine.
6. Start a sports team. Whether it’s softball, basketball, bowling or another sport, signing up for a recreational league is a great way to build camaraderie and get workers active.
7. Create some healthy competition. This might be a weight-loss challenge, step competition or other event with prizes for the winners!
8. Schedule workout days when you encourage employees to wear workout gear, which helps remove barriers to exercise.
9. Adopt a pet-friendly policy. This may not work for everyone but bringing your pet to work has been shown to reduce stress and improve workplace performance, even for non-pet owners.
10. Offer flexible hours. Allowing employees to “flex” their time reduces missed workdays and increases productivity.
Kevin Arnold
Kevin Arnold writes about health, wellness and travel. For more tips and information, check out all of his posts at www.pureroom.com/blog.