Editor's Note: We recently updated this previously published post with new insights. Enjoy!
The generational makeup of the workforce is changing rapidly: for the first time in history, four generations of employees are represented in the workplace. Millennials have surpassed both boomers and Gen X to make up the largest portion (40%), while the first wave of Generation Zers, composed of people in their early 20s, are just entering the workforce.
Whether your employees are working from their living rooms or have been on-site all along, odds are you’ve had to adapt your corporate wellness program to our mask-wearing, social distancing new reality. And with a little imagination and flexibility, this hasn’t been too difficult to do.
Biometric health screening, however? That’s a different story.
Far from a “nice-to-have,” wellness programs are being recognized as key to increased employee engagement and lowered healthcare costs—especially right now when stress is at an all-time high for most Americans.
The challenge? Getting a wellness program and platform that will spark enthusiasm (and great results) among your employees. That’s why evaluating and purchasing a corporate wellness platform typically involves an RFP process that includes evaluating proposals, creating a shortlist, interviewing vendors, and choosing a winner.
How do you do this the right way? Read on.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion: For some companies, these are corporate buzzwords, to be hashtagged into some timely social media posts.
Other companies, however, recognize that celebrating and encouraging differences, making success attainable to all, and creating supportive communities are not only the right thing to do, they’re the formula for a stronger, better workplace.
The thing is, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) don’t just magically happen because of good intentions. For DEI to truly become part of an organization, it must be integrated into everything a company does, including corporate wellness programs.
Wellness program ROI can reach up to 300%, provided your program is well-designed and well-executed. The most obvious payback comes in the form of reduced healthcare spending, but there are other financial benefits as well. Wellness programs can boost employee productivity and morale, which, in turn, reduces absenteeism and turnover.
But the key phrase here is “well-designed and well-executed.”
Eating better, working out, getting more sleep … taking care of our physical self is relatively straightforward (even if it’s often easier said than done).
Achieving good emotional health may be a bit more complicated—but it’s just as important as achieving good physical health. And yet, emotional wellness often lands squarely on the back burner, particularly in the workplace. Why isn't emotional health more of a priority for overall employee wellness?
Wouldn’t it be great to have an unlimited budget to invest in your employee wellness program? Imagine the rewards you could offer, the unique challenges you could try, the workplace wellness perks you could provide.
A full-time, onsite health food chef? Sure! Smartwatches for everyone? Why not?
Sadly, the sky is rarely the limit when it comes to creating an employee wellness program. You will likely have to make tough decisions and pass on some appealing—but too costly—options.
For your wellness program to succeed, it requires participation. But when an organization’s staff are scattered across multiple field offices, it becomes much harder to motivate people … or even to keep them informed in the first place.
The good news: Most employees are enthusiastic about wellness programs, with nearly 77% of employees agreeing that wellness programs can positively affect corporate culture, and 45% of workers in small- and medium-sized businesses reporting they’d stay at their jobs longer if their company had a robust wellness program.
The bad news? A lack of awareness may be your wellness program’s Achilles heel. In fact, as much as 60% of your workforce may not even know your wellness program exists.
What motivates you in wellness?
Some people love 5 a.m. boot camp workouts with a hard-nosed trainer who verbally whips them into shape. Other folks shudder at the very thought, greatly preferring a Sunday afternoon run with a group of friends.
Much as every person’s wellness journey is individual, so is their reason for staying on track. And by tapping into the type of motivation people respond to, your wellness program can be a powerful driver of success.
Who has time for wellness? We hear this question all the time on the individual level, from stressed-out parents, career-driven workers, and just about everyone else trying to balance busy lives with demanding jobs.
But just as often, the question comes from organizations. Businesses of all sizes have so much on their plates—from hiring and managing a workforce to satisfying customers and clients, to developing new and profitable products and services—that designing a wellness program can sometimes seem like one task too many.
