How to design a corporate wellness plan

“When you put people first and then surround them with processes and disciplines that recognize their efforts, performance will soar.” – David C. Novak, founder and CEO of oGoLead According to the American Psychological Association, 91% of workers feel motivated to do their best when their employers support their well-being efforts. A corporate wellness program is a company’s approach towards achieving a healthy workplace by incorporating various health (physical and mental) activities within the daily work schedule to promote their employees’ wellbeing. The right wellness plan will boost long term health by improving employee morale, productivity, and performance. An effective corporate wellness program can help tackle multiple problems such as work-related illnesses, low absenteeism, less stress and high morale. Below mentioned is a list of strategies you can use to get strong leadership support for your wellness program - 1. Go for a simple plan- The key is to make a customized wellness plan for your company and one which the employees would make the most use out of. The simpler the plan is the more effective it will be. For example - offer one easy-to-use platform, where employees can opt-in for benefits, rather than juggling to find their own plans and end up being littered. 2. Conduct assessments- Obtaining information about the health of the workforce—and the organization's willingness to make improvements will enable the employer to design programs and services that are most beneficial to both the employer and the employee. By understanding what your employees require, you can design a better corporate wellness program which caters to their needs. 3. Obtain management support- Support from management is essential to building a successful wellness program. Management buy-in is critical for funding purposes, for obtaining support throughout the organization and for approving policies and processes related to the program. 4. Establish a wellness committee - An employer can create an internal, employee-driven committee that helps build and sustain a wellness culture in the organization. luckily, there are a multitude of corporate fitness products and services like ours (WELLNESS ASSOCIATES) that can make the task easier by automating most of the health care initiatives for your employees. 5. Added benefits with the plans- The enrollment rate for wellness plans gets higher if the employees are receiving additional perks out of it. Research shows, to increase the participation rate and engage more & more employees, the corporate wellness plan should have wellness incentives like: gift voucher, cash prize, free lunch /dinner with family and free goodies. 6. Evaluate the success of the plan- As with any investment or project, evaluating the effectiveness of the wellness program is important in sustaining management and employee support and in revising or implementing new programs. Regardless, of the tools or measurements used, evaluating the effectiveness of the wellness program is an important step in the ongoing management of the program. Encourage employees to inculcate habits such as taking mid-day breaks, being mindful at work, developing better eating habits and integrating some sort of physical activity throughout the day. Today, more than ever before, a focus on mental health and holistic wellness is the new norm for the workplace. This is mainly due to the wave of prospective employees currently entering the job market. With good reason, these employees are looking for work environments that cater to their flexible, yet wellness-focused lifestyles. As, Pooja Agnihotri author of 17 Reasons Why Businesses Fail says, “A good work culture and work environment is very crucial in helping your employees to put their best foot forward.” To know more about corporate wellness programs & How to design an effective corporate wellness program by Wellness Associates, click on the link below: