Tips for Creating a Successful Worksite Wellness Program

A successful worksite wellness program will improve the health of employees and increase an employer’s return on investment. If you are thinking of implementing a wellness initiative or are interested in revamping your current program, there are certain elements to consider in order to develop a successful wellness culture:

Health should be viewed as a fundamental business value. The health and wellness of employees should be integral in any corporate mission statement.

Survey your employees and gather information about their interests, their time limits and their goals. This will go a long way in helping you design a program that is well utilized.

Make sure upper management is on board and participates in programs. The most successful wellness programs are ones where executives are visible participants and proponents of the wellness programs.

Market and brand the wellness program in a way that attract employees and highlight the goals of the program. Use different forms of communication to frequently promote current and upcoming wellness programs and events (i.e., email, social media, posters and newsletters).

Find employee leaders and ask them to take on a team captain role, inspiring others to join the program.

Introduce biometric screenings and personal health assessments to determine the health risks prevalent in your workforce. This, along with the survey results, will help you develop appropriate programs. These tools are also a great way to measure year-over-year changes in your workforce (i.e., weight, BMI, blood pressure, cholesterol).

Offer a variety of activities for health and wellness that target the needs of employees. Include incentives to encourage employees to achieve healthy lifestyles.

Review cafeteria menus and vending machines for healthy meals and snacks. Wellness should be an overall theme throughout the office – not just something that is done one-hour a week in a seminar.

Reflect and review any data measures and reports generated as a result of the programs. The goal is a positive workplace with healthy employees. Be ready to make changes if needed to achieve overall wellness. 

Wellness Workdays helps employers assess, develop, implement and evaluate comprehensive, strategic worksite wellness programs that target the specific health needs of each population. For more tips on creating a successful wellness program, email us.

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