Employee wellness programs are a form of health benefit that many employers provide. Employees spend a lot of time at work, and it can take a toll on their well-being. Many workplaces offer employee wellness programs.
Employees are invaluable assets of any company, and ensuring their excellent mental and physical health sets them up to perform well. The health and wellness of its employees usually have a direct effect on the productivity and profits of a company. Many employers understand this and are ready to spend money on such programs.
The ideas can range to have a specific purpose, such as helping the employee to stop smoking or to lose weight, to onsite gyms or gym memberships, to incentive programs that provide rewards for participation or in achieving the desired results. Some surveys have found that more than 80 percent of companies have an employee wellness plan of some kind, and that figure goes as high as 92 percent in companies with 200 or more employees.
Importance of Employee Wellness Programs
Employees who are healthy generally carry a scope of benefits to other employees and to the companies they work for. Here are some of the advantages of an employee wellness program:
More Productivity:
Employee wellness programs can help enhance productivity levels among the employees. When you are unhealthy, you probably feel less motivated to work. This focuses on adapting good health habits such as regular exercise increases productivity and performance.
Reduces Stress:
A significant portion of working adults say that their current job affects their health. 40% of employees revealed that their work was very or extremely stressful, as well as 25% view their jobs as the primary stressor of their lives.
Stress that’s chronic and left unaddressed, whether it’s a major or minor issue, can contribute to severe, long term health issues along with high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and a host of many other issues. It increases the risk of developing mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, which if neglected, can lead to numerous other health problems. Decisions made in response to stress such as smoking, overeating, or drugs and alcohol misuse can also lead to serious health issues.
Employers offering stress management resources for their employees is an important first step in taking action to reduce workplace stress. Getting leadership involved, enthusiastic, and vocal about these initiatives, can help ensure employees engage and that measurable results are achieved.
Improves Employee Retention
Wellness programs have a massive effect on employee retention. It can help keep employees loyal. an employer that helps employees work toward achieving their personal goals. When you offer your employees a wellness program, it shows your concern for their health and wellbeing. It shows how much the company is concerned about its employees’ health and emphasizes its importance.
It helps employees feel more valued and appreciated, essential factors of employee retention and recruitment. when you value your employees as valuable assets of your company, they are more willing to continue instead of searching for a job elsewhere.
Improves Employee Morale
Employee morale and satisfaction are significant factors in determining the success of a company. An efficient wellness program helps employees become healthier and happier as well. When employees feel appreciated and valued, they participate and communicate with each other.
Therefore, they start participating in wellness programs as it benefits them. The concept of leading a healthy life makes employees acknowledge the incentive of a health and wellness program and embrace it with positivity. Moreover, employees who practice good health behaviors are physically and mentally healthy in general and have lower absenteeism as well.
Breaks the Monotony
Doing the same thing repeatedly every day makes the work boring, repetitive, and tiring. This reduces employees ’ morale and efficiency .When your employees take part in wellness programs, they are engaged and feel motivated. Doing and trying new skills that promote good health and fitness is fun and beneficial, at the same time wellness programs mix it up a bit and create enthusiasm among employees to create a great work environment.
CONCLUSION:
A good wellness program enables employees to achieve their goals and aspirations. it makes the employee feel valued and cared, and so this makes them achieve milestones at work. employee health improves, which leads to high productivity, high morale, etc.
It helps companies create a positive image and a great workplace culture. The benefits are endless, employee wellness programs should cater to the employees’ emotional, physical, mental, and financial wellness. generally, the benefits of implementing comprehensive employee wellness programs surpass the costs.
