Globetrekker Challenge suggests the last decade has seen the rapid adoption of corporate wellness programs in all facets of business. Large and smaller companies alike have invested in a myriad of employee wellness solutions; from health screening to behaviour change initiatives.
But how effective are these programs in improving employee health and saving money?
Some experts are beginning to question the true effectiveness of traditional corporate health programs, and with some studies finding that many wellness programs are in fact not as effective as we might have expected.
Some companies are beginning to rethink their approach to how they deal with their employees’ health and are radically innovating their corporate wellness programs to keep up with demands of modern life. Here are 8 of the best strategies to revamp your corporate wellness program and bring it bang up to date:
1. Wearable technology The use of wearable tech by the corporate wellness industry leaders such as Globetrekker Challenge, has sky-rocketed in recent years and is only set to become ever more popular. Research has shown that the use of wearables, such as activity trackers can increase employee productivity and improve job satisfaction.
With real-time feedback, the data used to change employee behaviours is offering employers a deeper understanding of their workforce with aggregated insights into their organisational health risks. Studies have continued to find that active monitoring and recording of data by participants can create health and fitness accountability, and tying technology to fitness goals can improve overall effectiveness of a wellness program.
2. Making it social Studies have shown that sharing wellness activities and progress is a powerful motivator for long lasting and meaningful behaviour change. With the large push from organisation for employees to take ownership over their own health, adding a social element to your wellness program not only improves employee culture but has many indirect business enhancers – morale, cohesion, perceived value.
Many take shape through direct face to face social support, however, emerging trends in technology around de-constructing the latest social media tools, like Globetrekker Challenge has done with its social engagement platform, all leads to a simple and effective way to keep employees motivated with their own health. Build out your social tool kit is a must to ensure your employees are engaged and connected in your wellness program.
3. Power naps We should all be napping at work. Seriously! Whilst it may seem a little extreme for some organisations to have their employees pushing out a few z’s during the middle of the day, naps can improve memory, mood, creativity whilst also reducing mistakes and accidents.
One NASA study showed a 40-minute nap can improve performance by 34 percent and alertness by 100 percent. With improved employee productivity and efficiency, many large corporations such as Google, Huffington Post and HubSpot have dedicated nap/quiet rooms where employees can recharge after a long stint of coding.
4. In-office fitness classes There is a huge population of employees who will either not feel comfortable setting foot in a gym or who are just not interested in what the gym has to offer, even if it is provided for them onsite. Many people, who wish to get fit but do not want to pump iron or become a machine bunny may love to attend an in-office fitness class, such as Yoga or the ever popular Zumba.
Offering easy access to a gym but also a range of weekly classes will be sure to appeal to the majority of your employees wishing to get started on their fitness journey. The key, get your employees moving and make the barriers as low as possible so you can engage the ‘fence sitters’.
5. Stress management It is well known that the effects of stress can contribute to many chronic illnesses and be a serious risk to one’s health. With 43 percent of all adults suffering adverse health effects from stress, managing this epidemic is key to improving employee productivity, reducing absenteeism and promoting overall happiness.
Invest in effective stress management programs such as group meditation and offer one on one sessions with a stress management specialist. Even consider offering complementary therapies that have been shown to effectively reduce stress and anxiety, such as acupuncture or massage.
6. Nutrition support Help your employees make healthier nutrition choices by offering a wide selection of healthy food in your cafeteria. Consider partnering with local high-quality food suppliers and offer your employees incentives to shop healthy. Proper nutrition is a vital part of promoting health and wellbeing and as such should be a cornerstone of your corporate wellness program.
7. Stop smoking and alcohol reduction programs It is well known that smoking and excessive alcohol consumption can have a serious negative impact on health and wellbeing. Offering smoking cessation services as well as reducing alcohol consumption support is a simple and effective means of offering support to employees who wish to make a real change in their lifestyle and promote their overall health and wellbeing.
8. Data Analytics As technology continues to entwine into health and the rise in the quantified self, data at the hands of employees are becoming more and more meaningful to change behaviours. For organisations though, adding the necessary platforms to be able to capitalize on these data points becomes a must.
Many technology driven solutions to employee wellness now have the ability to capture aggregated data of their workforce. A necessary medium to be able to have the intelligence surrounding organisational health risks. Insights into gender, age demographics, office locations and job departments all aid in a more strategic and targeted decisions on future initiatives.
The long term benefits is using these data sets year on year with absenteeism rates and workers compensation costs to deepen Human Resource analytics for greater business impact.
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