Waistlines Impact Your Bottom Line

Ask any business owner what they believe determines the success of their organization, and almost always they will point to the importance of their employees. Employee morale, workload, work-life quality and health are key factors that influence sales, profits, and overall performance. With so many people spending most of their day sitting at a desk or inside an office, implementing health programs inside the workplace has become a vital piece of the healthy lifestyle puzzle.

What is a company-wide health wellness program you ask? A workplace wellness program is a health promotion activity or organization-wide policy designed to support healthy behavior and improve health outcomes while at work. These programs consist of activities such as health education and coaching, weight management programs, medical screenings, and on-site fitness programs. Wellness programs also include policies intended to facilitate employee health, including allowing time for exercise, providing on-site kitchens and eating areas, offering financial and other incentives for participation, holding “walk and talk” meetings, and healthful food options in vending machines. Effective workplace programs, policies, and environments that are health-focused and worker-centered have the potential to significantly benefit employers, employees, their families, and communities. By creating a wellness environment, your company can help lower healthcare costs and protect its most important resource — its people. Wellness programs range from big companies spending big dollars to improve the health of their employees to small 18-person companies setting up assessments and screenings provided by health insurance companies.

Not only will your employees feel better about themselves, but the company’s bottom line will also improve. Healthier workers take fewer sick days, won’t visit the doctor as much and will be more energized, all leading to increased productivity. You’ll also more than likely notice that camaraderie and morale grows as your employees health improves. Team members committed to making a change towards a healthy lifestyle can encourage and challenge each other to make smarter food choices and participate in fitness activities. Most of us who have joined a gym can attest to the fact that you are usually more successful when you have a gym buddy that can hold you accountable to show up and work hard! Companies that offer wellness programs also tend to be more attractive to job seekers and you may seen turnover decrease.

Interested in a wellness program for your company? Here are a few ideas.

Newsletters and bulletins

Smoking cessation programs

Wellness challenges

Wellness rewards or incentives for participation

Assessments for important medical information (diabetes, cholesterol, hypertension, etc)

Comprehensive reporting methods