Employee Wellness Blog

Keeping your employees engaged in overall wellness during the year is tough, but during the holidays it can seem nearly impossible.

With all the vacations and holiday parties, it’s sometimes difficult to get the message of health out loud and clear.

A new study by Integrated Benefits Institute shows poor health costs employers nearly $880 billion in health care benefits for employees and dependents. That means decreased productivity and profitability for companies.

It’s easy to forget about health with holiday season madness, but there’s ways to keep wellness at the forefront of employees’ minds so they go into the new year happy and healthy.

Help your employees move into the holiday season with a healthy mindset with these seven tips:

Now that the holidays are here, a flurry of festivities has arrived as well — holiday parties, big family gatherings, and fancy dinners.

The list is endless.

Making healthy choices among all the temptations can be tricky. Don’t let the holidays derail your normally good choices and healthy habits. It’s hard to enjoy the holidays if you’re fighting off a cold or carrying around extra weight that’s slowing you down.

Staying healthy during the holidays doesn’t have to be hard. You just have to have a plan in place to make smart decisions for when that dessert plate does arrive.

To help keep you on track, we’ve compiled 15 healthy holiday tips below:

It may be cold outside, but that doesn’t mean you have to quit enjoying the great outdoors — or exercise in general.

There’s no need to hibernate like a bear. If you do, you’ll end up packing on the pounds. And, you’ll be grouchy by the time spring rolls around due to weight gain and lethargy.

Plus, research shows exercise reduces inflammation while also improving mood and stress levels. Try as you might, you can’t argue with science that staying in bed instead of exercising is better for your health.

What if you put a different spin on your annual holiday party?

Office holiday parties are a great way to connect and show appreciation to staff for their hard work all year long. Instead of making it a dreaded annual event with minimal participation, have a bit of fun by thinking outside-the-box. 

Company Christmas party ideas can extend beyond the traditional food and drink spreads. No need for booze-filled events or fried food extravaganzas this holiday season.  

Unique, healthy holiday parties don’t have to be time-consuming to plan, either. In fact, most can be organized with a few days of advanced planning, depending on the size of your office staff. 

Not sure what to do?

Here’s a list of 25 company Christmas party ideas employees will love: 

You may notice when an employee is out with the flu. But have you ever noticed when an employee is money sick?

A house lien. Medical bills. Car repossession. Divorce.

The list of ways your employees can be financially sick is endless. As you may know, employee financial health is crucial to the wellness of your company.

How can you help?

We share our research and tips below.

Today, it isn’t uncommon to see millennials and baby boomers sitting side by side in workplaces.

And while both generations couldn’t be more different, a recent FlexJobs survey showed both hold similar beliefs on workplace flexibility.

Without a doubt, one of the best ways to increase employee satisfaction for both groups is to offer work flexibility. The study showed less than 10% would choose an office as their preferred work environment.

But that’s where most of the similarities end.

Millennials, the generation born between 1981-1996, focuses on finding satisfaction in personal and professional pursuits. In fact, the study shows 83% rank work-life balance as the most important factor in taking a job. Only 62% of baby boomers felt that way.

What else is different? We share the findings below.

Monday mornings can be a blur.

Blinking voicemail messages. A full email inbox. To-do lists a mile long. Chat messages.

What if you could start off your week in peace?

If you sing the lyrics to “Manic Monday” as you race through your morning routine, it may be time to slow down. 

Better yet, have employees join you.

With so many work tasks demanding attention, it can feel challenging to get focused — and that’s on top of all the daily life demands, too.

Ready to help your employees welcome Monday mornings with a smile instead of a sigh?

Read on.

Work flexibility is quickly becoming a must-have in the U.S. as work-life balance becomes a central focus for job seekers.

From freelancers to caretakers, employees have different reasons for wanting to work outside the traditional office environment.

And, it’s actually surprisingly more productive for employees, too.

At least that’s the way the 3,000 respondents who took FlexJobs’ annual survey feel — 65% of workers believe they would be more productive working at home than in a traditional office setting.

Some of the reasons:

• Fewer distractions (75%)
• Fewer interruptions from colleagues (74%)
• Reduced stress from commuting (71%)
• Minimal office politics (65%)

How many times have you wondered where the time went?

Or maybe you’ve pondered why it seems some people get way more done than you.

After all, everyone gets the same 24 hours in a day.

The secret?

Time management.

Time may seem like this ever-elusive, intangible object you can never get enough of, but when you look closer at your days, you’ll discover something.

You’ll find you have more time than previously thought.

Being busy isn’t the same as being productive. Looking busy is an illusion to those watching you, and it tricks you into thinking you’ve gotten more done than you have. Productivity means you actually complete tasks (on time), and you move the needle on bigger projects and goals.

Are you ready to learn how to get your to-do list done? Read on.

Believe it or not, nearly 38 million Americans still smoke cigarettes.

Quitting smoking can be a challenge for even the most motivated of people. That’s why the American Cancer Society dedicates Nov. 15 as the Great American Smokeout. The national event encourages smokers to start living a smoke-free life one day at a time.

It may be hard to quit smoking, but with a plan, it can be done.

Here’s a brief overview of how to address tobacco use with employees, plus easy-to-implement smoking cessation activities.