For many employers, the most challenging aspect of workplace wellness programs is getting enough employees to participate. Just because your company offers an excellent employee wellness program doesn’t always mean your employees will be jumping up and down in excitement to get involved.
One reason for this is many employees have questions about the benefits and purpose of corporate health initiatives – and rightfully so! You can’t expect employees to just start competing in challenges or changing their workplace habits without being educated first. An effective wellness program will explain its goals and answer any questions employees might have.
If your company isn’t seeing the participation rates desired, it might be because your employees aren’t fully educated on the benefits, initiatives, or purpose of your employee wellness program. Below are some common questions that employers should address with their employees to help educate, motivate, and inspire employees to get involved:
A: Research continues to show that corporate wellness programs provide many benefits for all types of companies. Not only do wellness programs help promote happy employees and healthy company cultures, but they have also been linked with positive ROIs. This is because healthier employees lead to better bottom line results by:
A: Employers are interested in helping employees improve their wellbeing because healthy and happy employees simply perform better. A study published by Integrated Benefits Institute found that employees who work for companies with a strong commitment to a healthy workforce spend more time working, work more carefully, and concentrate better than employees at organizations that do not promote employee wellness.
Employee wellness programs typically cover holistic health aspects, including stress, financial wellness, and mental health. All of these aspects contribute to an employee’s work performance. Employees cannot perform their best or even feel happy at work if they are overly stressed or dealing with mental health issues. Wellness programs aim to assist employees in all areas of health and boost their overall wellbeing.
A: Many employees will be surprised to learn about all of the different perks of participating in their corporate wellness program. Depending on the company, most wellness programs offer different benefits, incentives, and fun activities for participating employees. Some common incentives and perks for participating employees include:
A: Workplace wellness programs help employees become healthier by building a culture of wellness. Many employees practice unhealthy habits at the workplace because of an unhealthy office culture. From vending machines loaded with junk food to strict office hours, leading a healthy and active lifestyle is difficult and stressful for many employees.
With a wellness program in place – along with employers who are dedicated to creating a healthy workforce – employees will be encouraged to practice healthier habits throughout the workday. Healthy office potlucks, standing desks, walking clubs, and flexible hours will all help contribute to individual success and progress.
Besides answering employee questions about your workplace wellness program, employers should also be prepared to address any concerns employees have about their wellness program. Employers and wellness professionals should strive to:
It’s natural for employees to have questions and concerns about their workplace wellness program. It’s the employer’s responsibility to ensure that employees are fully educated about the program’s purpose and its offerings. Be sure to address these common questions with your employees to help promote participation and success.
How can employers better help their employees understand workplace wellness programs? Comment below!
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