Wellness committees = awesome wellness programs. 

If you’re planning your wellness initiatives on a whim, you’re basically taking a shot in the dark and hoping for the best when it comes to employee engagement. 

When companies create a solid wellness committee, it empowers the employees who take part — inside and outside the committee. Bringing in enthusiastic volunteers helps in developing strategic, thoughtful programs that boost employee engagement. 

A well-designed wellness program will: 

• Improve employee health 
• Increase productivity 
• Reduce absenteeism 
• Boost employee morale 
• Decrease medical claims

At the core of successful wellness programs is a committee that planned it every step of the way. Here we offer insight and specific steps to create the best wellness committee possible. 

In theory, it seems like a wellness program would go off without a hitch.

A relatable scenario: Give employees fitness wearables. Ask them to wear it daily. Offer rewards to active participants.

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.

While there’s never a 100% guaranteed perfect strategy, there are ways to set up your employee wellness program for favorable results.

Ready or not, it's time to start spring cleaning. 

Your spring wellness initiatives could probably use a good dusting off, too. 

If you’re unsure of how to freshen up your wellness campaigns, we’ve got just the resources for you. Best of all, they’re free! 

The only investment you’ll need is some time. 

Here’s a roundup of our 5 favorite resources to put into use this spring: 

Who wouldn’t love to feel more optimistic at work? 

It’s no secret that positivity boosts employee wellness overall.

When employees feel appreciated and respected, they’re more likely to bring a cheerful, can-do attitude into the workplace. Create a toxic work environment, and you’ll watch moods and productivity plummet.

Ready to give negativity the boot? 

Here’s five ways to start promoting positivity in the workplace:

A good night’s sleep is a must.

When the body is in sleep mode, it repairs cells and supports healthy brain function. Hitting the sack and getting high-quality sleep maintains physical and emotional health levels, too.

Deprive yourself of sleep too long, and the results are disastrous.  

When the body is in a sleep deficit, it impacts everything from mood to physical reaction times.

It can also impact the quality of work as it changes parts of the brain, including problem solving. According to the World Sleep Society, 46% of individuals with regular sleep disturbances report missing work or making errors at work.

World Sleep Day is March 15, a perfect day to raise awareness about the importance of not compromising quality sleep.

Want to spread the word on why sleep isn’t just a luxury? Read on.

Some days call for more energy than others.

If you're feeling drained or tired, it can be hard to muster up the energy to get things done. When you have a huge to-do list, it can be alluring to use the fastest energy-boosting methods possible.

As tempting as energy drinks may be, those will give you a grand boost and an equally grandiose crash.

Before you reach for an energy drink, you may want to consider the side effects other than a temporary energy surge. One study by the International Journal of Health Sciences showed the sugary drinks raise blood pressure and gastrointestinal upset.

So, what’s a tired, overworked person to do?

We’ve rounded up 10 energy boosters for you to try out ASAP:

March is National Nutrition Month.

While it’s great to promote the message of healthy eating for at least 31 days, getting employees excited about a nutritious diet can be tough.

Not many people are jumping up and down with excitement to eat kale. 😜

Nevertheless, this awareness month presents a perfect opportunity to share key nutrition points with your employees.

Here are a few National Nutrition Month ideas and messages that may encourage your employees to try a little more kale:

When the break room donuts are calling your name, it can be hard to stay on track with eating healthy. Sometimes it seems willpower isn't enough to keep you away from those high fat, high-sugar comfort foods.

But, prepping healthy snacks in advance can help you fight the urge to indulge.

By preparing ahead of time and bringing healthy snacks to work, you can cut the very real temptation down. Keeping delicious — yet nutritious — options readily available makes it easier to make a smart choice when you get hungry.

Not sure what to pack?

Here’s a look at 7 healthy snacks for work:

If you wish you were more efficient and productive at work, you’re not alone.

In fact, the demand for increased work productivity is so great that there’s a field of research dedicated solely to it: Industrial and Organizational Psychology.

Or, IOP for short.

Over the years, Dr. Kara Fasone, an I/O psychologist and wellness researcher, has applied psychological principles within organizations to help employees maximize their self-awareness, motivation, and performance. She's created and managed a variety of people-focused processes related to employee engagement, talent management, career development, and workplace wellness.

With all her inside knowledge of productivity in the workplace and more, we wanted to pick her brain on best practices.

Below, Dr. Fasone, also the creator of the Wise & Well Academy, shares advice on increasing employee work performance, measuring productivity, and fostering a sense of self-awareness. 

Each year, TotalWellness collects extensive data to better understand the health status of U.S. employees. In 2018 alone, we conducted over 100,000 biometric screenings across workplaces in the United States.

Our biometric screenings consist of a variety of health measures including:  

• Cholesterol
• Blood sugar
• Body Mass Index (BMI)
• Blood pressure
• Waist circumference

These screenings offer pertinent insight to the well-being and health of employees — both men and women. From C-suite leadership to blue and white collar workers, we’ve screened everyone in-between to get a thorough idea of employee wellness. Once the results are finalized, we share a report with each company’s wellness team to better support employees through wellness programming.

Now, we want to share the nationwide results with you.