Picture this: You’re working hard, deep in thought, focused on your ever-growing to-do list. Suddenly, hunger strikes. Mindlessly, you reach down and open your bottom desk drawer. As you glance down to choose a savory treat, you are suddenly aware of just how much sugar and salt is staring back at you. Just how many calories are those candy bars and potato chips adding to your waistline?
Lately, there's been quite the buzz about employer-sponsored wellness programs, particularly in light of the EEOC's legal tussle with Honeywell. With various concerns floating around, we thought it'd be fun to give you a peek at both sides of the coin.
A Little Background
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a suit in October against large corporate employer Honeywell. The EEOC raised concerns in its suit regarding the wellness program and linked insurance incentives at Honeywell.
Boost Creativity in the Workplace With Physical Activity
A 2005 study in the Creativity Research Journal revealed a link between moderate aerobic exercise and increased mental function, primarily an increase in cognitive creativity. Possibly the most fascinating element was not only that exercise increased creativity, but that the effects were both immediate and sustained over time. The report found that two hours after a moderate aerobic exercise, creativity was effectively experiencing the same benefits as immediately following the exercise.
Topics: Wellness at Work
Why Mental Health is an Essential Element of Employee Wellness Programs
According to the World Health Organization, as many as 450 million people worldwide suffer from a mental or behavioral disorder, and the average costs for employees with depression may be 4.2 times higher than those incurred by a typical employee. Mental health issues such as depression can lead to other health problems and snowball into a hefty chunk of change, both for you and your employee.
Topics: Wellness at Work
3 Simple Tricks to Breathe New Life into Your Wellness Program
As a busy wellness professional, it’s easy to get caught up in daily tasks and lose focus of what is really important. When you lose focus, you may become uninspired and complacent. You are not alone. With many wellness initiatives achieving less than 20% participation, your program may be struggling to engage and inspire employees. But does that mean once something is said to be six feet under, it can't rise again?
Topics: Wellness at Work
How Employee Wellness Perks Are Being Used to Nab Top Talent
When it comes to recruiting top talent, competitive health insurance and gym membership reimbursement may not cut it anymore. Facebook and Apple recently made headlines with the news that they will now offer financial support for female employees who wish to freeze their eggs.
Topics: Wellness at Work
Competition in the workplace had always existed, so including it in your corporate wellness program is a simple and super-smart strategy to boost participation and generate a ton of positive feedback. It's the perfect way to combine the trend of "gamification" with small incentives that can give employees defined goals, healthy competition and a true sense of teamwork.
It's pretty obvious to us that the door-to-door strolls around your neighborhood aren't enough to burn up all those candy calories on Halloween. Here are a few ways to make everyone's favorite eerie evening into a happy, healthy and safe experience for you and your family, both at home and at work.
8 Ways Positive Thinking Can Improve Employee Well-Being [Infographic]
We’ve all heard the age-old question. Is your glass half full or half empty? Whichever you say helps to indicate if you're an optimist, or a pessimist. But being a positive thinker can impact your life (and your employees) more than you realize. Did you know that positive thinking can make you healthier? Numerous studies have shown that optimists are physically and psychologically healthier than pessimists.
Topics: Healthy Workplaces, Wellness at Work
Stop Forcing Employees to Participate in Your Wellness Program
As a corporate wellness program provider, it probably seems slightly counterintuitive for us to suggest that you stop forcing employees to participate in your wellness program. In fact, the idea of "disincentivizing" employees is actually growing in popularity; an Aon Hewitt survey demonstrated that 53% of employers plan to begin implementing disincentives in the next 3-5 years.
Topics: Wellness at Work