Top 10 Benefits Of A Workplace Wellness Program

As an employer, you must have healthy and productive employees in your business for long-term growth and sustainability – so you need to make an effort to maintain a healthy & productive population at your workplace.

There are many potential benefits of a workplace wellness program. See below some of these are explained:

1. Decreases healthcare costs

When employees are encouraged to eat nutritiously and do regular exercise, they will have healthier and longer work periods. Also, they won’t fall sick very often and will exhibit more energy. Women who exercise and lift weights are less likely to develop chronic bone diseases like osteoporosis, and males lifting heavy loads will also benefit from resistance training. When employees utilize their lunch breaks not just to eat but exercise, or when tea breaks are used for a quick walk around the office instead of a quick smoke, everyone’s health will be benefited!

2. Builds a Sense Of Accomplishment & Strengthens the Community

Numerous employee workplace wellness programs feature competition among employees. Who can walk the maximum steps in a month, get at least 7 hours of sleep, or cut out booze for a week? Target some goals and try to engage in your work’s healthy atmosphere while you reap the benefits of accomplishing a healthy task.

Group activities that include fitness and health get you connected strongly not only with your company but also with fellow employees. You’ll start to develop relationships that haven’t been open to you before as having an employee wellness program in place engages all members of the organization together.

3. Enhances Productivity

Getting involved in workplace wellness activities, such as eating well and exercising, boosts employee performance and productivity. Wellness activities help in building better focus and keep you more energized and motivated for accomplishing your work. According to various studies, it has been proved that regular exercise boosts brain function. Therefore, fitness not only lowers healthcare costs, but healthy employees are smarter, hence, increasing productivity! When you exercise, you breathe deeper and harder. All the extra oxygen stimulates your brain. Healthy employees encompass more strength and stamina.

4. Employees on wellness programs show gratitude

When fitness is readily accessible to employees, unhealthy employees are more probable to turn their lives around. A discouraged, obese office worker who now has access to an online nutrition counselor and on-site gym will definitely start to make better choices. It will not only make your employees fit but your business blossom! You will be responsible for a healthier and happier workforce. Moreover, your employees will appreciate you for providing a healthy and safe environment and in turn, a happy employee will work harder for the success of the organization.

Learn how to practice the habit of gratitude

5. Reduced Health Insurance Costs

Health insurance premiums are exponentially rising each year. The cost is rising rapidly to the extent that employers have to discover new ways to reduce their health expenses. Since their introduction wellness programs have bestowed incredible returns as well as remarkable results. A significant reduction in healthcare costs has been noticed among the companies that are using Employee Wellness Programs.

Wellness programs are a great way for companies to combat rising insurance premiums. When we talk about health insurance premiums, quantifiable savings can be calculated over time. Instant savings possibly will not appear evident because of the time it takes for employees to benefit via healthier lifestyle choices; though, intangibles in entire company costs are simply just as important. According to a survey, companies conducting wellness programs have noticed a decrease in health care costs by 20-55% in their employees.

6. Increased Company Loyalty

Increased employee loyalty is yet another significant selling point for Employee Wellness Programs. This is one of those intangible benefits that you really can’t put a price on. Company loyalty means reduced costs in terms of turnover and recruitment. This further builds a more harmonious working environment.

7. Fun At Work

Seldom work gets tedious, draining, and repetitive. This reduces morale and reduces productivity. Try stirring things up by participating in the initiatives and activities taking place in your office’s wellness program that intrigues you. That 8k challenge? or that painting class? Why not! It’s amusing to try unusual things, don’t restrain yourself. Rather, be easy to improve your life through fitness and health. Granting permission to the employees to visit any specific online health site during working hours as well as conducting small games for refreshment is definitely not a waste of time!  When employees will enjoy the little breaks and fun, it will keep them refreshed and energized, and they will resume work with greater enthusiasm and deliver superior quality work, making you cherish the benefits of a corporate wellness program. You can also install a small workout facility for your employees, to create a fun and fitness atmosphere.

8. Less Stress

If you work in a highly demanding environment, things can often get difficult and it’s best to tackle them as soon as possible. When we’re stressed, we are more prone to get engaged in unhealthy behaviors that destroy our mental health and well-being. Activities that promote walking meetings, social engagement, mindfulness, and more can all accommodate an employee in feeling relieved of daily stress.

9. Reduces Illness & Employee Absenteeism

A common cough, cold, obesity, the nasty flu, or any chronic illness is some of the various reasons, large and small, why employees show absenteeism at work.

A program that comprises training, education, as well as professional healthcare can significantly reduce absenteeism. When employees arrive to work sick, other employees also tend to become sick who otherwise were doing well. According to a report, companies conducting wellness programs have experienced a steady decrease in lowered short-term sick leaves by 6-32% among their employees.

10. Reduces ‘Presenteeism’

It is often noticed that the employees are present at work but they are simply “out of it”. Presenteeism can be understood as the problem of workers being at work but, due to certain emotional stress or medical condition, not efficiently functioning.

The productivity of any individual can be sliced by one-third or even more when there are few unnoticed issues such as migraine, frequent sinus problems, or some other situation that go untreated, not to mention the distractions that come from personal stresses, for example, troubled relationships or ill family members. All of this results in a worker showing up in the office but not contributing to his potential.

The Psychological Benefits of Corporate Wellness Program

The significance of mental health, in particular, is discussed here in the potentially negative impact it can have on various sectors of performance at work. Problems that often affect every company’s success, from low productivity to high turnover.

The perks of focusing on wellness are paramount, and they will definitely build over time. A good work environment aids in reducing risks and symptoms of depression, at the same time, amplifies productivity while saving the money of the company. Employees achieve a greater spirit of well-being and moreover experience better health outcomes in a list of areas. Investing in corporate wellness programs eventually contributes to some long-term benefits to the bottom line, as well as to the well-being of everybody associated with the enterprise.

The Importance Of Mental Health

Poor mental health can take a toll on the physical body while also negatively impacting performance in the workplace, such as:

• Lack of productivity
• Repeated Absenteeism
• Job Abandonment
• High turnover rates

Poor Psychological Health Can Result In The Following Physical And Mental Manifestations:

• Fatigue
• Painful Aches
• Irritability
• Low tolerance of others

1. An estimated 80% of people who suffer from depression experience decreased functionality.
2. Over the course of 3 months, people with depression typically miss an average of 4.8 workdays and acquire 11.5 days of productivity loss.
3. Depression and poor mental health can often result in substance and alcohol abuse.

Health Benefits Of The Corporate Wellness Program

• 80% of people with depression find their symptoms have improved with proper treatment.
• Adopting a supportive work environment in combination with providing tools for mental and physical health can greatly decrease the risk of developing depression.
• Employees can save more than a hundred thousand per employee per year.
• Wellness screenings and treatment services have been shown to generate increased productivity by approximately 6.1% along with a 22.8% decrease in absences.

Wellness Programs Are Also Associated With:

• Lower levels of cholesterol
• Positive Attitude And Behaviors
• Improved Physical Strength
• Healthy Blood pressure
• Greater Job Satisfaction
• Lower Stress levels
• Reduced Anxiety

When you are at work for the maximum part of your day, it will be advantageous to indulge yourself in the workplace wellness program and activities and learn new healthy habits. By following this, you’ll eventually shift yourself into a health-conscious mindset that will benefit you in the long run.

As an employer, it’s your responsibility to keep your employees happy and encouraged and at the same time run a successful business. When you implement a wellness program in your organization, it will not only make your employees fit but will also boost productivity as healthy employees are happy and happy employees deliver superior work quality. Also, implementing corporate fitness will lower health costs and other issues such as absenteeism, sick leave, etc.

Learn How HR can Play the Role of Chief Happiness Officer of a Company

Looking for a corporate wellness company in India? Truworth wellness has over 10 years of experience in this industry with various big clients under its umbrella. The company is operating with a team of health experts, nutritionists and dieticians across the country. Request a free demo now.