Having healthy, happy employees who are in good physical and mental shape is just as important as having employees who are talented and hardworking. Understanding the importance of work-life balance is an essential part of creating a thriving company culture and a successful business. That’s why many companies are opting to develop corporate wellness programs.
Corporate wellness programs are established to encourage healthy habits in employees. They are employer-sponsored programs that provide employees with opportunities to exercise, eat right, and take advantage of other health perks. Companies choose to sponsor these programs for various reasons, but one of the most common goals is to reduce insurance costs. Financial gains aside, some other common goals of a corporate fitness program include:
- Happier and healthier employees
- Increased productivity
- Fewer injury and illness reports
- Improved mental health and stress management
Custom Programs
There are a few different ways to create a corporate fitness program. Programs can be planned and managed in-house by a group of volunteer employees, or program providers can fully develop them.
Choosing which type of program is best suited can be difficult. Companies might find that third-party, out-of-the-box solutions do not meet their employee’s needs. They might also find that their initial attempts to launch an in-house program to lack employee engagement. Several companies are now seeking more customized solutions. They want programs that are built specifically to their company’s needs and encourage employee involvement.
Custom health and wellness programs can combine old-school fitness tactics with popular high-tech trends. Employees can use their digital health trackers to achieve personal goals or participate in individual fitness activities, or they can pick and choose which programs and group activities they want to track and log through the program. Employees who have the option to use programs that fit their lifestyle are more likely to engage and stay active.
Don’t forget that fitness can spark competition. Companies can encourage employee participation by posting challenges to see who can lose the most weight, track the most steps, or significantly lower their blood pressure/sugar over a set period. Custom corporate fitness programs provide a platform to monitor participation and determine the challenge winner.
A customized program can also make fitness more fun by offering a social element. Employees can post and share their success stories and congratulate each other on meeting fitness goals.
Programs facilitated by a corporate wellness solutions provider can also offer a recognition element to incentivize employee’s further to participate. As employees achieve health and fitness goals, they can choose from a variety of awards and gifts. Custom corporate wellness programs allow companies to select the types of awards offered by the fitness program. Companies can set parameters as to what challenges and health goals need to be met at every level to select from different categories of awards products.
Hiring a program provider that specializes in the development of corporate wellness programs saves companies time and boosts the effectiveness of the program. Companies that are still not sure what type of program they want or need should survey their employees to gauge their level of interest and needs. Creating a custom wellness program that takes into account the opinions of employees is an excellent way for companies to show they care about employee’s commitment to their jobs as well as their health.