Wellness plans are programs offered by employers across the country to improve employee health, productivity, and morale in the workplace. While there is an ongoing debate regarding their effectiveness, studies have shown that wellness programs positively influence employees’ stress levels, absenteeism, and overall job satisfaction.
Let’s look at the impact of wellness plans on employee well-being and the importance of prioritizing employee wellness when considering a benefits strategy.
Effects of Workplace Wellness Programs on Employees
Employees are a company’s greatest asset making it imperative to invest in their health and happiness. Implementing a comprehensive wellness plan allows organizations to support their employees’ physical and mental health while also optimizing their work performance.
Wellness plans can enhance employees’ lives in many ways:
Improves Health
Effective wellness plans promote better health by reinforcing habits that address the top elements of good health, such as diet, physical activity, stress management, sleep, and maintaining healthy social relationships. Wellness initiatives, such as nutritional counseling and discounted gym memberships, can promote good physical and mental health.
Alleviates Stress
Many employees experience stress in the workplace, which can translate to a loss of productivity. Wellness programs are designed to help reduce stress by encouraging workers to make simple changes to better support their mental health. Perks like flexible work hours, remote opportunities, and paid time off (PTO) can help support a healthy work-life balance that includes effective stress management.
Boosts Engagement
Employees who are engaged while working often feel like valued members of the organization rather than replaceable staff members. A well-built wellness plan can help boost employee engagement by getting workers involved in community-based activities, such as in-office games and competitions. Providing real rewards as an incentive shows employees that you recognize their efforts to improve themselves.
Increases Retention
Implementing a wellness program in the workplace can directly influence worker retention. Burnout, particularly during staffing shortages or turnover, is a common problem in nearly all industries and can significantly affect a company’s bottom line. One workplace study found that employee burnout cost organizations 15% to 20% of total payroll in turnover costs.
Reduces Absenteeism
A great wellness plan promotes a safe and healthy workplace, which reduces the frequency of employee absences caused by illnesses and injuries. These programs can help reduce absenteeism by offering flu shots and other preventative health services and providing access to clinics and telemedicine services.
Aids in Recruitment
Competition in the job market is fierce, with many employers struggling to attract and retain talent. Along with a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package, a great wellness plan can help attract qualified candidates to your organization. Offering a wellness plan can show job seekers that the company values their employees’ health and well-being.
Enhances Morale
Wellness programs often make workers feel more valued and appreciated, making them happier and more enthusiastic while at work. While building and sustaining good morale in the workplace starts with building your company culture, it also involves keeping workers content. When you begin to see low employee morale, it is usually a sign to pay attention.
Prioritizing Employee Wellness in Your Organizational Strategy
- A wellness plan may promote physical health through free yoga classes or fun fitness challenges.
- Emotional health initiatives may involve the use of coaching programs that help workers learn how they can make a positive impact.
- Wellness plans may also include financial health incentives, such as debt management or financial planning services.
One of the best ways to ensure that employees’ wellness needs are met is by connecting with workers directly. Gather feedback from current employees to better understand their priorities in relation to health and well-being. This can be achieved through focus groups, team meetings, or even anonymous surveys.
Build a Comprehensive Wellness Plan with Help from eBen
While it can sometimes be difficult to see the long-term advantages of workplace wellness plans at first glance, workers who are happy, healthy, and overall satisfied in their job positions are more likely to be productive, present employees.
Employee benefits consulting is an effective way to build and implement a successful wellness plan. With assistance from an experienced benefits consultant, business leaders can better understand the advantages that wellness plans have on employee lives and the business as a whole.
