Employees are the lifeblood of any company. They need to be healthy for them to be effectively productive in their duties. Some health issues, such as chronic illnesses, are avoidable through health consciousness. Apart from this, there are healthcare costs involved that really take a toll on their finances. Companies have taken up measures to ensure that their employees are health conscious by implementing wellness programs. However, without proper strategies in place, these programs fail.
For any wellness program to succeed, the employees need to be directly involved in getting the solution. Health awareness begins with the change in your daily behavior and as we all know, change requires commitment and time. Because employees spend more time in the workplace, it may be difficult for them to find the time to participate in engagement for health and wellness. This means that the health solutions provided by the company need to be on site.
A Successful Wellness Program
Employee health is basically your currency and they need to be okay for you to get any significant work done. Ignorance is the cause of most problems in life including health problems. A successful wellness program relies on a number of things which are listed below.
Availability
As I said, the program needs to be on site so that it is accessible at any particular time. It may be difficult for employees to find free time with hectic schedules so the only option that works for them is to make it available in the workplace. They can squeeze a few minutes in to be aware of any health issues that may be developing in their bodies.
Education
You need to ensure that the program does not just analyze employee health but educates them on health issues. Chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease do not manifest overnight. They need to be told about preventive measures so that they avoid the healthcare costs involved. Employees should be encouraged on the step by step change of their lifestyles and habits so that they lead a healthy lifestyle. The only way this works is when they commit to the program socially, emotionally, and mentally. Accountability and consistent education will get them there.
Creativity
The program should not be boring. Naturally, people are drawn to interesting things and you should ensure that you update your program to include incentives. Let your programs evolve over time so that they do not deal with the same thing all the time. Use the latest trends in your program to help them understand that wellness is a fashionable thing.
Strategy
Nothing succeeds without a good strategy and wellness programs depend on it as well. You need to develop short and long-term goals that you wish to achieve in order for you to have a sense of direction. It takes time to integrate the program into the company’s culture, and you need to exercise patience for you to get through to the employees. The program is not only centered on health, but also other activities and you need to create a framework that covers all that.
The major challenge is in the execution of the program. However, consistency is the key to making it work. Reinforcing an idea has the possibility of changing people’s lives. It is the challenge to think differently that sparks change.
