Investing in employees’ physical and mental health is a smart way to save money and enhance your bottom line. In this article, we’ll explore how wellness programs benefit employees and why it matters to your company.
Healthy employees are less likely to be sick or injured on the job, which leads to lower healthcare costs and reduced workers’ compensation insurance. It also increases productivity, so your company can make more money.
Attract and Retain Talent
Employees look for flexibility, good benefits, and a company culture that emphasizes their wellbeing. The current talent shortage has made it even more important for businesses to attract and retain top talents.
As a result, savvy HR leaders are capitalizing on this connection between employee wellness and recruitment success. Research shows that employers that offer comprehensive health and wellness programs are twice as likely to retain employees than those who don’t.
This is especially true for millennials and Gen Zers who put a premium on wellness support. In fact, 67% of employees who work for organizations with wellness programs like their jobs more and are extremely or very likely to recommend their employer. Moreover, they are much more likely to stay at their jobs for longer. This is because wellness programs foster a sense of belonging and help employees find a healthy work-life balance. They also reduce absenteeism and medical costs, improving productivity and your bottom line.
Reduce Healthcare Costs
In addition to promoting healthy habits, wellness programs can reduce healthcare costs for both companies and employees. These measurable savings come from reduced health insurance premiums, fewer medical and workers’ compensation claims, and lower absenteeism.
There is a lot of scientific evidence showing that unhealthy behaviors and elevated health risks lead to high healthcare costs. Many of these studies are epidemiology studies, which use population databases to analyze health trends.
These studies show that if employees adopt healthy behaviors, such as eating healthier foods and getting more physical activity, they can reduce their chances of chronic disease and overall health risks. They can also improve their work performance, which can lead to increased productivity and lower insurance costs.
Promote Healthy Habits
A good wellness program focuses on changing behaviors and improving health by encouraging healthy eating habits, exercise, smoking cessation and stress management. When these behaviors are adopted, they improve employee health and well-being which leads to higher productivity.
One way to promote healthy eating in the workplace is to remove unhealthy food options from vending machines, coffee shops and cafeterias. Removing junk food and replacing it with healthy foods can help foster a healthier work environment, while also demonstrating that the employer supports employees’ health goals.
Another way to encourage healthy eating is to have fresh fruits and vegetables delivered weekly to the office. This can be a cost-effective approach that benefits the employees and the local community.
A workplace wellness program can be an excellent way to improve morale and create a more positive company culture. Weight loss challenges, walking groups and other wellness activities help employees feel connected to their co-workers, which increases the likelihood that they will remain with the organization for a long time.
Improve Mental Health
As more employers adopt wellness programs, they are realizing that health and mental health go hand in hand. A strong wellness program will help your employees develop healthy habits that can have a positive impact on their mental well-being, which can lead to more successful work lives.
A successful wellness program will also reduce employee absenteeism, lower turnover rates, and increase overall productivity. It can also lower workers’ compensation, disability, and insurance costs.
Employers can improve mental health by encouraging employees to take advantage of mental health benefits, such as employee assistance programs (EAPs), which offer free assessments, referrals, and counseling. EAPs are confidential and can be helpful to employees who need help dealing with problems related to anxiety, depression, grief, addiction, stress, and other issues.
Employers can also encourage employees to take part in mental health activities, like meditation and mindfulness classes, or even lunch ‘n’ learn sessions with mental health experts. These activities help employees feel more comfortable talking about mental health concerns and can lead to more healthy behaviors.