According to (Merriam-Webster, 2020), the definition of wellness is the quality or state of being in good health especially as an actively sought goal. Wellness is something that most employees want to achieve and something that every employer can make a priority to empower, retain and inspire their workforce.
There are countless ways to provide wellness benefits to employees nowadays that go beyond the traditional PTO, retirement funding and healthcare benefits. Programs that focus on mental health, nutrition, childcare, fitness, weight loss, mindfulness and meditation and even early breast cancer detection (wink-wink). With all of these options and more, to choose from, it is difficult to know where to start as an employer looking to serve your employees in the best way possible.
We’ve come up with the top 5 things to consider when offering an outstanding wellness program to your employees. Let’s dive in!
1. Ask – One of the biggest mistakes a company can make when choosing wellness benefits is assuming the needs of their employees and what matters most to them. Learning what your employees care about, what their concerns are and their wellness goals can give insight of what to provide them as benefit options. There are several ways you achieve this knowledge. Some suggestions are:
Incorporate questions about their wellness goals in quarterly reviews
Send out a company-wide (anonymous) survey with options for them to choose what is most important to them
Host a “town hall” style meeting where employees can share about their wellness needs and interests and create discussion
2. Educate – Offering wellness benefits can ultimately increase your bottom line as they help mitigate healthcare costs by empowering employees to take better care of themselves. To best understand how benefits programs can benefit your company, seek advice of a benefits broker. Benefits brokers can educate you about different options that work best for the needs of your organization and guide you to the best possible options that work for your budget, goals and internal operations. It’s a win-win! If you don’t know where to start, we recommend Hays Companies: https://www.hayscompanies.com/employee-benefits/#wellness
3. Experiment – Sometimes you don’t know what is going to resonate with your employees until you try! Offer up a yoga class, a meditation app or a virtual event where they can come together and experience wellness together!
4. Listen – We shared that asking is a critical component to knowing the needs of your employees, but listening is just as important. Listen to the feedback your employees share with you about their benefits, listen to the “water-cooler” talk about what is important to them and what they are going through. When you listen to what the lives of your employees are like, even outside of work, you can better understand what matters most to them, what challenges they are facing and how to serve them best.
5. Act – If you combine steps 1-4 it brings you to the most important piece of creating an outstanding wellness program… taking action! Asking, becoming educated, experimenting with ideas and listening to the needs of your employees are all important but don’t mean anything if you don’t take action on what you’ve learned. You must implement, offer and believe in the wellness initiatives you provide. Education is the first step but action is the element that will incite change! This is why it is our mission at NOWTG to educate women on how to #takeaction towards early breast cancer detection vs. simply educating on awareness. The “how-to” will make the difference.
So there you have it, 5 things to consider when offering an outstanding wellness program. If you are interested in learning more about our specialized wellness experience on early breast cancer detection and overall breast health, click here to download our informative deck! https://nightoutwiththegirls.com/employers-and-groups/
Written by Katie Schroeder, COO, Night Out with “The Girls”