January 17, 2018

By Christy Fox, Director of Marketing

With the new year, and new resolutions, gyms are packed with people focusing on improving their health and overall well-being. Not only are individuals working towards goals of a healthier lifestyle; employers have been investing in and developing wellness programs for the workplace as well. Wellness programs in the workplace are proven to improve productivity, culture, and employee satisfaction with their jobs in addition to saving the company money on healthcare costs. There are a variety of ways for companies, both large and small, to improve employee wellness from fitness initiatives, to healthy eating, to mental health. Here are some ideas for companies to promote wellness in their organization (both free and paid).

• Work with local gyms to get corporate discounts on memberships to offer employees, or provide a gym membership reimbursement plan as an incentive to working out. According to the PricewaterhouseCoopers 2016 Health and Well-Being Touchstone Survey, 73% of employers offer physical activity programs/fitness discounts.
• Encourage walking meetings or offer standing desks.
• Provide healthy snacks or fruit in a common area of the office.
• Organize company group fitness classes.
• Bring in professionals to go over mental health topics such as stress management, healthy sleep habits, meditation, and more.
• Provide a list of healthy food options nearby the office for employees who may otherwise be unaware of the options surrounding them.
• Offer one on one coaching or personal training.
• Invest in health measurements such as biometric screening, BMI measurements, and health risk questionnaires.
• Provide tobacco cessation programs.
• Hold fitness or healthy eating challenges or competitions.

Encouraging health and wellness in the workplace will overall attract talent, create a great place to work, and offer employees the tools they need to live a healthier lifestyle. What types of health and wellness initiatives are most important to you in the workplace?