Are you wondering how to boost the performance and productivity of your employees? Well, it’s pretty simple.
To create a healthy, happy, and more productive workforce, you must focus on empowering and creating conditions for your employees to thrive professionally, mentally, socially, and financially.
Investing in corporate wellbeing programs in your organization would enhance the performance and productivity of your workforce.
So, What Are Corporate Wellbeing Programs?
Corporate wellbeing programs increase employee wellness through a holistic approach. They help to create an organizational culture of health and wellness.
When you initiate a corporate wellness solution that expand beyond the traditional wellness programs, it helps your employees to thrive.
These wellness programs help cultivate healthy habits among employees, increase productivity, boost employee engagement, and optimize human resource investment.
Why Corporate Wellbeing Programs Are Important
Research shows that long working hours increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, chronic fatigue, stress, insomnia, hypertension, and stroke. These chronic diseases are preventable by applying a holistic approach to corporate wellbeing programs.
Most employees spend a lot of their time in the office. As a result, their performance is directly related to their health and wellbeing. Having a corporate wellness program is crucial for establishing a solid business foundation and enjoying positive business outcomes.
Building successful programs take time, and it must continually evolve to help employees achieve their wellness goals. Healthier employees mean reduced healthcare costs, which would boost your business’s bottom line and give your organization a competitive edge that attracts and retains top talent.
How Do Corporate Wellbeing Programs Boost Productivity?
Wellness programs help reduce absenteeism and assist employees in staying healthier physically and emotionally. Thus, it helps increase productivity.
Corporate wellbeing programs help employees take fewer sick leave, feel less anxious or stressed at work, and enhance their focus. Likewise, they encourage employee engagement and loyalty and result in happy, healthy, and more productive employees.
It’s important to realize that there is a direct correlation between health and performance. For example, a survey from Cigna found four out of five employees were stressed. Stressed employees mean higher healthcare costs because chronic stress can lead to burnout and increase the risk of cancer, obesity, heart disease, and mental illness.
Likewise, the American Institute of Stress says that absenteeism, healthcare costs, accidents, employee turnover, and decreased productivity total up to $300 billion for the US each year.
Though we don’t have unique statistics related to UAE, it’s not rocket science to infer that unhealthy work practices could affect your businesses’ bottom line.
Contrarily happy employees have significantly increased performance and productivity levels. For instance, psychologist Shawn Achor found that happy employees were more productive than unhappy ones.
Moreover, he found optimistic salespeople had 37 percent more sales than unhappy ones, and happy physicians were 19 percent more accurate in diagnosing diseases.
So, How Do You Start with Corporate Wellbeing Programs?
Starting a complete range of wellness programs would be highly beneficial for your employees. Even encouraging some wellness activities could help you reap a rich harvest of a healthy and happy workforce.
Some big organizations may have epic offerings such as sleeping pods or onsite gyms. But that should not deter you from providing the best you could offer for your employees. Your organization could focus on social wellness activities such as softball leagues, table tennis matches, or team challenges that help build trust and friendship among employees. Here are some corporate wellbeing program ideas that would benefit your employees.
MENTAL WELLNESS PROGRAMS
Poor mental health leads to productivity loss, job abandonment, and higher turnover. Research shows people with depressive symptoms have five times more chances of poor productivity than those without the symptoms. So, addressing the mental health issues of employees will increase their emotional wellness and productivity as well.
For example, you can offer wellness yoga classes because workplace yoga has a host of health benefits. It helps increase blood flow and oxygen to the brain, increasing focus, confidence, and mental clarity. All these ultimately lead to increased productivity.
Likewise, yoga helps your employees to deal with prolonged sitting and inactivity. Introducing yoga wellness programs allows them to stretch their hamstrings, hips, shoulders, and wrists.
PHYSICAL WELLNESS PROGRAMS
Also, you can encourage physical movement with fun activities. Some fun wellness activities that you can include in your corporate wellness program include:
- Meditation breaks
- Walking meetings
- Midday fitness
- Cooking classes
- Wellness challenges
- Flu shots
- Fitness challenges.
BOOSTING SOCIAL WELLNESS PROGRAMS
Incorporating social wellness activities in the workplace improves employee health and also increases open communication. Moreover, it builds trust and develops a sense of confidence in the organization leading to employee retention.
Some ideas for boosting social wellness include
- Celebrations
- Departmental retreats
- Organizing a lunchtime potluck meal
- Forming a sports club
- Participating in marathons
- Organizing shared laughter sessions
- Organizing themed dress-up days
- Acknowledging peers
- Organizing company retreats
- Having a games room
- Forming a book club
- Organizing team building activities
- Organizing friendly office quizzes
Building a healthy workplace culture is not a one-and-done process. It’s wise to use a wellness survey to find the pain points and start with activities that improve that area. Whatever action you choose, the overall message should be that your organization cares about the long-term wellness of your employees.
How About Initiating a Corporate Wellbeing Program in Your Organization?
Building a healthy organizational culture improves employees’ sense of wellbeing and helps them thrive in all aspects of their lives. Whether you offer a full range of corporate wellness programs or encourage wellness activities, it will positively impact your employees. It will increase their health, happiness, and ultimately their productivity. If you need any guidance regarding starting Corporate Wellbeing Programs in your workplace, just give us a call. Our wellness professionals will guide you every step of the way.