25 Oct Corporate Wellness: Benefits for Employees and Employers
The Global Wellness Institute defines corporate wellness as any organisational policy or health promotion activity that is designed to support and improve healthy behaviour among employees. Corporate wellness programmes are typically designed to raise awareness and teach employees about fitness and health.
Corporate wellness is highly concerned with creating a culture of health within the workplace and typically takes four forms, namely: corporate fitness facilities and programmes, health club memberships, incentives for wellness activities, as well as stress management. These four forms of corporate wellness will be discussed further in this article to demonstrate the benefits of corporate wellness for both employees and employers.
Corporate Fitness Facilities and Programmes
One of the most common ways that a company can implement corporate wellness is by developing an on-site fitness facility and program that employees can tap into when at work.
Having access to a fitness facility at work allows employees to improve their physical health. Engaging in physical exercise helps employees reduce their risk of contracting cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes. Similarly, corporate fitness programmes increase the chance of employees engaging in healthy behaviours.
There are many benefits for a company that provides its employees with fitness facilities and programmes. One of the benefits for companies is that corporate fitness programmes enable employees to be in better mental and physical shape for work, ultimately leading to a more productive workforce.
Another benefit for a company that provides its employees with fitness facilities and programmes is that it leads to lower organisational costs. Corporate fitness facilities and programmes lead to healthier employees which in turn leads to reduced insurance premiums for companies.
Health Club Memberships
Another way that a company can implement corporate wellness in their organisation is by encouraging employees to join an internal health club.
Similar to corporate fitness facilities and programmes, health clubs give employees the much-needed place and time to focus on their wellness. Without corporate health clubs, many employees wouldn’t have the opportunity to engage in health and wellness activities. Furthermore, health club memberships help employees stay motivated and meet like-minded people.
From an organisational point of view, a company that offers its employees health club memberships will have many benefits. The first benefit relates to less employee absenteeism. Health clubs produce healthier employees, and healthier employees miss fewer days at work. The second benefit is related to improved employee work performance. Research shows that employees who join corporate health clubs tend to perform their duties better than those who don’t. Other benefits of corporate health clubs include enhanced teamwork, reduced employee stress, and lower healthcare costs.
Incentives for Wellness Activities
One of the more effective ways that companies foster corporate wellness is by offering incentives that encourage employees to participate in wellness and health activities.
Some of the wellness-inspired incentives that companies give their employees include paid time off, discounts on wellness services and products, gift cards, free healthy lunches, as well as free tickets to wellness experiences.
Wellness incentives are like doorways to an employee’s wellness journey. Many employees contemplate wellness activities but often lack the motivation to start. Incentives give employees the final push to start living healthier lives.
Furthermore, incentives help companies obtain a higher adoption rate for corporate wellness programs; not only from employees but also from executives. The more employees that adopt the company’s corporate wellness program the more healthy and productive the workforce will be.
Stress Management
Stress management is another technique that companies use to implement corporate wellness. More and more companies are providing their employees with mental and emotional support through various in-house stress management programmes.
Effective stress management helps employees in improving their health and overall quality of life. Stress management programmes are drug-free and put employees in charge, giving them an enhanced sense of self-control and self-esteem while reducing the likelihood of depression.
Organisations that provide stress management programmes to their employees gain a more capable and motivated workforce. People who have low stress levels tend to be more motivated for work tasks and thus more productive.
Corporate wellness is a definite must for modern companies that are seeking to make their workplace more conducive to productivity. Companies gain many benefits by creating corporate fitness facilities and programmes, health club memberships, incentives for wellness activities, as well as stress management programmes. Furthermore, employees who partake in corporate wellness activities also gain many benefits, not only for their careers but also for their overall well-being. Follow this link to discover a range of corporate wellness packages for your company.
