Company wellbeing refers to programs, policies, and activities within an organization that promote a healthy working environment. Fifty-two percent of U.S. businesses offer employee wellness programs, and those that do could experience higher levels of productivity, employee satisfaction and retention, and financial stability and growth.

Company wellbeing can take many forms, offering benefits like improved employee health, higher morale, and reduced stress in the workplace. Here’s how to incorporate a wellness program into your organization!

Understand company wellbeing

Company wellbeing is concerned with improving the health and wellness of all employees in your organization. It promotes good physical and mental health, financial stability, strong interpersonal relationships, and leading a meaningful life with positive experiences at work.

Investing in workplace wellness requires an outlay. You might need to create new policies for employees, invest in health coaching, and offer benefits-based incentives. However, you could generate a return over time, with healthcare costs falling by around $3.27 for every dollar spent on wellness programs. Moreover, 45% of employees say that wellness programs would make them stay with their employers for longer, reducing hiring costs.

The approach you take to wellbeing depends on your workplace culture. For example, you might want to improve your workforce’s physical health and help people make better food choices at lunchtime. It all depends on your team’s unique needs and how much time and resources you want to dedicate to corporate wellness.

Create a wellbeing program

A successful framework for building a company wellness program involves assessing the current wellbeing of employees and your overall organizational culture. You should then set clear objectives for what you want your program to achieve. Perhaps you want to provide mental health support at work or improve the nutritional habits of employees. Whatever your goals, plan your program carefully.

Also, think of ways to encourage employees to get involved in your wellness program. As a leader, you’ll want to create a supportive and engaging environment through your policies and programs where people feel comfortable discussing their health needs.

The most successful wellness programs focus on all aspects of employee health — physical, mental, emotional, and financial. Try to incorporate all of these aspects into your framework.

Promote a culture of wellbeing

Leaders can make or break the success of a wellbeing program. So, take your role seriously and think of ways to communicate with your team about the benefits of your wellness program. That might include telling employees about the advantages of healthy eating or encouraging them to talk about challenges at work.

Aligning your program with company values and performance management policies is important. Doing so will ensure employees meet your organization’s objectives and perform better in their jobs.

Wellbeing initiatives and activities

Some ways you can implement corporate health initiatives in your organization include fitness programs and challenges, team days out, mental health days, and flexible working policies. You might also want to offer employees counseling services, nutritional advice, financial wellness workshops, recognition and reward programs, and free gym memberships.

Some of these initiatives are more expensive than others, and your budget will often define your corporate wellness plan and building a healthy work environment.

Measure wellbeing outcomes

There are various ways to track the progress of your wellbeing program, including monitoring metrics like productivity, employee turnover, and absenteeism rates. You can also ask team members to provide feedback about your program through surveys.

Consider adapting your wellbeing program over time. If a particular activity or initiative doesn’t resonate with employees, you can always make changes . For example, focusing more on a specific component of wellbeing like stress management in the workplace. After all, 44% of employees say they experience stress in their jobs.

Legal and ethical considerations

Wellness programs are subject to various laws and regulations in the U.S., including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). For instance, ACA rules stipulate that health-contingent programs, which require active participation in activities, must provide an alternative to employees who can’t complete them.

Also, consider ethics when handling employee health data for HR wellbeing strategies. Keep this information safe to protect your team and avoid a data breach.

Wellness program case studies

One example of an organization that implemented a successful wellness program is PharmaCorp. The pharmaceutical company encouraged employees to engage in healthy activities and lifestyle choices and track their progress on fitness trackers and wellness apps. Employees also took part in competitions, wellness fairs, fitness assessments, and nutritional counseling.

PharmaCorp noticed a significant improvement in the health metrics of its employees after implementing this program, including reduced cholesterol levels, higher energy levels, and decreased body mass. The program also increased team spirit among employees and resulted in a more positive working environment.

Elsewhere, manufacturer Graco incorporated an incentive-based wellness program into its organization, rewarding employees for performing activities and completing health education. The program brought down healthcare costs for the company, while employees experienced a significant improvement in blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, and body mass index.

Why you should care about company wellbeing

Corporate wellness programs can improve your employees’ health, increase morale, and result in a more productive workplace. Start by creating a framework for your program and then come up with different ways to promote it to your team. Also, think about legal and ethical considerations surrounding corporate wellness and how you will track your program. By building company wellbeing, you can transform your entire organization!

For more insights about company culture and wellbeing, check out these resources:

RemoteWorx’s platform can help your employees work and feel better every day. Team members can use this technology to schedule wellness breaks, get health and fitness tips, build healthier habits, and more. Learn more, or request a demo now!