Employee Wellness – Are you leading from the Front??

In the business world today, employee health and wellbeing is a key focus of some of the world’s most successful and innovative organisations and contributes to staff retention. Investing great time, energy and resources into creating workplace environments will monumentally increase engagement and performance. It will also provide lower turnover rates, fewer absences and higher job satisfaction.

Leading from the front is very important when it comes to such programs. Those with senior positions must be seen as the champions of the wellness program. They must embrace the role and are responsible for nurturing a culture of transparency. Without the right attitude from the top, it is likely the program wont be seen all the way through.

It can be in the form of providing healthy food options within a 2km radius of the office. People who tend to avoid healthy foods will typically need an incentive to do so. It also gives opportunity for co-workers to eat out together and socialise. Negotiating corporate discounts for nearby health clubs and gyms is another effective way to localise your wellbeing efforts. It could be as simple as giving a 30 minute break each day for employees to exercise or walk. Many would automatically think of the high cost associated with introducing a type of ‘program’, but in reality, it can be done extremely cheaply. Of course we don’t expect you to provide nap-pods, lego stations and massages daily like Google does. An affordable option could mean encouraging the employees to get up and stretch once a day. There is no right way to do this, you must tailor your ideas around a company’s employees and not the other way around. For example if the building’s smokers are trying to quit, provide smoking cessation services. Showing that you care about your employees will help with building morale. Remember, the goal is to create a positive and healthy culture within the office.