It seems that the further society develops, the more distant we become from our basic happiness needs. In order to combat this, we try to supplement these needs with our higher-order pleasures (which explains why they are in great abundance). For example, there are over 100 different kinds of Smartphones that are available on the market today and a new McDonalds burger is released every three months or so. The problem with this situation is not the abundance of these things, rather the fact that they are used to supplement basic things like exercise, sleep and good quality food.
The rejection of our biological needs is most apparent in the workplace. Most workplaces encourage a sedentary lifestyle and poor food options for staff. This has become detrimental to both everyday people and the companies that they work for. The people are becoming increasingly overweight, unfocused and ill and employers have to deal with decreased efficiency from their staff as a consequence. Nobody wins.
So, now enter the world of Corporate Wellness, a phenomenon created as a response to the situation.
Corporate Wellness companies aim to counter the effects of poor health in the workplace by introducing a number of different measures:
- Physical Health Training. Employees are taught about their health and what they can do to optimise their health by a wellness coach. Many people know very little about health and the last time they learnt about it was when they were in school.
- On-site exercise facilities. Many programmes provide workout equipment like weights, exercise bikes and treadmills. Some companies even provide additional services like spin-classes and meditation classes.
- Better food options. If employees are given access to healthier food options, then they not only improve their health, but their focus as well. Foods high in processed sugars (like soft drinks) cause sugar crashes that decrease the efficiency of workers.
But the question is, do they really work? The answer is a resounding yes. A study by the Chapman Institute of over 42 corporate wellness programs studies found a 25% reduction in absenteeism and sick leave, a 25% reduction in health costs, and a 32% reduction in workers compensation and disability costs.
Another study found that organizations with strong wellness programs had lower rates of obesity than “low-effectiveness” companies, and had lower unplanned absence rates (3.3 vs. 4.0 days/year). (National Business Group on Health and Towers Watson)
Some Tips for Introducing a Wellness Program Into Your Business
The best step is to get in contact with a corporate wellness company. Choosing a professional company will give you an extensive program that covers many avenues.
However, you can introduce corporate wellness-based ideas into your business yourself without hiring a company to do it for you.
- Have a set of exercise goal of the month. Encourage people to walk 20 minutes per day and provide incentives for doing do.
- Participate in charity walks. Ask your company to sponsor employee participants or to match employee contributions.
- Develop a cookbook of employees’ low-fat recipes, exchange recipes and feature healthy employee recipes on the company website.
- Encourage regular breaks for your employees to get some movement in their bodies. Even if it is just a 2-minute stretch every hour, it will help promote blood circulation and a positive mindset.
- Use vending machine commissions to help fund wellness programs.
A strong wellness program will do wonders for your business. We often neglect our physical and emotional wellbeing in the work environment and corporate health is crucial for efficiency. Even if you just introduce a few new approaches into your business practices, you’ll notice the difference.
