In a perfect world, there would never be any carry over from an employee’s personal life to her professional life. Likewise, she would not take her problems from work home and let them be an issue when she should be relaxing.
But, as we’ve often been told, this isn’t a perfect world.
Employee productivity is closely tied to the health and wellness of the employee. An employee who is suffering from a physical illness or too much stress is naturally going to be distracted and less productive. This is where a well-structured and properly administered wellness program can pay off for a company.
Wellness Programs Are More Than Money Savers
The financial benefits of wellness programs are well documented. A survey of wellness program studies conducted by Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School showed the health savings from wellness programs can be as high as $6 for every $1 spent.
But there is more to gain from a wellness program besides savings.
Employee productivity is not only based on an employee being at work, but also on the employee being engaged and feeling like they are part of a team. A company’s wellness program is an indication they are concerned about the employee’s welfare at work and home. This concern yields a higher sense of loyalty from the employee. It gives value to the employee and their position.
What Makes A Good Wellness Program?
The Texas A&M study identified six key criteria that help build and sustain a wellness program.
-
Engaged and supportive leadership throughout the company
-
Aligning the wellness program with a company’s values and goals
-
Ensuring the wellness program is relevant to the employees
-
Employees have easy access to the program
-
The partnerships for the program include internal and external contacts
-
Strong communications about the program
The hard numbers from the effectiveness of employee wellness programs have also been studied. A study by several researchers from prominent business schools shows a 10% increase in the employee productivity of sick workers who used a wellness program. Additionally, healthy workers who used the wellness program showed an 11% increase in productivity.
How To Establish Your Wellness Program
Developing a wellness program has to be handled carefully with input from the different levels of employees. A collaborative effort will not only help engage employees, but it will also get the word out about the program and the benefits it can produce.
Equal Parts Consulting has worked with numerous companies and their health insurance providers to define their vision for a wellness program. We work by carefully integrating with your staff to see what their needs are, and how they mesh with company’s resources and abilities. Schedule a consultation with us, and let us show you how a wellness program could benefit your business.