Providing a wellness program can be an excellent way to attract top talent and keep your current employees happy and engaged. If you’re considering a wellness program but aren’t sure where to start, here are seven options you can consider.
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Provide healthy snacks
A 2019 report found that 60% of Americans prefer to snack on small, frequent meals throughout the day. That’s why one of the easiest ways to encourage wellness is by providing healthy snack options at the office. That way, your employees won’t be snacking on items loaded with sugar and sodium throughout the day.
Of course, there are dietary and allergy concerns to take into account. One option you can consider is providing snack boxes from a company like Snack Perk. You can sign up for a subscription on the company’s website and choose the types of packages you want to provide, and Snack Perk takes care of the rest.
Employee assistance programs
The pandemic caused mental health challenges for many Americans, and 40% reported dealing with anxiety or depressive symptoms. Others said that they were struggling to sleep or experiencing difficulties with substance abuse.
For many people, accessing treatment for these challenges can feel out of reach, which is why an employee assistance program can be so beneficial. This program helps employees identify and resolve personal issues by providing referrals and access to short-term counseling.
An employee assistance program is entirely voluntary, so none of your employees have to participate. But if someone decides they could benefit from it, the entire process is confidential.
Create a health and wellness challenge
Creating a wellness challenge can be a great way to encourage employees to adopt healthy habits, and a platform like Wellable makes it easy to get started.
Your employees can use Wellable to track their meals and snacks, log how much sleep they’re getting each night and count their total steps. They can also use the app to check in at the gym or record their annual flu shot. For each completed activity, your employees can earn points that go toward rewards like Amazon gift cards.
Many people want to adopt new healthy habits but aren’t sure where to start.
Provide standing desks
If you’re concerned about your employees’ health and well-being, then providing them with standing desks can be a good option. Using a standing desk can lower your risk for obesity, heart disease and back pain. And one study found that employees who use standing desks are 45% more productive than employees who sit during their entire shift.
Of course, some employees may not want to stand at their desks all day. Companies like Varidesk offer adjustable desks so employees can alternate between sitting and standing throughout the day.
Host a virtual wellness workshop
Many people want to adopt new healthy habits but aren’t sure where to start. That’s why it can be very beneficial to host a virtual wellness workshop for your employees.
When you use a company like Remote Team Wellness, you’ll have access to expert teachers who can teach on subjects like emotional intelligence, nutrition and healthy movement. And employees can participate and enjoy the seminar from the comfort of their own homes.
Community service activities
Giving back to the community is one of the best ways to connect with other people and improve your own mental and physical well-being. So, once a quarter, organize a community service activity for your employees with a nonprofit cause you care about.
This activity could be something like a community car wash to raise money for a charity or a community cleanup project. Get a sense of the type of volunteer project your employees would find meaningful and put it on the calendar.
Encourage social activities
The ongoing pandemic makes socializing with other people challenging, and it may not be safe to host in-person company get-togethers. But you still want to continue building your company culture and helping your employees interact with one another.
That’s why virtual coffee meetups, happy hours or game nights can be beneficial. Regularly encouraging virtual meetups can help your employees feel more connected to one another and help reduce their feelings of stress or loneliness.
[Read more: Experts Predict Pandemic Changes That Are Here to Stay for Small Businesses]
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