What is a culture of wellness in the workplace?

Having a culture of wellness in the workplace means fostering an environment in which you encourage the health and well-being of your employees. In order to do this, you implement ways in which your employees can be healthier while at work and take on healthy habits.

In order for workers to be motivated to stay healthy, you need to create a culture of wellness in the workplace that is easy for them to participate in and prioritize. For example, if your workplace has pizza on Fridays and encourages people to work long hours, you might actually be fostering an unhealthy workplace where there is little life/work balance.

Having a good balance between life and work is important when trying to create a culture of wellness in the workplace as it can be the key to having good mental and physical health. Organizations that prioritize the mental and physical health of their employees see many benefits such as increased productivity, high employee morale and less absenteeism. Keep reading for more on the benefits of creating a culture of wellness in the workplace.

Why wellness in the workplace is important

Wellness in the workplace is important as it can benefit both the employee and the organization as a whole. Here are a few ways in which creating a culture of wellness in the workplace is important.

Increased Employee Morale

When you create an atmosphere of health and wellness in the workplace, you are able to increase the morale of your employees. When time and effort are being spent on the wellbeing of your employees, they will know that you care which increases morale. People like working for companies that care about them, so by creating wellness programs in the workplace you can increase their good feelings toward the company.

Increased Motivation= Increased Productivity

Having an increase in morale will also increase their motivation to work hard. When people feel good they tend to work hard and are motivated to do as much as they can on the different projects they are working on. This increase in motivation will automatically mean that work gets done at a faster pace and you will see that productivity levels also raises.

Decreased Absenteeism

Having a culture of wellness in the workplace means that employees are encouraged to take care of their physical health. This means that there is less absenteeism due to illness as workers are healthy. Also, since having wellness in the workplace at the forefront of the office culture, employees are able to take care of their mental health. By taking care of their mental health, employees are less likely to need time off due to stress, anxiety or depression.

Increase Employee Retention Rate

When people are happy at work they tend to want to stick around. By having a culture of wellness in the workplace you are able to create an environment where people want to work. This means they are less likely to leave the company and the organization does not have to spend time and money on finding new talent.

Good Reputation

Having a wellness program in the workplace often becomes something the company is known for. Having a good reputation means that it is easier to find talent and can make finding new customers or clients easier as well.

The above examples make it clear that having a culture of wellness in the workplace can not only benefit employees but also the whole organization.

How to develop a wellness program in the workplace

Now that we know how a wellness program in the workplace can be beneficial, we have to discuss how to develop that program. The following are a few elements that can help you create a healthier workplace.

Encourage Physical Activity

When creating a culture of wellness in the workplace, you want to prioritize employees’ physical health. To do this you can pay for a gym membership at a local facility that would be easy to visit while on lunch or before/after work. Doing this might help incentivize employees who do not normally work out to start. Making it easier for your employees to work out can make them warier of their physical health which increases the awareness of wellness in the workplace.

Team Bonding Experiences

Creating times when the team can come together and bond is a great way of increasing wellness in the workplace. Having events that people can attend and get to know each other on a personal level will help them create friendships among coworkers. When there are friendships within a workplace, people are happy to come to work as they enjoy the people around them. Having a happy office is one of the ways a positive environment is nourished and wellness in the workplace is increased.

Related: Office Party Ideas: Over Ten Ideas to Try

Have a Robust Health Care Program

When deciding what healthcare benefits to offer to employees is a great way to promote wellness in the workplace. When employees are able to see specialists like chiropractors, physiotherapists and massage therapists as part of their benefits program, they are more likely to take care of their health. For example, if a worker has some pain in their back, they are more likely to see a chiropractor before it gets worse. This means that the employee is also less likely to need time off to take care of their physical ailments.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Having an employee assistance program or EAP means that employees can get help for things such as mental illness or having a sick family member. This type of program makes it easy for an employee to get help when needed without having to talk about the issue with their boss. The anonymity aspect means that employees feel comfortable engaging in services without having to bring personal issues into the workplace. By having an EAP, the mental health of your employees can be taken care of easily meaning the culture of wellness in the workplace continues.

Work Flexibility

Having more flexibility at work can enhance the well-being of your workers by giving them more control over when and where they work. Not everyone is at their best between the hours of nine to five, which is why some employees prefer to make their own work schedule. Also, some are able to do better work when at home and should have the opportunity to do so. By including these types of elements in your wellness programs in the workplace, you are able to create an atmosphere of trust and respect.

Open Door Policy

An open-door policy is one in which managers agree to talk to employees about problems or issues that come up at work at any time. This type of policy can mean that employees feel supported by managers and comforted by the fact that they can approach them at any time. Having an open door policy is a great way to build trust within the staff and the relaxed atmosphere gives everyone a sense of wellness in the workplace.

Lead By Example

If you are trying to create a culture of wellness in the workplace, it is important to take care of your own well-being. Employees are less likely to participate in wellness programs in the workplace if the managers are not also participating, so make sure you lead the way when it comes to your physical and mental health.

Making well-being in the workplace a priority can help both employees and the organization work at an optimal level. By implementing some of the ideas from this article, you can have a positive impact on the entire company.

Related: Employee Benefit Program: A Guide to Work-Life Balance