The Benefits of Wellness Programs
A successful employee wellness program helps staff adopt and maintain healthy behaviors. Some companies have fitness challenges for staff, while others focus more on health awareness and education. Providing flu shots and health screenings is another simple idea that benefits staff with little intrusion into a workday.
Besides improving the health of staff, wellness programs can also save money for a business in the long run. A critical meta-analysis on the costs and savings of employee wellness programs found that companies save over $3 on medical costs for every $1 spent on employee wellness.
Research by the Economist Intelligence Unit also shows that employee productivity and engagement improve as a result of successful wellness programs. This leads to higher retention rates and job satisfaction.
The benefits of successful employee wellness programs are all self-evident: You improve the health and happiness of your staff, you save money on medical costs, employees are more productive and engaged in their work, and more staff are motivated to stay with your company, lowering turnover rates.
Not all programs are a success, however. People need to be motivated to adopt and maintain healthy behaviors into their lives. Custom challenge coins are a fun and simple motivational tool that reward dedication to healthy changes in lifestyle. They aligned co-workers towards the same goals and provide motivation to complete wellness objectives.
Motivating Staff With Challenge Coins
If a company’s wellness program involves fitness challenges, custom company coins can be awarded to the individuals who finish each tier. Over time, they will collect more coins, each marking a specific achievement in the outlined fitness goals.
Red Bull, Marvel Entertainment and Microsoft are just a few of the companies that use challenge coins to motivate staff and show appreciation for hard work. Custom designs are molded to incorporate business logos, team goals and commemorative dates that instill a sense of communal understanding through shared experiences in the company.
A good employee wellness program helps eliminate stress and improve physical and mental health. Healthy living is not always easy, so providing support and motivation is essential to making your program a success. Challenge coins reinforce the goals of your company’s wellness initiative and motivate your staff to maintain healthy behaviors. Each coin also represents the support of employers and is a source of encouragement.
Ideas For Wellness At Work
It’s a good idea to get staff involved, at least through a survey, before designing a program. It goes without saying that if you know the needs of your employees, the program you design is more likely to prove effective. A few inexpensive ideas for wellness at work include simple things like:
- De-stress zones
- Walking/biking paths near the office
- Fitness rooms
- Wellness workshops
- Group retreats
Microsoft gives out free gym memberships and encourages employees to actively volunteer by pledging donations of $17 for every hour spent serving in the local community.
A company called The Motley Fool offers a 50% reimbursement on all races that employees enter as well as free spinning classes and boot camps.
The online property Zappos takes employees on “Wellness Adventures” every now and then. Each involves active and fun activities outside, away from the office.
Any of these strategies can prove effective if they meet the needs of your employees. Wellness programs do not need to be complex or expensive. They can be as simple as providing healthy snacks in the office as an alternative to sugary treats and sodas. Once a program is in place, utilizing challenge coins helps get the entire team aligned towards the same goals and provide motivation to complete wellness objectives.
What kind of wellness program does your company offer? Let us know!
