What Really Improves Employee Wellness (Hint: It’s Not Pizza Fridays) 🍕

Every month, approximately 3.2 million Americans voluntarily leave their jobs. While some of these quits may be due to employees seeking higher wages or career advancement, some are undoubtedly due to poor employee wellness. 

A Gallup poll found that only 24% of American workers strongly agree their organizations care about their overall well-being, while 59% of workers said greater work-life balance and better personal well-being were important to them when considering jobs at different organizations. 

Considering the many benefits of supporting your workforce’s wellness, this isn’t good enough. 

Employee wellness and well-being go hand in hand, but what really provides a worthwhile boost? The answer might surprise you – and, no, it has nothing to do with pizza. 

What is employee wellness? 🤔

The terms “employee well-being” and “employee wellness” are often used interchangeably, but they really refer to different concepts. 

Well-being encompasses a person’s overall quality of life, shaped by their values, perceptions, and day-to-day experiences. 

Wellness, on the other hand, refers to an employee’s state of physical health and how it’s supported through physical activity, eating, and sleep quality.

While wellness ultimately is employees’ responsibility, you can support your workers in various ways, encouraging them to make healthier choices. After all, they are the lifeblood of your organization, and if they thrive, your organization thrives. 

Why is employee wellness important? 🌟

When your employees aren’t well, productivity suffers, absenteeism and turnover rates increase, employee health costs increase, and job satisfaction decreases. 

On the flip side, research suggests enhanced employee health and well-being could generate as much as $11.7 trillion in global economic value. But this isn’t the only reason to support employee wellness. 

Some of the other benefits include:

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• A healthier work environment: Wellness programs help create healthier work environments and a stronger health culture within organizations, encouraging employees to live healthier lives. Healthier work environments are more productive, thanks to lower rates of attrition, absenteeism, and presenteeism.

• Greater employee satisfaction: As we saw from some of the statistics mentioned above, workers want employers who care about their wellness and well-being. When employers support employee wellness, overall job satisfaction increases.

• Improved employee engagement: When employees feel satisfaction with their jobs, they’re more likely to be engaged. This translates into greater motivation, productivity, and lower staff turnover. 

• Reduced risks at work: Supporting employee wellness often involves reducing the risks they’re exposed to at work. The results are employees who feel valued and a safer work environment for all, which means potentially fewer accidents and injuries.

How to support employee wellness in the workplace 🤸

With wellness’s emphasis on physical health, it’s clear that Pizza Fridays aren’t going to cut it (even if employee socials are necessary and fun). 

If you really want to support employee wellness, you need to promote various aspects of a holistically healthy lifestyle in ways that go beyond merely educating the people who work for you. Thankfully, this doesn’t mean sending your whole team to a boot camp for a week, as there are all sorts of less drastic yet effective ways to do it. 

1. Implement regular check-ins and surveys 👋

You’ll find it difficult to appropriately support the wellness of your employees if you don’t know what the issues facing them are. Implement regular check-ins and conduct anonymous mood or opinion surveys to gather feedback that helps you identify potential issues. 

When you know what your employees are struggling with, you can tailor your wellness programs to suit their needs. You’ll also strengthen your organization’s open communication policy, making employees feel valued and increasing their sense of job satisfaction.

2. Offer voluntary wellness assessments👩‍⚕️

Check-ins and surveys are useful, but they don’t always give employees the full picture of their health. If you can provide access to optional wellness assessments, such as blood pressure or blood glucose checks, you can give them greater insight into their own well-being.

These screenings can be kept 100% confidential and will help employees to spot potential concerns early on. This allows them to take proactive steps to improve their lifestyle while managing their health on their own terms.

3. Host health presentations 🩺

Get various health experts to come to your workplace and give presentations on various topics. The idea here is to educate your employees about various health issues, such as different types of common cancers (e.g., breast or prostate), diabetes, and mental health. 

You can also offer presentations or classes on health-related topics, such as Confetti’s Eating for Immunity class. This empowers your employees to make informed decisions about their health and lifestyle.

4. Create workplace fitness programs 🧘

Some employees either don’t have the time, can’t afford, or feel reluctant to join a gym. Make physical health and fitness easier for them by creating workplace fitness programs. 

For example, you can start every day with a fitness activity. One approach would be to take a brisk walk around the grounds or the block on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and to have an in-person or virtual yoga class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 

Another approach is to establish organized sports groups, such as soccer or volleyball teams. You can keep the competition within your organization by getting different departments to compete against each other, or your team can compete against other companies in the area. 

5. Offer healthy snack options and hydration stations 💧

Yes, we said no to pizza Fridays, but that doesn’t mean food and drink can’t play a role in supporting wellness. Stocking the office with healthier snacks, such as fruit, nuts, or yogurt, gives your employees easy access to fuel that boosts their energy and focus.

Just as important is having hydration stations that encourage less caffeine and more water. To keep your employees well hydrated, you can go beyond basic tap water and provide filtered, sparkling, flavored, or vitamin-infused options. 

Final thoughts 💡

The last thing any employer wants is an unwell workforce. You also don’t want your employees feeling like you’re trying to get them to compete to become the next Richard Simmons. 

As you can see from the tips above, improving employee wellness comes down to paying genuine attention to your workers while empowering them with information, activities, and facilities that help them make positive changes in their lives. The payoff is worth it.

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