Employee Wellness Programme- Employee Wellness starts with individual buy-in. You can have the most amazing Employee Wellness Programme (EWP) but if employees don’t use it, they will not benefit from it and if none of your employees support it, it will not be successful.
My suggestion would be to first identify the most critical needs. Consult employees to get their input. Find out what challenges they are facing and what their needs are. Some individuals may be reluctant to speak in a group situation but will feel more comfortable to participate in an (anonymous) online survey or to answer questions that are then placed in a suggestion-type box. When engaging with employees, use creative words that will encourage them to participate.
Once you’ve identified the needs, start with short repetitive awareness campaigns to which individuals can relate and feel encouraged to support.
It is also important that, if employers are (for example) promoting a healthy lifestyle, they need to walk the talk. The management team needs to lead by example. The business cannot focus on healthy eating habits in its awareness campaigns but then the canteen only sells hamburgers and fried fish and chips and when it hosts staff events it is all fast food. Also consider the different cultures within the organisation and their possible diet restrictions (including the timing of events).
If employees feel that the management team and colleagues are not supporting the Employee Wellness Programme or their individual needs have not been considered, they too will be less inclined to support such a programme. It’s also important to remember that every employee is unique and a one-size-fits-all approach will not be as effective as a multi-faceted or customised approach.
How to Create Happy Employees
The bottom line is that you can’t. Individual wellness starts with a changed mindset. But you can plant the seeds and provide an environment that is conducive for such change.
Adults must accept responsibility for their own wellness and if they are serious about it, they will embrace the opportunity provided by their employer to make positive changes to their current environment or how they respond to it.
Individuals are responsible for taking care of their own bodies and that starts with healthier food choices, drinking more water, getting regular exercise and protecting their personal time by learning to say no.
Many experts suggest that the best way to start this an Employee Wellness Programme is to create practical and simple habits by starting small, with simple routines and then – once they’ve mastered those – to add more.
Get some more tips and tricks from SHRM’s article: How to Establish and Design a Wellness Program