13 Cost-Effective Wellness Ideas to Keep Your Employees Healthy and Productive

August 16, 2023
Employee Wellness, Workplace Culture

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13 Cost-effective Ideas for Employee Wellness Programs

Employee well-being is a rising focus in the modern working environment.

Wellness activities address physical, social, psychological, and economic health.

Employee wellness programs are systems designed to target every aspect of employee health. It provides multiple options for employees so they can prioritize health in the office and at home.

Here are 13 excellent initiatives for employee wellness programs.

1. Encourage Remote Working 🏠

Remote work is great for employees because it’s flexible and convenient.

Remote employment also means your staff can rest and work from home rather than rely on sick days. If you implement it, employees will be less absent and engage more, meaning better results for your business.

You can carry out a remote work program in various ways.

Let employees work completely from home.
Give employees a hybrid set-up where they work some days at home and some days in the office.

Let your staff choose the days they’d like to work remotely based on their preferences.

Employees who work from home can achieve a healthy work-life balance. It allows them to spend time with their families, complete personal tasks, and get more sleep. All of these help to alleviate stress and prevent burnout.

2. Introduce Flexible Working Hours

Since the pandemic, companies are shifting away from the rigid 40-hour workweek in favor of a more flexible attitude.

Flexible working hours create trust and eliminate your desire to micromanage. Micromanaging can cost you money over the long term.

Source: Statista

Flexible work schedules also mean workers from other time zones can join your team. Furthermore, some employees may need to care for children or elderly relatives at home or attend college classes. Because strict workday schedules no longer bind them, these personnel can now perform things on their own time.

Employees can work when they’re most productive in a flexible work environment, which isn’t always the case when working standard hours.

3. Raise Awareness About Mental Health

Many workplaces have a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy regarding mental health. Employees who speak up about their problems may regret it because others may exclude and isolate them.

Such exclusion can destroy the affected employee’s well-being, especially because one in four persons (25-34) has a 12-month mental disorder.

You can use mental health education programs to refute these harmful beliefs and habits as an employer.

These may include the following:

Seminars or webinars on depression, anxiety, stress, burnout, and other mental health issues.
Active listening, empathy, and conflict resolution workshops.

By de-stigmatizing these issues, you may foster a more inclusive workplace atmosphere and encourage mental health talks.

You can also collaborate with mental health professionals in the workplace to give counseling, bereavement counseling, or smoking cessation programs.

You can also implement “mental health days,” where your staff can take a break whenever needed, no questions asked.

Another alternative for you as a manager is opening up about your journey and experiences. Leading by example encourages your employees to seek mental health assistance.

4. Hold Financial Literacy Workshops 💰

Source: Australian National University (ANU)

Employees who cannot make ends meet are likelier to show it at work.

As a result, employees’ mental health may get worse, especially if they’re working parents attempting to keep up with escalating daycare expenditures.

You can lower these concerns by providing excellent and timely financial education.

Your team could range from young graduates to veteran personnel nearing retirement. As a result, tailor a financial wellness program to the demands of distinct age groups.

You may, for example, hire an expert to assist employees with monthly budgeting and savings. They can also learn how and where to invest. You might also offer confidential one-on-one financial planning sessions with a third-party specialist.

5. Establish Employee Appreciation Programs

Unappreciated hard work might lead to workplace discontent and the desire to leave.

You should celebrate your employee’s accomplishments like you would your company’s milestones. Praising a job well done or recognizing staff accomplishments can boost employees’ sense of belonging.

It only takes seconds to praise an employee, but it might mean the world to them.

You may urge employees to keep up their excellent work and strive for more by delivering positive feedback. It also tells employees you are aware of and interested in their accomplishments. As a result, you will establish a positive culture.

6. Create Collaborative Working Environments 🤝

Collaborative workspaces often increase innovation and creativity.

If you have an in-house staff, you can make these interactions easier by setting up open-plan offices.

The following can occur in the company’s physical areas.

Employees can feel more at ease by getting to know their coworkers. Employee well-being depends on good friendships. Having even one coworker friend also affects staff retention and productivity.

Open workplaces, on the other hand, may be distracting to some people. As a result, we recommend setting aside a location where your staff can collaborate if they so desire.

Innovative office spaces can also assist you in implementing fitness wellness challenges that benefit weight loss and blood pressure reduction. These can help boost workplace productivity, happiness, and well-being.

7. Create Community Outreach Programs

Social and cultural shifts heavily influence today’s online culture. Employees, regulatory organizations, and customers scrutinize a corporation’s social and environmental practices closely.

Getting involved in the community provides a lot of advantages. It can improve your company’s image and recruit fresh personnel. Also, existing employees will take pride in their employer’s participation in community programs.

Volunteering also reduces stress, increases self-esteem, and improves communication about crucial health risks and issues.

Also, formal volunteering numbers are decreasing, so now is the best time for employee engagement. A 2022 study shows that the formal volunteering rate in NSW went from 28.9% to 23.1% from 2019 to 2020.

8. Make Parenting Programs Available 👶

Because most employees work from home, the distinction between home and work can become hazy.

For example, working parents must balance multiple obligations with little help. Job-related stress may follow individuals home, and home-related stress may follow them to work.

You may show working parents that you care by selecting parenting programs that will help them manage their stress.

The following items may be in a parenting employee support program.

To begin, your staff will have access to valuable materials and parenting support groups where they may discuss their experiences. These support groups are crucial for new parents living far away from their families.

Furthermore, these tools can teach parents how to deal with their child entering puberty or a special needs child. They can also assist parents in communicating with their children and resolving issues with compassion.

9. Introduce De-stressing Activities 🧘

Stress can build up in the body and appear as irritation, insomnia, neck and shoulder pain, poor posture, and melancholy.

Regular exercise reduces the severity of these symptoms while also releasing endorphins. Unfortunately, 55% of adults don’t obtain the necessary amount of exercise per week.

By implementing on-site fitness initiatives, you may address these challenges with physical activity and promote a healthy lifestyle. Schedule a light workout, yoga class, or mindfulness session for your staff. As an alternative, you can arrange gym memberships for staff.

These health plans also promote teamwork, make it easier for new employees to fit in, and manage your employees’ sleep schedules. These benefits will increase their productivity and happiness.

A ‘no-work break area’ allows employees to unwind and connect. Stock this space with healthy foods to encourage healthy eating habits.

You can also install a nap room with excellent mattresses, blankets, and blackout curtains. Encourage your staff, particularly new parents, to take power naps in this space.

10. Promote Effective Time Management ⌚

Employees often work late hours and cannot disengage as remote work grows more widespread. Some employers also expect employees to answer emails outside of regular working hours. However, this can have a negative impact on an employee’s health.

Begin at the top so your team members achieve and maintain a healthy work-life balance. Employees will follow if you sign out once you complete your work for the day or take time off when needed.

To help employees better manage their time, use an employee productivity management tool like Tommy. Employees can use the program to track how much time they spend on tasks and where they might improve.

11. Buy Plants for the Workplace 🪴

The environment in which employees sit and work can impact workplace wellness. For example, working in a clean and green environment benefits health and well-being.

Achieve this by placing plants in the office space. Doing this helps to add color and vibrancy to the work environment.

Plants also help remove toxic gases from the environment. As a result, the employees feel better because of the constant presence of fresh air.

12. An On-Site Library 📚

Another great way to refresh the mind and feel good is to read. Providing employees access to an in-house library allows them to take time away from their hectic schedules. Encouraging your employees’ reading habits will also benefit them in the following ways:

Stress levels are lower.
A better command of the English Language.
Strong analytic abilities.
Improved memory retention.

13. Pay Attention to Health-Related Occasions

Observe health-related holidays to raise awareness about various diseases and body parts. Here are some examples:

World AIDS Day (On 1st December).
World Mental Health Day (On 10th October).
World Heart Day (On 29th September).
World Cancer Day (4th February).

Observing such events at work makes employees aware of how critical it is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Furthermore, it contributes to the organization’s thriving work culture.

Final Thoughts on Employee Wellness Ideas

Your employees’ health directly impacts your business’ productivity. A healthy and happy workforce can deal with the stresses of running a business without poor health weighing them down.

Employee wellness programs help create an atmosphere where employees feel comfortable discussing how they feel physically, mentally, and emotionally with others and allow them to act on possible issues before they become problems in their working life.

The workplace wellness programs can also promote teamwork and a sense of community within your company and show employees how much their employers care about their health. It encourages loyalty on both sides.

Check out Tommy if you want more ideas to improve your employees’ working experience.

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