Implementing Wellness Programs for Better Retention

Are you planning any workplace wellness activities to kick off the new year? One of my newsletter subscribers recently asked me, “Our employees want us to highlight healthy lifestyles, perhaps by launching a ‘step challenge’ or hosting a 5K. While I love these ideas, we have some employees who use wheelchairs. For example, I struggle with organizing a step challenge because I feel this is not inclusive to everyone. Am I overthinking this? Or do you have suggestions that meet the ask but are inclusive to everyone?” I immediately contacted my friend, workplace wellness expert Laura Putnam. She recommended thinking about the various dimensions of wellness when designing programs. These include physical, emotional, social, financial, career, and community needs. By offering options in these categories, you’ll be more inclusive by design. With her guidance, I then researched possible activities. Here are some ideas: - Physical: Organize a “workout streak,” asking employees to record the number of days in a row they’ve done some workout—cardio, yoga, weights, stretching, or anything they define as a workout. Or arrange “stroll & roll” groups for breaks, ensuring paths are wheelchair-accessible. - Emotional: Designate an “Unplug at lunch” day, committing not to use your phone or devices and enjoying silence or talking with coworkers. - Social: Create a “Get to Know Each Other” week, with prompts to encourage coworkers to find personal connections. - Financial: Provide financial planning or budgeting classes. - Career: Host sessions to demystify the promotion process or other career-related topics. - Community: Organize a donation drive for items that a local non-profit needs. Then, once you have some options, let people design their wellness goals and choose activities that make sense for them. P.S. A few years ago, Laura and I collaborated on a thought paper titled "50 Ways You Might Have Wellness Privilege at Work" (https://lnkd.in/gBGfzhqv). It explores why wellness and inclusion should be considered holistically, with practical actions to take to improve workplaces everywhere.

Leadership that overlooks wellbeing? That’s not leadership... Many leaders overlook it. Too often, wellbeing programs focus on physical health. But a real approach goes beyond gym memberships. Here’s how you can lead with wellbeing at the core: 1. Assess the Current State Collect employee feedback on health needs. Analyze absenteeism and turnover to guide changes. 2. Develop Holistic Initiatives Embrace flexible work—68% of companies now do. Offer fitness classes and ergonomic support. Build peer networks to strengthen teamwork. Provide counseling and mental health days. 3. Build a Supportive Culture Engage leadership to model healthy behaviors. Train managers to support mental health and avoid burnout. Foster open communication to build a trusting environment. 4. Offer Targeted Resources Provide access to wellness apps and information. Partner with providers for comprehensive health support. 5. Measure & Improve Track engagement and productivity to gauge impact. Gather continuous feedback to adjust as needs evolve. 6. Communicate Regularly Share clear policies across multiple channels. Encourage feedback to improve initiatives over time. Wellbeing is a leadership duty, not just an HR task. It drives retention, engagement, and a culture people seek. Follow Jonathan Raynor. Reshare to help others.

Mental Health Crisis brewing in Organizations - Are traditional wellness programs enough? A survey called “People at Work 2023: A Global Workforce View” concluded that almost two-thirds (65%) of workers said stress adversely affects their work and almost half (47%) echo similar concerns regarding their mental well-being globally. This is where the question, of whether traditional wellness programs are enough, becomes all the more dominant. In view of the same, I’d like to share some action steps that you can initiate in your organization to tackle workplace stress, an area where the UK-based HR Tech organization, Ciphr leads by example ⬇ 1. Utilization of Advanced HR Tools: Implementing HR software can reduce administrative workload by 30%, enabling HR to dedicate more time to employee wellbeing initiatives. 2. Promoting Work-Life Balance: By promoting reasonable work hours, introducing flexible work arrangements, and encouraging the use of paid time off (PTO), HR can enable employees to disconnect and recharge, ultimately reducing burnout and stress 3. Prioritizing Physical Wellbeing: Participation in onsite fitness facilities and wellness workshops can contribute substantially to improved employee health. 4. Mental Health Support: Employees can be encouraged to utilize the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) as these provide employees with access to mental health professionals and resources to help manage personal and work-related stressors effectively. 5. Financial Literacy: Initiatives that offer employees financial advice services, especially free mortgage advice, ease financial concerns and offer mental peace. 6. Effective Communication Channels: Adoption of transparent communication practices can help in increasing employee satisfaction by pushing team meetings, suggestion boxes and anonymous surveys to encourage open dialogue. 7. Building a Positive Culture: Employee engagement scores are believed to rise after the successful implementation of regular team-building events and recognition programs like team lunches, themed dress-up days, and volunteering opportunities, encouraging bonding and alleviating work-related stress By putting these suggestions into play, HR can work towards enhancing employee satisfaction, eliminating burnout/stress, and eventually contributing to overall organizational success and productivity. #wellnessprograms #mentalhealthcrisis #employeesatisfaction