Creating a wellness program is not the same thing as creating and sustaining a culture of wellness in the workplace.

A wellness program has a beginning and an end, while a wellness culture is a way of life—one that’s followed by leaders and employees at all levels of the organization.

The good news is that you likely don’t need to reinvent the wellness wheel when it comes to establishing a culture of health and well-being.

 

Take these 4 steps to improve the health of your employees.

  1. Evaluate what you already have. Dig into the wellness culture that already exists in your workplace. Poll employees, create an in-depth wellness survey, and get a clear picture of employees’ physical, mental, and emotional health—and how these relate to the workplace. Take a close look at how employees have engaged with past wellness programs. What’s worked well? Were there any initiatives that fell flat? What motivates employees? 

     

    Owens Corning, a global company with about 19,000 employees, conducted a health and wellness survey of its employees and developed company-wide goals. The results ranged from helping employees lead tobacco-free lives to creating an environment where employees could enjoy meaningful work and life experiences in an environment that would support and inspire them.

  2. Refine your wellness objectives. With a clearer picture of the current wellness climate, you can refine the company’s wellness goals, your programs, and how you communicate those programs to employees. Because communication is the key to the success of your wellness programs, be sure to spend time refining the message, including the language you use and how and when that message is delivered. Improving the wellness culture also lets you to consider creative wellness initiatives like a local healthy eating guide, flexible working arrangements, forming walking or running clubs, or mindfulness opportunities.

  3. Provide employees with trainings and resources to understand offerings. Well-being is much more than physical health, exercise or nutrition. It is the full integration of different states of well-being, and it’s important to provide programs and a platform that serve employees across all areas of wellness. By offering trainings that target specific concerns and goals, and providing ongoing supports and resources, you can more effectively engage, evaluate, educate, and enhance the lives of your employees.

  4. Create a wellness champion network. Many organizations are finding that company leaders and employees are the best ambassadors of workplace well-being programs and initiatives. Tapping into your team to develop, roll out, and promote initiatives can help increase engagement among all employees. 

 

Organizations that realize that the financial health of a business is directly tied to the physical and emotional health of their employees turn to Ulliance Life Advisor Wellness programs to help staff members improve their health. For every $1 you invest in a wellness program, you can save $3 to $5 in health care costs—and your employees reduce risk behaviors such as smoking and overeating. How can we help you? Visit www.ulliance.com, or call 866-648-8326.

Spice up your wellness program with a healthy cooking demo by The Ulliance Culinary Expert Chef Nicole and get inspired!

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