If your organization has a workplace wellness program, then you probably have some opinions about what works, what doesn’t, and what needs to change going forward. Maybe your program is excelling. Your employees are happier and more engaged.
Or maybe not.
If you’re interested in some ideas to help revive your struggling wellness program, or maybe just to keep your current one on track, perhaps the experts can help. Recent research by a top authority in wellness has shed some light on where the well-being industry is headed and what trends seem to be emerging among employers.
Here are a few of their findings:
- Employers are moving away from traditional wellness approaches that only addressed physical health. Today’s initiatives take a comprehensive angle that includes both emotional and financial well-being.
- Today’s wellness programs include niche solutions tailored to the needs of individual workforces (e.g. diabetes management, financial planning, etc.)
- More employers are prioritizing wellness initiatives as a strategic business objective and looking for ward to integrate it into their company culture, with an emphasis on technology such as mobile apps.
While these trends are prevalent in the large employer market, small and mid-sized employers are having a little more difficulty finding solutions to their wellness needs. As a result, many are turning to third party vendors to assist them with planning and implementing a successful workplace wellness program that best suits the needs of their employees.
One piece of good news is that employees engagement in these programs seems to be improving. The experts largely attribute this to the fact that the focus has shifted away from merely physical wellness in favor of a more holistic approach to employees’ overall health and well-being.
In general, employers are exhibiting a genuine interest in the physical, emotional, and financial health of their employees, and it shows in the way they’re measuring the success of their wellness programs. Rather than looking strictly at a quantifiable return on investment (ROI) in terms of productivity and medical claim reduction, they’re looking at the bigger picture.
The right mix of wellness initiatives doesn’t equate merely to pounds lost, steps taken, or days missed from work. Instead, what matters is that a company’s employees feel valued, empowered, and appreciated. By showing that they’re committed to their workers’ general well-being, employers can accomplish just that.