How can a company’s work environment support wellness?
A common error is to launch a wellness program that promotes healthy eating and exercise while still offering doughnuts during morning meetings or ordering monthly birthday cakes. Simply, practice what you preach. Instead of doughnuts, offer healthy granola bars and fruit. In place of your typical birthday cake, offer a fruit pizza or a trifle filled with fruit and low-fat yogurt and angel food cake. Many other creative healthy food alternatives are available on the Internet.
How can a company continually motivate its employees?
While some employees are motivated by the idea of being healthy, others need an incentive such as an award, recognition, monetary compensation, paid time off, etc. A wellness team (subject to management’s approval) should offer a variety of incentives to have the most impact. An incentive does not have to be costly to offer motivation, so be creative as you develop incentives for your work environment.
What worksite activities or programs can promote wellness?
Innovative, low-cost activities are simple. The following list includes examples of activities that can enhance your company’s wellness program:
- Provide healthy eating reminders and prompts to employees via e-mail, posters and/or payroll stuffers.
- Create an employee cookbook filled with healthy recipes.
- Allow access to on-site and off-site gyms and recreational activities before, during and after work hours.
- Offer flexible work hours to allow for physical activity during the day.
- Host ‘walk-and-talk’ meetings.
A company should evaluate its wellness program on an annual basis so the wellness team can make strategic plans for subsequent years. A wellness program will quickly become stale if the same activities are repeated year after year. It is important to be creative and implement new ideas.
Renay Gontis is the communications coordinator for JRG Advisors, the management company for ChamberChoice. Reach her at (412) 456-7011 or [email protected].