Budget-friendly employee health & wellness initiatives: Reduce stress, save big!

If your employees are showing signs of fatigue, an inability to concentrate, and even depression, now is the ideal time to implement programs that are designed to reduce stress and increase employee activity, energy and happiness. By facilitating programs aimed at encouraging and promoting healthy lifestyles, you can further help employees out of that winter slump and ensure that they are more productive throughout the workday.

Did you know that health and wellness programs are good for your bottom line? Employers that implement a health and wellness program can expect to see an average of:

• 28% reduction in unplanned absences
• 26% reduction in health insurance costs
• 30% reduction in workers’ compensation costs
• $5 savings for every dollar spent

Concerned about upfront expense? Don’t worry—there are a variety of cost-effective ways you can implement a health and wellness program—with little to no planning necessary. Below are 10 wellness initiatives that can be implemented on any budget:

1.    Encourage healthy eating. If you have a cafeteria or offer food in your break room, consider providing healthier options. Swap high-fat chips, snacks and convenience food for fresh fruit, whole-grain crackers and low-fat dairy products. Save money by purchasing in bulk from your local wholesale food outlets, which usually offer business memberships. If you don’t have a cafeteria in the building, negotiating with local “healthy choice” restaurant owners and offering discounts or coupons is a good alternative. The restaurants won’t turn down the business, and employees will appreciate the thought—plus, they’re more likely to be alert after eating sensibly, avoiding that after-lunch slump.

Boost your savings: Consider having weekly luncheons in which your employees bring in homemade, healthy meals.

2.    Organize an exercise group. Organizing group workouts is a great way to provide employees with the support they need to stick with an exercise regimen. Consider coordinating 30-minute walks or similar recreational activities during lunch breaks. Employees will return to work feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, and on top of that it will likely help to foster bonds amongst co-workers.

Cost: Free. No money involved here; all your employees need is a good pair of walking shoes!

3.    Coordinate indoor activities. While it may be too cold to go outside for a walk, consider organizing some indoor activities or encourage your employees to hit the gym. Local gyms typically offer group discounts and can be a cost-effective alternative to individual membership options.

Boost your savings: Have employees bring in their favorite workout DVDs, clear a space and get moving!

4.    Organize health focus groups. Start employee circles that focus on specific health-related issues, such as obesity, smoking, or alcohol use. Have employees share their experiences—voluntarily of course—and work with one another to overcome any health-related battles.

Cost: Free. Employee support and advice is always free!

5.    Call in the professionals. Hire a wellness coach or fitness trainer to instruct employees on healthy living. Education is powerful in getting employees to change unhealthy habits.

Boost your savings: Call the local hospital to see if they offer free seminars on healthy living.

6.    Encourage doctor visits. Encourage employees to visit their physicians for regular check-ups. One way to accomplish this is by offering a group health plan that does not require co-payments for annual physicals.

Save money: When employees engage in preventative maintenance it will decrease your health insurance costs over the long-term.

7.    Make it fun! Make health consciousness fun. Have a friendly competition to see which employees can walk the most in a week or who can lose the most weight within a month.

Boost your savings: Institute your own version of “Biggest Loser” and reward the winner with a non-monetary reward, such as an extra day off of work.

8.    Promote family participation. Consider organizing health-related events that promote family participation. Company softball games, “fun runs”, or blood drives are all family-friendly events that many of your employees will find enjoyable. Employees will be more likely to stick to a health program when they have the support in as well as out of the office.

Cost: Free. Spending time with the family doesn’t cost a thing.

9.    Offer incentives to participate. If you find that not enough employees are getting involved, try offering rewards or incentives. For example, when Johnson & Johnson found that only 26% of their employees were participating in their exercise program, they decided to offer a $500 discount off medical insurance costs for those employees who took part. The result? The percentage of employees participating exploded – to over 93%!

Save money: Think about the long-term gain here: for every one dollar you invest into your health and wellness program you can expect to see a savings of approximately five dollars in reduced health care costs, workers’ compensation expenses and employee absences.

10.  Keep up with the program. Don’t just start the wellness program and leave the momentum up to your employees. Keep up with it; host new events and assess the program regularly. Some changes may be needed once you discover which portions of the program have been successful and which ones haven’t been.

Boost your savings: Keep things fresh and employees will be more likely to stick with the program, ensuring you have the time to reap the benefits.

The benefits of healthy lifestyle are not only seen by employees who participate in health and wellness programs, but by employers as well. By implementing these types of programs, employers will likely see a reduction in medical costs as well as increased employee productivity and morale.

Trish Dougherty has greater than 25 years of successful leadership experience and is Senior Vice President & Principal for The Weston Group located in Sioux Falls,SD. Dougherty has a background in executive human resource management and is also a licensed Registered Nurse. Dougherty also served as an Officer in the United States Army Nurse Corps for 10 years. Dougherty travels and speaks nationally to assist small to medium size organizations with organizational effectiveness involving their most important asset – their employees. Trish can be reached at Trish@TheWestonGroup.com or 605-275-4747. www.TheWestonGroup.com