Factors to consider before implementing a wellness program

Are you considering a wellness program for your company? If you are considering one, there are several things that you must consider in order to ensure that it will run effectively and that you do not upset any of your employees by adding it as part of your company. Employees that are in good health are more productive and less likely to take time off work due to illness and other things. Exercise programs, healthy eating, smoking cessation, employee safety, and cleanliness are just a few of the things that employers can use in order to implement a good wellness program for their employees. You need to be able to consider all of the various factors that can be part of your wellness program in order to make the right difference. A good wellness program will help employees to take notice of their health and to hopefully start getting on the track to improving their health and wellness. It is also a great way for companies to cut down on their health insurance costs and to really save money on lost productivity.

When a person is healthy and well they are likely to able to handle stress much better. They do not become overwhelmed and they often perform much better at work compared to people that do not pay attention to their health. So what are some of the factors you need to consider when you are working on a health and wellness program? Here are a few that you need to consider:

1. Employee Safety - this is one of the most important things to consider as you need to ensure that your employees are safe in the workplace. If you do not pay attention to their health and safety you can end up losing employees for weeks or months at a time as they have to heal their injuries. You also need to worry about the cost it will bring to the company such as higher health insurance costs along with lost production and the toll it will take on employee morale. Look at some of the ways in which you can focus on improving employee safety by upgrading equipment or having it regularly serviced so that you don't have malfunctions and other things. It is also a good idea to consider looking into other things that you can do in order to train your employees on how to be safe on the job. Behavior-based safety training is a great option to use in order to keep your staff safe.


2. Sick Leave Abuse - If you find that you have a lot of people calling in sick all the time, it is time to look at what needs to be done in order to change the illness problems in the office. Many people abuse sick leave and take too much of it or use it for vacation time and then have to take time off again when they are sick. This can hurt your company's productivity along with causing you to have issues with employee morale. Cleanliness in the workplace is one of the best ways to prevent illness from spreading around the workplace. It also helps to remind your employees to use their sick leave for the right reasons and to give them plenty of vacation time so they do have sick leave available to use when they are ill.


3. Out of Shape Employees - What if you are dealing with a lot of employees that are overweight or just aren't healthy? This is where a good wellness program will help you as you can encourage your employees to participate in daily exercise. You need to do it as well in order to encourage your employees to follow your example and to start taking notice of their health. Offer them a gym membership or access to an on-site exercise facility to they can actually exercise.