Tips for getting employees excited about health

With the rising health insurance costs, many employers are searching for ways to encourage employees to get healthy. Studies have shown that overweight or obese employees cost employers $285,000 a year in health costs and absenteeism. Encouraging your employees to lose weight and improve their overall health can be done tactfully and in a way that gets everyone excited. Here are some ways to create a healthy office.

Be honest with your employees from the beginning. While it may be a difficult position to discuss losing weight with overweight or obese employees, remember they are adults and need to be able to take criticism. Honestly talk to your employee and discuss how it is difficult to provide better wages and benefits because extra money is going to support medical costs that could be prevented. Talk to your employee about implementing a company-wide weight loss initiative and get their opinion. Discuss ways with each employee as to how you can improve the weight loss initiative through incentives, carnivals, parties, or other things.

Commit each employee to improving their health. By implementing a healthy office initiative, you will encourage everyone at the company to take steps toward improving their health. Have everyone fill out a checklist each quarter as to what they will do to improve their health and reward them for it. For example, one employee could state they plan to give up smoking to improve their health. If the employee gives up smoking, then you will give them a reward. Rewards can be anything from money to time off. Anything that you decide will get your employees excited about losing weight and improving their health.

Have a "fitness day" at your company. This can be a complete day of work or a half day. Hire a personal fitness instructor to come and discuss fitness goals with each employee. You can have the entire office participate in different fitness classes or take a walk outside. Either before or after the exercise, have each employee go to a training class on cooking healthier foods. Hire demonstrators to come and cook a healthy lunch for your company and teach each employee how to cook it and other healthier food choices.

Get your employees excited about good nutrition by posting a recipe bulletin board. Each employee should be able to share their healthy recipe with their co-workers. Host a potluck lunch each month where employees are encouraged to bring their favorite healthy food dish. You can also do weekly snack pot luck's by having different staff members bring healthy snack to work like vegetable and fruit trays.

When you are creating your new healthy office, don't forget to replace the vending machine food items. Many employees will eat healthier snacks if the junk food is not an option.

Encourage group exercise at your company by offering gym memberships or financial reimbursement to those who actively participate in a fitness program. Many people are likely to continue with an exercise program with the support of a group. Post sign up sheets around the office and schedule times where a group of 5 to 6 employees can go on break and workout together for 30 minutes. You can also hire an aerobics instructor to come in during the week and provide a vigorous workout to your groups.

When people lose weight, they gain confidence. Their overall persona is happier and uplifted. By creating a healthy office, you will not only see happier employees but the overall workplace will be uplifted and people will be satisfied with their jobs. Happier employees have also been known to work harder, thereby increasing the productivity of your company.