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Wellness program tips
When you decide to introduce a wellness program, you need to be prepared to spend some extra time working with your employees to keep them motivated about your wellness program. You will need to come up with some good incentives to encourage your employees to participate in the program or else you will lose out on some participation by employees. If you are new to wellness programs, here are some tips to help you get started:
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Tip # 1 - Offer good incentives
As stated previously, a great portion of your staff participation will depend upon the incentives you offer. Some companies offer rebates on health care costs, others offer cash compensation, and then they are the companies that offer the big prizes like time off work or an all expense-paid vacation. Some of the common incentives that are offered by employers include some of the following:
- Gym bags
- Hats or visors
- T-shirts
- Videos
- Mugs
- Gift certificates
When you choose an incentive to offer your employees, make sure it is something good. You can use the above incentives for smaller goals like losing 5 pounds or remaining smoke-free for a month. The larger incentives like a free trip must be used when your employees complete the length of the wellness program. If you want your employees to continue working on the wellness program year-round, offer quarterly incentives that will inspire them to lose weight and get in shape. Be careful about giving them an incentive to a restaurant or one the focuses on an unhealthy activity. The point of the wellness program is to get your staff in shape so offer a racing gift certificate instead of one to the movies.
Tip # 2 - Flexible Hours
The best way to get your employees to participate in a wellness program is to encourage them to do it during work hours. Companies that invest some money to hire a yoga instructor, personal trainer, or nutritionist to come in and actually work with their employees normally see some success with their wellness program. Giving your employees time to exercise during work hours is a great way to increase employee satisfaction. If you make the exercise time mandatory, your employees have no choice. Besides, who would want to sit at their desk and continue working while all of their co-workers are enjoying a nice yoga massage? Companies that offer flexible hours for exercise see an increase in production and job satisfaction. They also see a decrease in the amount of sick leave that is used and medical expenses.
Tip # 3 - Encouragement
A good wellness program is company-wide. You shouldn't implement it and then hope your employees do it. You must encourage and support them along the way. A great way to motivate them to participate in the wellness program is to set a good example for them. Start participating in the wellness program so your employees can see that you are excited to lose weight and get healthy.
Send out weekly email reminders encouraging your employees to continue participating in the wellness program. They need to feel your support or else they will have a hard time working toward their end goal. Sending out reminders is a great way to inspire a little friendly competition in the office because you can let everyone know which employees are currently in the lead for the big incentive. Offer some surprise rewards after the first 6 weeks of the wellness program. This will help to encourage your other employees that you are serious about your commitment to health and the employees that participate will be rewarded for their efforts.
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