Increasing evidence supports the need for workplace wellness programs, and many companies are implementing health and wellness strategies to reduce injuries, health care costs and long-term disability.
With additional benefits such as reduced absenteeism, higher productivity, reduced use of health care benefits and increased morale and loyalty, it is not surprising more employers are choosing to implement workplace wellness programs within their companies.
Workplace health and wellness program should be a part of every company’s overall strategy.Workplace wellness programs are different from traditional health and safety programs because there is no legislative mandate. However, the purpose of a workplace health and wellness program is to offer a comprehensive health service for all employees. In addition, employee wellness is considered a potentially high return on investment for employers due to rising health care costs.
The elements to help ensure these programs achieve their goals are: take ownership and leadership and get support from Senior Management or your Board of Directors. Talk to as many people or groups as you can and get support from everyone. Acknowledge current or informal activities and collect baseline data. Identify the key needs and expectations of your workplace and develop a detailed plan that identifies what needs to be done, prioritizing them, set realistic targets and timelines (both short term and long term), initiate the program and identify the resources you need.
Remember who your target audience is and make sure you have a working committee that reflects your workforce. Before you put your plan into action, define success. Then put your plan into action. Moreover, finally, monitor, evaluate and maintain the program. Reviewing the program can help you know what is working and what is not. Gathering the right information is essential, but it does not have to be complicated. Be sure to take baseline data so you can compare the results of later programs.
So did you know ….
Guarding Minds @ Work (GM@W) is a unique and free, comprehensive set of resources designed to protect and promote psychological health and wellness and safety in the workplace. GM@W resources allow employers to assess effectively and address the 13 psychosocial factors known to have a powerful impact on organizational health, health of individual employees, and the financial bottom line.
Psychosocial factors are elements that impact employees’ psychological responses to work and work conditions, potentially causing psychological health problems. Psychosocial factors include the way work is carried out (deadlines, workload, work methods) and the context in which work occurs (including relationships and interactions with managers and supervisors, colleagues and coworkers, and clients or customers).
There are 13 Psychosocial factors that are assessed by the GM@W. Questions are asked for each category and analyzed to give you a rating of successes, concerns, and requiring attention.
GM@W is available to all employers – large or small, in the public or private sector – at no cost.
The Aviary Group has been working with large and small organizations to implement their Workplace Wellness Program. Should your organization need assistance in any aspect of implementing a Workplace Wellness Program after you have the analysis completing from the survey or in the use of this tool, please give us a call.
