The importance of a Employee Wellness.
Healthy employees are more productive, happier, less stressed, and work with increased morale. As if these benefits alone weren’t enough to prompt leadership teams across the globe to jump on the corporate wellness bandwagon, increased health status from these programs can actually also positively impact a business’s bottom line! All the wins!
Corporate wellness should be at the heart of a successful corporate culture and can be done separate ways..
- Internal corporate wellness team
- External corporate wellness providers such as Safe Hands
- A combination of two
If you need help in defining your corporate wellness strategy or some further information, get in touch here.
Looking after employees should always be a priority but never more so than in the current climate. The covid-19 pandemic has resulted in an increase in workplace stress, exhaustion, overwhelm, and burnout. In addition to this, remote working and gym closures saw a disruption to normal eating habits and physical activity routines. As we head into the “new normal” further adjustments may need to be made in order to accommodate health and wellbeing practices, for example, workplace ergonomics.
Health & Healthcare Spend
Over half of company healthcare spends come from preventable and often treatable health risks such as:
- Inactivity
- High cholesterol levels
- High blood pressure
- Obesity
- Cardiovascular disease
According to the 2019 IDF statistics, the United Arab Emirates has one of the world’s highest prevalence rates of diabetes at 16.3%.
A recent report published by the Dubai Diabetes and Endocrinology Journal also stated that the UAE has an obesity prevalence rate of 31.7%, considerably higher than the world average at 13%.
To top it all off, Cardiovascular Disease remains the leading cause of death in the United Arab Emirates and worldwide. The relevance? All of the mentioned health conditions are influenced by lifestyle factors.
Lifestyle factors can be considered and catered to through the following types of wellness activities:
- Emotional and Physical Health Education
- Biometric Screenings
- Health and Wellness Surveys
- Physical Activity Programs
- Nutritional Campaigns
- Smoking Cessation Workshops
- Healthy Office Snacks
Employee Retention and Recruitment
With the economy continuing to improve, companies need to stand out from their competitors when looking to hire the best in the market. The better the benefits, the more alluring a company looks to potential candidates. A well-designed wellness program can help businesses to stand out from the crowd and also boost employee retention.
A recent report has found that Millennials in particular value benefits such as health and wellness programs when deciding to remain in a position or take a job offer.
“89% of staffs at companies that offer well-being programs are more likely to recommend their organization as a good place to work.”
Productivity
The link between employee wellness and productivity is undeniable. Creating a wellness program that holds employee wellbeing at its core and allows for flexibility and feedback is key. A wellness strategy that equips employees with the knowledge and tools to identify certain emotional and physical health complaints and implement methods to tackle them will ultimately result in fewer sick days and reduce presenteeism.
Company Culture
A study has found that 95 percent of individuals who started a weight-loss program with friends completed the program in comparison to a 76% completion rate for those that entered the weight loss program alone.
The same logic can be applied to the workplace. Individuals who participate in health and wellness activities or initiatives with their colleagues are more likely to not only complete the activity but also maintain the healthy practices that were taught or implemented.
Creating a common goal to improve health and wellbeing will drive engagement and ultimately result in positive measurable outcomes.
In summary, an effective wellness strategy will tackle areas of physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing to ultimately raise the health status of employees whilst positively impacting a company’s spend through reduced absenteeism, reduced presenteeism, increased productivity, and lower medical costs.
To find out how to get started, get in touch with us today!