By now, most employers are aware of the benefits of an employee wellness program.  Healthy and happy staff are more productive, absent less and reduce health costs for the company.  But in this fast-paced world, some employees are still too stressed to jump on the wellness bandwagon (ironic, right?).  So if a comprehensive wellness program is failing to catch on, what small steps can an employer take to nudge the staff in the right direction?

Here are 5 small steps that a company can take:

1. Find an office champion. There’s always a few in every office that have fully embraced the idea of fitness and wellness.   Enlist their aid at the grassroots level to get a sense of what the staff would be able and willing to participate in.  You could also send out a survey where the responses would be anonymous.
2. Make healthy food more available. Good nutrition will help your staff take small steps to wellness.  Whether it’s having fresh fruit in the break room at all times, or making sure the food ordered in for meetings has healthy options, companies should make sure their staff is not rushing off for a hit of fast food in the middle of the day.
3. Offer stretch and/or relaxation breaks. Cost is minimal to hire an yoga instructor to come in a couple times per week to offer stretch breaks and relaxation breaks.  And the goal can be to empower your employees to incorporate this outside of work…you know give a man a fish, he eats for a day; give a man a fishing pole and he’ll eat for a lifetime.
4. Offer onsite medical services. Onsite blood pressure clinics or cholesterol testing a couple times per year can lead to staff being more aware of their health.  Offering flu shots once per year can help stave off the illness running rampant through an office.
5. Walk the work-life balance walk. A lot of companies say they support the work-life balance of their staff, but the message that is sent by many managers is the opposite.  Make sure that the message starts at the top of the organization and is made emphatic that high value is placed on allowing staff to flex their schedule in the interest of work-life balance.

Once you’ve tried these small steps and had success or if your company has already embedded these ideas and you want to move forward with a more comprehensive wellness program, Curtis Health will be happy to create a custom proposal for wellness services that works with your budget.