Did you know that 3/4 of money spent on United States Healthcare occurs because of preventable conditions? Did you also know that loss of on the job productivity accounts for 60% of the total cost of worker illness resulting in 2-4 hours of lost time?
Wellness programs not only solve these problems, they create empowerment for employees and help employees become healthier, more productive and happier in their jobs. In fact, 43% of workers agree that wellness benefits motivate them to work harder and perform better.
What are Wellness Programs?
Wellness programs are typically implemented by companies to encourage and help their employees become healthier. This, in turn, helps to increase productivity, reduce healthcare costs and increase employee loyalty. The more successful wellness programs are the ones who empower employees to consistently make the right choices. For example, wellness programs that are implemented to help employees lose weight, manage their stress or quit smoking.
This is where promotional products come in handy. Promotional products are the perfect tool/accessory to keep employees motivated to continue their journey to a happier and healthier lifestyle. Imprinting products with the logo of the wellness program or motivational message will allow employees to be reminded of the milestones they are trying to accomplish.
How to Implement a Wellness Program
Start off by providing employees with the tools they will need to start their journey. These items can be part educational, part functional.
For example, journals designed to log calories or report miles walked, wellness calendars or mouse pads with dates for weigh-ins, health screening events and exercise classes. Also, you can provide magnets with tips to quit smoking, posters for a break room, mouse pads with suggestions to prevent carpal tunnel or provide slide guides (as mentioned in one of our previous blogs).
Next, implement tiered rewards where employees who continue with the program can earn points for reaching certain milestones such as Losing 10 pounds or being Smoke Free for 20 days. Then, they can redeem points for better rewards.
For example, choose rewards to keep employees active, enable them to cook healthier or support health awareness. Rewards could be branded pedometers, bike helmets, cookbooks, weights or jump ropes for a fitness program. Or, provide yoga mats or blood pressure monitors for a stress management program. Some higher end products (saved for higher points earned) could be gym wear, golf clubs, hiking gear or bicycles. To make these items more effective, imprint them with the logo of wellness program or you could imprint a motivational message.
You could also choose to provide trophies over time to showcase an employees achievement when they complete a milestone.
Benefits of Wellness Programs
-28% of employees miss fewer days of work as a direct result in participating in wellness programs.
-38% of workers attribute wellness programs to improved energy and production.
-48% are more likely to stay with their current employer for the long term
-For every $1 spent on a wellness program, companies can expect a $3 return.
-61% of employees choose to take part in wellness programs within companies that offer incentives for participation versus 26 that participate in programs that lack rewards.
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