Getting the right work, life and relaxation balance is becoming a larger responsibility for companies today than it was in the past.
As employees tackle longer work hours their health and wellbeing slowly declines. Companies which introduce a wellness program, experience a positive, happy, productive and more reliable work atmosphere reflecting in higher productivity.
The US are essentially years ahead in terms of corporate wellness, particularly because of their health insurance scheme. The benefits of having health and wellness intricately linked with employment are undeniable. It requires the employer to take responsibility for their employees on a personal level and also encourage them to take further responsibility for their own health and wellbeing.
Friday night drinks may have kept staff happy, relaxed and content in the past, yet with workplace culture changing, employees are no longer after another round at the bar. Employees are leaning more towards another training session for the upcoming City to Surf or sharing a downward dog at a lunch-time yoga session with their boss.
“While staff may be the biggest expense on the budget sheet, they are also the biggest asset. We do everything possible to maintain and increase the value of our assets - staff is no different. To maintain their work value we need to ensure that they do not become sick, unmotivated and negative in the workplace or they will certainly become a liability.” Says CEO of Corporate Wellness Australia, Wayne Dart.
Today in the workplace, it is not uncommon to see a massage therapist walking around the office offering neck and shoulder massages, or perhaps meeting rooms being converted into yoga classes at lunchtime. As employees spend longer hours at work, employers are discovering that by incorporating a workplace wellness program, staff satisfaction increases, absenteeism levels decrease resulting in an increase in employees’ productivity and improving morale.
So lets get back to basics… why implement a corporate health and wellness program for your staff? Let’s have a look at some of recent stats:
. 10% of Australian workers are sedentary
. 40% do minimal exercise
. 12% exercise less than one hour per week
. 46% have high-fat diets
. 92% eat less than the recommended servings of 5-9 serves of fruit & vegetables
. 21% smoke daily
. 53% feel overwhelmed with pressure and stress “a significant amount of the time”
When you see these results, you have to ask yourself, how much is this costing our company’s bottom line?
It’s obvious when people are healthy and happy in and amongst their surrounds and are happy with themselves they are far more productive and conducive to greater company growth.
Also in the back of cutting edge CEO’s minds, is a recent article in Australian Magazine, BRW, which stated that “pay is no longer the most important factor when attracting or retaining high performing staff.” (Statistics were compiled by the Australian Institute of Management) The article goes on to state “… employers need to consider a whole range of “engagement factors”, such as job satisfaction, good relationships with co-workers, new and interesting challenges, feeling valued and work life balance…” In fact pay ranked 10th on the list!
Once upon a time, a company would demand its pound of flesh for monetary return, but in this day and age, with people working longer hours and being under high levels of stress, employers must ensure that the work life doesn’t take away too much from the things that are important to individuals.
It’s for this reason that so many progressive companies are giving back to their staff by implementing a corporate health strategy. By implementing ongoing corporate health programs, the employer is showing the staff that they care about the team’s wellbeing beyond the working hours. They build team/family spirit and “extra curricula” communication through people bonding while taking on personal challenges extending beyond the computer keyboard in front of them. And by educating your team, through corporate health seminars and by implementing health strategies with SMART goals and outcomes built into job descriptions, you can expect to see far more lively and enthusiastic workers.
Corporate Wellness Australia has a great blog and website, with great tips and programs that will inspire your workplace with practical ways to implement a wellness program. http://www.corporatewellness.com.au/blog/
