Workplace wellness can start small, with a simple walking program, or grow into an all-inclusive activity tracking, health risk premium reduction program.  The great thing about wellness is that you can fit the program to meet the needs of your culture.  A 2015 report from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Transamerica Center for Health Studies states,

“Wellness programs are most effective when they are clearly tailored to the goals and needs of specific populations and provide sufficient opportunities for employee engagement and input.”

For example, remote workers can be challenged to track points for eating fruits and vegetables, keeping a food journal, and exercising.  Workers that share office space can plan onsite fitness classes, hold a wellness fair, and choose healthy snacks to stock in the refrigerator and vending machine.

There are so many wellness options, but focusing on why to implement a program in the first place takes precedence.  Here are just a few reasons to jump on the wellness train and create a positive culture around wellness.

It Can Lead to an Increase in Productivity

If you see that your team’s production level is decreasing, or you have a team that needs to be physically fit and workplace injuries are on the rise, try a fitness initiative.  Not only will it physically strengthen the team, but the confidence they gain will enable them to be more creative, which leads to an increase in production.

It Builds a Sense of Community

Regardless of a team’s physical fitness, when they are asked to compete on a common goal, they will find other commonalities and learn about each other.  It’s team building in the real world without the training session!

It Can Create a Culture of Employees Feeling Valued

Not only does a company promoting wellness care about their staff, they also want them to succeed; not only in their job, but in remaining healthy for their family and areas of interest outside of work.

At Purple Ink we’ve recently completed our first wellness program – we learned, laughed, created healthy routines like drinking more water and flossing our teeth – and we are brainstorming on what might work best next.  All we know is everyone felt more engaged as a team, which for sure increased our creativity & productivity!

If you are looking to start a program or would like us to take a quick assessment of your culture to see what might work, contact us! We are true believers that a wellness plan – no matter the size of the program – works wonders in building a stronger team.  Just try it!