Corporate wellness is more than just a catchy phrase. When employers invest in employee health, they see returns of healthier employees, better productivity and lower healthcare costs. Corporate wellness programs are designed to create an organizational culture of health that pervades the workplace. By stressing healthy habits and lifestyle changes, employers tell their employees that they value their wellness. 

Corporate wellness programs come in many sizes and capacities. Some employers focus on onsite wellness programs, like vaccine clinics or educational classes and materials. Some prefer to work with an established health and fitness company to provide health screenings, gym memberships or fitness training. Others engage their employees through a variety of fun competitions, like step contests or weight loss challenges. Each employer must assess what is appropriate for their employee base to ensure an effective program.

What’s the best way to get started? Here are a few steps necessary to incorporate a wellness program into your workplace.

Evaluate the employee health culture

Most of us know what we lack when it comes to our physical and mental health. So, ask for your employees’ input. A tobacco-cessation program won’t likely be a priority in a workplace full of non-smokers. Onsite exercises classes may be scoffed at by hardscrabble employees who already put in gobs of manual labor each workday. Let the experts take over; many corporate fitness programs offer workplace evaluations as part of their wellness packages.

Get the top brass involved

Employees need to know that this isn’t just an extra task assigned by their manager. Bosses need to stress the importance of a healthy lifestyle and serve as role models. Make sure the messages reinforce a commitment to employees. An investment in employee health goes beyond those healthcare dollar savings. Employees want to know that they matter.

Connect with an established program

There’s no need to start from scratch when established workplace wellness programs already exist and can be tailored to employee needs. Hancock Well-Being and Hancock Wellness Centers provide a comprehensive program that connects employees to medical-based expertise. Employees can benefit from three local Medical Fitness Association–certified centers that offer access to equipment, classes, amenities and more. Employers also can choose to add discounted Hancock Wellness Center programs, such as biometrics screening, nutrition consults or personal training.

Corporate wellness programs can bring measurable results. Studies claim that engaged members in medical fitness facilities provide more than a 20% reduction in medical claims and prescription spending. Now is the time to take care of your employees. The Hancock Workplace Wellness Program can help any employer, big or small, create a program to engage employees and support them on the road to healthier living.