9 Reasons to Prioritize Workplace Wellness
Chances are, you know workplace wellness is important, but it often isn’t prioritized. Getting on board the workplace wellness train and actively supporting employees’ health is seen as a “nice to have” or something to implement “down the line”. But there’s a real business case to be made for workplace wellness, so it’s time to make employee health an action item!
“Healthy employees cost less, are happier, and are more likely to stick around for the long haul!”
January is a perfect time to start planning for wellness in your organization. Everyone is feeling the holiday overindulgence, and lots of folks are already thinking more about nutrition, exercise, stress-management, financial wellness, and self-care. So if buy-in is a concern, piggybacking on New Years resolutions is a great way to get everyone enthusiastic about healthy changes.
Need more justification? We know you may not be the only one you have to convince, so here are 9 reasons to stop putting off workplace wellness:
1. Builds loyalty: A wellness plan is a fantastic way to demonstrate to employees that you care about them as people and appreciate them as individuals, not just as cogs in a wheel.
2. Lowers turnover: Organizations with wellness plans have lower voluntary turnover rates than those with no plans.
3. Makes recruitment easier: A health-centric culture is attractive to prospective employees—they’ll want to work for you! And with tough competition for top talent, skilled candidates can afford to be picky. A wellness program can be that added extra that sets you apart from other employers.
For more tips on easier recruitment, Click here.
4. Lowers benefits costs: Health care costs are only set to rise with an aging workforce. A wellness plan is an effective way to control rising benefits costs.
5. Decreases absenteeism: Absenteeism is expensive, and wellness initiatives can improve health and wellbeing, resulting in fewer absences. For every $1 spent on company wellness programs (says Harvard) absenteeism costs fall by around three bucks.
6. Decreases presenteeism: Think absenteeism is expensive? Presenteeism, or when employees are coming to work and under-performing due to stress or illness, is even more pricey. Estimates suggest the costs of lost productivity from presenteeism are around three times higher than those of absenteeism. Worth addressing? We think so.
7. Improves productivity: Improved wellbeing and health is associated with higher energy levels and better concentration. The results? Increased employee output.
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8. Improves morale and engagement: Supporting a range of employee health factors through wellness initiatives improves overall satisfaction and morale, and boosts engagement – Healthy employees are happier, and they work harder!
9. Strengthens employer brand: Having a wellness strategy in place is good advertising! When communicated effectively, wellness plans can strengthen your employer brand.
The bottom line? Healthy employees cost you less, are happier at work, and are more likely to stick around for the long haul!
Your Engaged Assignment: Getting wellness plan buy in from the get go is important to success, and it helps if you’ve got some clearly articulated reasons in your pocket to back you up when convincing others. Save this list of “Wellness Whys” as a resource when you need some solid justification to bolster your convictions!