Worker wellness is in the spotlight more and more as businesses are starting to see the benefits of helping their workers adopt healthier lifestyles, says a recent article in the Press and Sun-Bulletin. Seeing just how much of an asset physically and mentally healthy employees are to a successful company, businesses are implementing worker wellness programs.

From providing an in-office gym with treadmills and weight equipment, to encouraging enrollment in weight-loss programs, companies are seeing improvements in worker wellness. For instance, the amount of times employees call in sick has gone down. Ultimately, the businesses implementing worker wellness programs are trying to improve their bottom line. Stressed-out, tired, sick employees can hurt their bottom line. But successful worker wellness programs can help keep workers healthy and happy.

The article mentions the metrics involved in running a successful worker wellness program. There are seven total benchmarks, according to the Wellness Councils of America. Those seven are:

• Cohesive wellness teams
• Senior-level support
• Data to drive a results-oriented wellness initiative
• An operating plan each year
• An environment that’s both supportive and health-promoting
• Appropriate interventions
• Program outcomes that are carefully evaluated

For worker wellness programs, the Wellness Councils of America recommend keeping in mind these seven benchmarks to help make the program successful. The goal, of course, is to have workers be the best they can be.

Many businesses are drawn to worker wellness programs because they provide a return on an investment. You can bet worker wellness programs are attractive to businesses, especially when they improve worker performance and cut down on workers calling in sick as well as disability and workers’ compensation claims. Additionally, having a worker wellness program is a way for an employer to show workers that they are genuinely concerned about their health.

The article concludes that an essential part of a successful worker wellness program is that there’s support from the management along with supportive — not aggressive — communication.

Worker Wellness Programs: Get Started

Interested in starting up a worker wellness program at your business? Get started by finding out more from Employee Wellness USA. We have years of experience developing worker wellness programs for major corporations, and we even offer free wellness proposals.