Many US employers offer some type of wellness program, but COVID-19 has highlighted the need for organizations to enhance their current offerings to improve and maintain employee health. Your employees are your most valuable asset and if they are not healthy, your organization cannot compete in today’s new environment.
The coronavirus pandemic has taken a toll on individuals who are obese and those with chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. These health conditions are often avoidable and individuals with these conditions can take steps to reduce their current risk. When employees are given the opportunity to improve their well-being, many will take the opportunity to make healthier lifestyle choices. By enhancing your current wellness offerings, your organization will strengthen three key areas that will help your organization thrive in today’s environment while positioning your organization for continued success in the future.
Boost Productivity
Healthy employees are more productive and that is very important as we embrace the new world of work. With so many employees still working remotely, it’s vital that your workforce is focused and engaged. Employees who are suffering from a mild illness can be more distracted than their healthy counterparts. A long-term condition such as stress or diabetes can be even more debilitating. Stress, for example, can lead to medical conditions such as heart disease and mental illness; it can also lead to burnout and turnover. It’s hard for employees to operate at peak performance when they are suffering from physical or emotional ailments. Helping your employees improve their overall well-being by implementing a holistic approach to wellness will create a healthier workforce that can perform at optimal levels during the coronavirus pandemic and beyond.
Improve Engagement
It’s no secret that engaged employees are more likely to be attentive and thorough and apply themselves wholeheartedly to their roles, thereby increasing productivity. And it’s no surprise that driving employee engagement can be difficult during a worldwide pandemic. To address this issue, your wellness program must focus on overall engagement. Many employees are now reporting to managers who are working from home and struggling to manage their newly remote teams. Likewise, many employees have been removed from their social circles at work and can no longer walk down the hall to chat with a co-worker or grab a late morning cup of coffee and catch up. Offering appropriate training, resources and programs will help your organization improve engagement, which will lead to healthier, happier employees. Your employees are the backbone of your organization while it navigates the coronavirus pandemic and you want them to give their all to the success of your organization.
Drive Innovation
It’s never been more important to innovate than it has in the past five months. Organizations that were able to pivot and embrace the challenges of COVID-19 are thriving while many of those that could not are struggling. Just like healthy employees are more productive and engaged, they are also more innovative and willing to adapt to change while delivering higher quality work. Healthy employees also have greater focus because they are not worried about physical or mental ailments and this clarity allows them to be more creative, driving advancements in their industries.
What Should Employers Do Now?
It’s important to assess your wellness program and determine if it is meeting the current needs of employees, many of whom may be working remotely for the first time. By taking the right steps and putting the correct measures in place, your organization can emerge from this pandemic stronger than it was before.
Wellness Workdays works with employers across the country to improve employee health and well-being. Our highly credentialed staff has seamlessly transitioned wellness programs for employers whose employees are now working remotely. Take advantage of the complimentary 90-day trial of our wellness portal technology and find out how it can improve your employees’ well-being. Contact us to learn more.