In today’s competitive business landscape, it is important to assess how best to use your resources to meet the challenge of recruiting, retaining and engaging employees; while managing absenteeism, employee turnover, and an aging workforce. Studies confirm that workplace wellness programs are effective at reducing sick leave, improving employee health, boosting morale and increasing productivity.
What is Workplace Wellness?
Looking after the wellness of your employees does not have to solely focus on safety and injury prevention. Recently, businesses have introduced programs that are designed to assist employees to choose healthier behaviours, like being more physically active or quitting smoking. The programs focus on increasing knowledge and opportunities to learn new skills, to make it easier for employees to make healthier choices.
Why Wellness Programs are Important
Workplace wellness programs are an important business strategy. Not only are they essential for improving employee health and wellbeing, but they also reflect a business’s reputation as a socially responsible employer. Workplace wellness programs attract new talent, and help retain and engage current employees.
In fact, the 2007-2008 Towers Perrin Global Workforce Study showed that the most powerful influencer of employee engagement was found to be “the knowledge that senior management is sincerely interested in my well-being” (1).