Employee Wellness Made Easy!

It just makes sense: Healthier and happier employees are more productive and less likely to quit. According to a recent survey conducted by the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM), 93% of decision makers in small businesses say that the health of their employees is important to their bottom line, but only 22% offer wellness programs. Employees, too, want their company to offer wellness benefits, with many saying that they figure prominently in their decision to accept a job offer. We often think of “wellness” in terms of medical benefits, but the term has taken on a much broader meaning, which opens the door for many creative options for meeting employees’ wellness needs.

Physical and Mental Wellness

Physical wellness is so much more than just encouraging physical activity, which many employers already do. Wellness includes health education. You can make printed information (flyers, posters, or newsletters) available in your lunchroom or on a bulletin board. You might consider offering the occasional free healthy snack or bottled water near any printed wellness resources.  Perhaps a local nutritionist or nurse can come speak for half an hour about healthy eating or blood pressure or another topic of interest).

Mental health has been a top priority for employees since Covid hit. Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) offer employees free, convenient, and confidential short-term counseling and referrals on both physical and mental wellness issues. Some EAPs provide financial and legal support as well. These programs can be very affordable for employers. Make sure you have strong policies in place around bullying and harassment, which can devastate individuals and tank morale in your entire company. Have a professional come in and give advice on stress reduction techniques to all employees.

Cultural Wellness

A strong, positive culture fosters a sense of shared purpose and forges meaningful relationships among coworkers, both of which are critical for job satisfaction, high engagement, and productivity. Be sure your employees are on board with your company’s mission, vision, and values. Make it a practice to recognize employees for their efforts and celebrate team and individual successes. Your frequent communication with your staff—through check-ins, one-on-ones, at team meetings, through surveys—will support a strong culture and will create the trust needed for employees to be honest about their needs and possible areas for improvement.

Financial Wellness

63% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. Inflation has taken a toll, both in higher prices and the cost of credit card and other debt. A survey by Salary Finance found that those suffering from financial-related stress are almost five times more likely to have lower work quality, and they suffer from depression and anxiety at similar rates. A number of free online personal finance educational courses are available; by making your employees aware of them, you may be helping in a very tangible way, as well as letting them know you care. US News & World Report published a list here. As mentioned above, many EAPS provide short-term financial counseling as well.

Tying It All Together

You can support your employees’ wellness in many ways without breaking the bank or making big changes all at once. SHRM reports that although 60% of small business owners want to have employee wellness initiatives, a similar number (58%) don’t know where to start. The good news is that you can start small and start anywhere. Your employees will thank you!