You cannot afford to ignore the health and wellness of your employees anymore. This generation of employees is more health conscious in general and is starting to demand having this kind of program where they work. Having a good health and wellness program is important if you have an older workforce too as they’re more likely to get sick. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why having a good health and wellness program in your organization should be a priority.
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It’s Becoming the New Standard
More companies today have a well-crafted health and wellness program in their organization and most of those who don’t are thinking about having one. One 2019 study found that about half of the companies in the US had this kind of program in their organization, and these numbers are probably much higher now. So, if you want to be able to keep up, then you need to have real health and wellness initiatives where you are, and you have to find ways to make them stand out.
One of the things you could do here would be to offer a healthy food card for OTC medication and specific food items. Offering a healthy food card will show that you care about your employees’ health and their pockets as well, and they will think twice about leaving a company that allows them to save on groceries. Other initiatives you should consider include giving employees access to therapy and massage services, allowing them more mental health days, extending health benefits to their children, and measures to help them manage their work/life balance better.
It Will Boost Morale and Production
Healthier employees are more motivated, and more motivated employees perform better. They are also less likely to cut corners, ignore safety protocols, and commit malicious acts. And they’re less likely to quit overnight too. All of these things can benefit your bottom line in the long run.
Fewer Sick Days
Being able to reduce absenteeism is another compelling reason to focus more on health and well-being initiatives. One study found that health issues cost American employers close to $600b per year, and having employees constantly calling in sick can affect your business in so many ways.
If you can’t find people to replace them, then you will end up putting more stress on your most faithful employees. And if it becomes repetitive, some of these employees may decide to leave too, which could leave you in lots of trouble. So, you should check your presence numbers, see if yours are lower than average, and consider instituting a robust health and wellness program to see if it improves the situation.
Health and wellness programs are becoming the norm all over the country, and if you don’t start building one today, you will have trouble attracting people in the future. So, start looking at different options today and try building a program that will please your employees without costing you too much.