Wellness Library : Corporate Health Promotion Programs: Small vs. Big Company Options
Posted in Corporate Wellness, Wellness Library | By admin | Tags: Corporate Wellness, health, medical, Wellness Library
Can a small business support workplace wellness? Absolutely! In fact, in some ways it is easier to create a healthy workplace in a small business than in a sizable business.
Limited resources, especially in small organizations, can keep a employer from setting up a Employee Wellness Program. Reasons can include:
• lack of budget resources;
• lack of employee;
• lack of senior-level backing;
• sparse knowledge of the wellness concept and;
• concern about making wellness available to all staff members.
According to the Wellness Councils of America, some small company owners may have a flawed idea of what is involved in maintaining a Worksite Health Promotion Program. Some employers aren’t sure a program would truly work and others feel that trying to change personal lifestyle behaviours is intruding and “none of their business”. Maybe they don’t understand that it need not be costly and that they don’t need special employee. They may not be aware that some employee would like to see some healthy changes and would help make things happen in their workplace.
It Can Be Accomplished
Many small companies have found ways to have a Employee Wellness Program that works for them. They keep the expenditure and effort to a minimum and still have results that are positive for everyone. In 2006, Graham Lowe wrote a report on the best places to work in Calgary. He said that healthy workplaces frequently have a “positive workplace culture”. In a workplace with a positive culture, people feel appreciated, valued, and trusted.
Dr. Lowe says it is easier for a small workplace to have a positive workplace culture than for a sizable workplace. Many employees prefer to work for a small organization, he says, because it supplies more opportunities to work closely with others and foster a sense of community.
In his report, Dr. Lowe says the most efficacious organizations with fewer than 100 employees have:
• great employee benefits;
• policies that promote a balance between work and personal life;
• flexible schedules;
• competitive salaries;
• excellent leadership with an emphasis on teamwork;
• environmentally responsible business policies;
• procedures for seeking employee input; and
• a focus on placing employees’ personal wellbeing ahead of the personal gain of Senior Leadership.
All or most of these elements are also pieces of an effective Worksite Health Promotion Program.
Tips and Ideas
There are many ways to include wellbeing and health in a small corporation. You may not necessarily need a wellness professional or a fancy gym. What you do need is support from management and a Employee Health Promotion Program Committee of a handful of committed people. Here are some ideas that your workplace can consider.
Communications and Promotion
• Send out a regular “wellness” newsletter on paper or web-based. Or send out a simple message such as the weekly Healthy U Hot Tip.
• Utilized promotions that are ready-designed, such as Healthy Workplace Week.
Active Living and Healthier Eating
• Encourage employee to sign up for the Stairway to Health stair climbing competition.
• Get pedometers for employees and count their steps.
• Rent a nearby school or community fitness center and offer physical activity classes.
• Hire a local fitness instructor to give classes or lead stretch breaks. Costs can be shared with employees.
• Install safe bicycle parking.
• Offer healthy alternatives at organization meetings and lunches.
Policy and Employer Plans
• Enlist an ergonomics specialist to evaluate workstations.
• Create policies to support work-life balance (for example, mandatory vacations, flextime, limits to work and e-mail on personal time).
• Give a wellness subsidy for a variety of health and leadership activities and courses.
• Provide monetary incentives to be healthy.
• Give wellness rewards and incentives as rewards and recognition for a job well done.
• Conduct an business health audit.
• Become a partner with the community (for example, daycare, gyms, festivals, parks, restaurants).
• Distribute the workload. Set up a Workplace Wellness Program Committee.
Small employers may not have a lot of time, money, or human resources available for a Employee Health Promotion Program. But they often have a large advantage over sizable companies-a beneficial workplace culture. That is a strong foundation for a Employee Health Promotion Program. When staff members are satisfied, enjoy their work environment, they are more productive, and tend to be healthier. With a little creativity and passion, small employers can foster successful Employee Health Promotion Programs. Obtain reinforcement from senior staff, form a Employee Health Promotion Program Committee of two or more and discover the possibilities!
Tags: Corporate Wellness, health, medical, Wellness Library