Introduction
The purpose of a health wellness program is to ensure that the productivity of the staff at the workplace is not compromised by health and personal problems. Another use of this program is to boost the morale of the employees through health education and activities that inspire positive outlooks. This can be achieved through seminars, initiative programs and group activities that encourage bonding and team work and make the member of staff feel proud that they are part of the company.
The health wellness program in the workplace addresses different aspects that include the physical, mental, financial and the emotional wellbeing of the individual. A successful program will ensure that less time is used recuperating from illness, reduced medical costs and high productivity at work.
History
The human race has always strived to achieve wellness, which in essence is a state of balance between the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of life. It was not thought much about in the past and everyone was considered to be responsible for their own health. All this changed in the 19th century with the growth of the industrial revolution, when the industrialists realized just how much time and productivity was wasted because of ill health. That is when health wellness program practice became popular and encouraged. As lifestyles became complex so did the programs; as they had to address varying issues that ceased to be a local concern but became global issues. The benefits of a health wellness program in the workplace are plenty.
Features
Five benefits of a health wellness program in the workplace that have proved to be encouraging for the employer and the employee are: Return on investment- with less absenteeism from work and maximum productivity, the investor can be sure that they have made a wise investment. Happier employees- this will automatically be visible in all spheres of their lives including their finances and family. Savings- the amount of money and time that will be saved by the employer, employee and the government is incredible. Loyalty- The employees would never abandon their employer to work in a place that offers them less and where they don’t feel at home. Improved health- this has far reaching benefits and a health wellness program should be ignored at all costs.
Tips and comments
One must plan before undertaking a health wellness program. The first step is coming up with an operating plan that will act as a guide, spell out strategies and also help to gauge the effectiveness of the campaign. Some of the health wellness program plan elements are it’s goals and objectives, the duration in which the program will run, it’s implementation plan, it’s communication plan how much resources will be used to implement it and finally how it’s effectiveness will be evaluated.
It is important to identify the areas in the organization that need to be addressed so as to ensure that the resources allocated are effectively used and the results are specific and it is easy for the program’s success or failure to be established.
