3 Reasons Why Wellness Changes Your Workplace for the Better
Now more than ever, wellness is an essential part of a healthy and happy workforce.
From corporate companies to small businesses, more and more employers are focusing their attention on the well-being of their employees to improve their overall success. After all, happy employees make for a happy business, right?
While “workplace wellness culture” is a trendy term often reserved for large companies, businesses of all sizes can benefit from implementing a wellness initiative for their employees.
Let’s look at how a wellness initiative can benefit you and your employees.
Better Retention
When you think of “wellness culture”, you may assume it’s about offering employees morning yoga sessions or after-work happy hours. A growing number of employers are exploring these options as ways to improve their employee retention. Though these types of wellness offerings may help, there’s nothing wrong with keeping it simple, either.
Your wellness initiative could be as straightforward as recognizing your employees for their contributions. In the Sanofi Canada Healthcare Survey, 44% of employees identified having a good relationship with their immediate supervisor as one of the top three ways to encourage health and wellness in the workplace [i]. When employees are recognized and valued for their contributions, they feel more positive about their workplace and stay.
Increased Productivity
Wellness in the workplace is also linked to increased productivity. Research suggests that happier employees are up to 20% more productive than their less happy counterparts. Even more interesting is that it doesn’t take much to boost productivity.
In the cited study, the employees experienced a boost in work productivity after they were offered snacks and drinks. The food was inexpensive at $2 per person yet had a significant impact on the employees’ mental health. Consider mall snack breaks, or a wellness walk around the block. This can be enough to encourage a positive workplace while still being productive.
Attracting Top Candidates
For many businesses, hiring strong candidates is a major human resources challenge. How do you stay competitive to ensure you attract top talent? If you guessed health and wellness, you are right.
Over the past year, many people are rethinking what work-life balance means to their overall well-being. 86% of employees now consider health and wellness to be an important factor when deciding on a job offer[ii].
If your business is committed to workplace wellness, tell people about it! Take time to explain what you mean by “work-life balance” when you list it in your job posting. Share information about what candidates can expect from your employer benefits program! Potential candidates are avidly looking for this information when determining if they should apply to your job listings. Why not show them what makes you great!
Whether you have 5 employees or 50, everyone can benefit from a wellness initiative in the workplace.
[i] Safe work environment was cited as number one (55%) and good relationship with co-workers second (54%).
[ii] “Future Forward: Frontline Perspectives on the Future of Health Benefit Plans.” 2020. The Sanofi Canada Healthcare Survey: Canada’s Premier Survey on Health Benefit Plans. 16.
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