If you recently noticed that multiple companies are focusing on employee wellness this month, it’s not coincidental. June is Professional Wellness Month, which means many large and small businesses are reviewing employee benefits, hosting wellness fairs, and providing education on self-care.
Have you integrated professional wellness into your small business culture? Showing an interest in employee health is not just a hiring gimmick. When employers see their staff as whole humans who do their best work when their health needs are being supported, productivity and profits increase. Businesses do need to take a balanced approach to employee wellness, of course. If employees feel like company wellness policies are invasive or manipulative, those programs can backfire rather quickly.
The best employee wellness plan is one that promotes a healthy work-life balance, conscientious attention to workplace benefits, and a positive work environment.
Host a Wellness Fair
Wellness fairs are popular at large companies, but smaller companies can participate in these events as well. A group of local businesses will often get together to host a joint fair. In a standard wellness fair, employees are invited to attend anytime during their workday to check out a variety of products and services, or even sample some great treats. Examples include:
· Free massages from a local therapist or spa
· Smoothies or health food samples from a small shop
· Specially discounted gym or pool memberships
· Free gait analysis from a local physical therapy practice or running shoe boutique
· Meet and greet opportunities with local healthcare practices
When hosting a wellness fair, it’s important to show your own commitment to the spirit of the event by emphasizing that it’s a very light workday. Employees should be encouraged to take a long lunch, enjoy social time, and get a bit of a mental break for the day.
Host an Employee Benefits Review
The employee benefits you provide at your company are a vital part of your compensation package. Unfortunately, many employees are incredibly ill-informed about the details of their individual benefits. A benefits review or fair is an opportunity to invite representatives from your financial institutions, human resources department, insurance providers, and supplemental benefits providers to give employees dedicated time to go over their questions.
For these events, it may be a good idea to have the representatives each give a short presentation to all employees. Then encourage individuals to schedule private meetings with those they’d like to speak to about their own situations. Be sure to have plenty of forms on hand for employees to make changes to their elections. Also, be clear about timing restrictions on changes to benefits. If an employee wants to change their healthcare insurance options, they need to know when it will take effect.
Employee Wellness Contributes to Corporate Wellness
Navigating the lines of personal and professional wellness can be a bit tricky. While employers need to respect that employees can take care of their own health, they can provide resources and education that support well-being. In general, if you show your employees that their overall wellness is important to the company’s mission, they will experience higher job satisfaction.
If you’re examining your current health insurance benefits, feel free to give us a call. We don’t write health insurance policies, but we do have many trusted associates we can refer for your specific needs. We’d be happy to connect you with an agent that will take good care of you. Smyrl Insurance has been helping small businesses for over 65 years to feel confident in their insurance coverage. We serve clients for personal, business, and property insurance in Hatfield, Lansdale, Souderton, Harleysville and throughout Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
