Let’s be honest - Attracting top candidates to your firm is not a piece of cake unless you have ‘WOW’ elements that they can’t resist. An employee wellness program is one of them. Such programs not only help in elevating company culture but also attract and retain top employees. A culture where wellness of employees is not taken for granted and success is guaranteed.
Why Do You Need to Have An Employee Wellness Program?
- Enhances employee health behaviors
- Lowers elevated health risks
- Helps you attract talented employees
- Keeps your employees motivated
- Helps you in improving employees focus
- Improves your business productivity
- Boosts employee recruitment & retention
- A great strategy to know your peers better
Regardless of your business type and size, in this whopping list of employee wellness program ideas, you will definitely find something that can be a perfect fit for your organization. Let’s dive right in!
Staying fed is a basic human necessity. Strive to go beyond processed and sugar-filled food and focus on providing healthy office snacks. Offering employees with brain food not only keeps them focused but also encourages them to stay productive in the workplace.
Flexible work timing is one of the best employee perks. Do not force your employees or team to stick to a rigid schedule. Instead, focus on how you can loosen rules or reign a bit to offer a friendly work environment to employees.
Gift branded and reusable water bottles to your workers to promote hydration and sustainability. Also, it is a great way to encourage your team to drink more water and stay healthy and energetic throughout the day.
There might be several reasons some of your employees ignore hitting the gym, do not let the price be one of them. Pay for the gym membership of your employees as an added bonus and boost healthy habits and team-building.
Check out Gympass HERE!! (no affiliation, just a really interesting concept)
Competitions like jump rope and hula hoop are a great fun way to bring your employees together and strengthen your team spirit for improved productivity.
Nothing can work well than food when it comes to bringing people together. Office potlucks are a perfect way for employees to showcase their talent and favorite flavors. It can help you make a huge difference in your workplace.
Having the exact same snacks throughout the month can be boring. So, amaze your workers by updating your office kitchen with fresh and refreshing items. A healthy investment to help you keep your employees motivated and deliver quality work.
Allow your workers to work on their own from remote locations as per their convenience. Giving them a new workspace can work wonders in terms of productivity.
Nobody prefers to work in a cubical all day long, Introducing walk and talk meetings to your workplace is a perfect solution to take employees out of their traditional environment and keep them entertained, enthusiastic, and innovative.
‘All work and no play make Jack a dull boy!’ Many unconventional companies send their employees for a vacation after a long period of stress. This helps them to revamp themselves and get ready for work.
By considering opportunities to bring the furry family members to work helps in lighten the mood and bring team members together.
A stressed team is an unproductive team. So, take your team for a surprise lunch. Reward them with free time or an hour early on Friday!
Give more opportunities to your worker. Let them show off their creative side too. Give your workers free rein over their space and encourage them to decorate their desk.
Everyone loves to eat something fresh and mouth-watering. So give time to time treat to your employees by calling guest chefs. They can even teach your team something about the art of cooking!
This can be the best employees wellness program ideas for an employer. Pick up the tab for procedures like physical checkups and breast cancer screening. Don’t let price tag deter someone focusing on their health needs.
Apart from standing desks, consider vamping the chair situation of your office with some out-of-the-box seating options like yoga balls. Make your employees feel comfortable and more supported.
There is a correlation between productivity and hydration. Make sure your employees have constant access to water. You can also consider providing them with some fruit-flavored waters.
By ending your week on a fun note, you can set a tone for the weekend. It also helps to recharge the batteries of employees when they get back to work on Monday.
No matter how healthy your employees are, colds and headaches are the issues that are inevitable. By providing over-the-counter medications you are providing peace of mind to your employees that they will get medications without stepping out from the office.
Office parties are perfect to interact with other team members and let loose. From the company’s wide toast to epic swag bag, remind your employees that they deserve the celebrations.
This type of coaching helps a lot in employees wellness. A lifestyle coach offers help and support to the employees who are having trouble in finding a social hobby, managing personal finances and maintaining relationships. Improvements in lifestyle extent to workplace performance and improve productivity as well.
With the hectic lifestyle, low food quality and poor dietary choices have become common. For those who are looking for constructive plan healthy routines to help lose weight, should be provided weight management coaching by the company. It helps n discounted membership in the local gyms, and other affordable programs, helping the employees to lose weight and stay fit.
An experiential workshop with Hypnotherapist helps employees leverage hypnotherapy to focus attention, relax and work more productively. Also, it has been shown scientifically that this practice help improves irritable bowel syndrome, ease nerves, pains and improve deep sleep.
When it comes to employee wellness programs, many companies are bringing yoga to the workplace to decrease stress, create a happy environment, and improve concentrations.
Make a birthday calendar board displaying birthday dates of your employees. Give a day off to your employees on their birthday. A nice gesture to give them time to enjoy and celebrate their special day with their family and friends.
Massage is a great way to relax your employees during a high-stress session. Contact a local massage therapy school and ask their students to offer massage services to the employees.
For the relaxation of mind, you can learn something new and engage with a good story. You can try out a free library exchange. There are books that encourage employees to bring their books and share with their team members.
A small space where employees can take a break and relax their mind from work stress is the best idea for an employee wellness program. You can turn a small space of your office to a PlayStation. Add a few high-tech video games and board games to encourage some social breaks.
This is a fun way to engage your employees. Challenges may include: tracking employee’s weight loss, judge total distance run or walked. You can also organize a healthy cooking contest.
Bringing plants into your office have several benefits. Plants not only offers air quality but also serve as a relaxing element or spruce up a bland office space. Take some time to get all the team members together and make their own planter for their desks.
Your office space during weekends can be the right place for organizing a hackathon and jam session. Consider opening your office up for several weekend activities to keep your employees updated and engaged.
Embracing occasional half day is another best strategy to keep your employees stress-free. It can be done by offering workers a chance to do remote work or take time for themselves and their family.
A great welcoming gesture for new hires and attracting more talent to your business. Celebrate the new talent by giving a dedicated lunch party and motivate them to give their best.
In addition to asking your employees for their feedback, make it a point to discuss what they have actually learned. Apart from regular meetings, conduct surveys and questionnaires to make sure that all your team members are on the same page.
Working throughout the day can be a drag sometimes. So, equip your office with stress-relievers like a punching bag or stress balls to help your workers to release their frustration and get out of their rough time.
In this digital world, one-on-one communication works as a savior. Management should encourage regular face-to-face meetings to cheer up staff and build a positive work environment.
Taking your employees out for a movie is another brilliant idea to unwind and bring them together. Also, you can screen the latest blockbusters in the break room of your office to keep coworkers entertained.
Hosting an artwork event or competition is a subtle way to bring out your employees’ creativity and inspire them to do well in their field.
Inviting industry pros to speak to your employees is a proactive move. A good speak not just introduces your workers with the latest market trends but also inspires them to do really well both personally and professionally.
Encourage those employees who don’t participate in games like kickball, softball or bowling. Organize a sports team and get them into action.
Music is one of the most effective ways to improve focus and productivity. Give space to your employees to enjoy music.
After lunch, employees often feel sleepy and tired. You can offer a nap room where employees can take a nap after lunch. Naps have clinically proven to enhance the productivity, creativity, and memory of employees. Build a ‘Sleep Room’ in your office and put some comfortable recliners to foster nap time.
The daily practice of being grateful helps in ease depression, enhance nighttime sleep and curb appetite. You can share a doc with your team members to record one thing they are grateful every day. It will reflect their productivity and mood.
Representing natural and pleasing mood boosters, i.e. scents like rosemary, vanilla, or cinnamon sprinkled throughout the workplace are a fine method to keep your work environment fresh.
Talking about mental health with your workers is an essential thing to let your employees know that you care for them and keep them inspired.
Sometimes living a healthier lifestyle needs a little financial push. Connecting a healthier lifestyle to cash bonuses is a great motivator. Show your commitment to employees’ wellness by doing so.
Know your employees’ creative aspirations and organize an event to let them showcase their talent outside of work. It is a perfect idea to boost workplace friendships.
Workaholic culture guilts workers to come to the office even when they are feeling slugging or low. You can not expect sick people to be productive or it can either affect other employees in the office. So, give your sick employees time off and let them know their wellness is your priority.
Nobody wants to work in an office where they feel rejected for their sex, religion, or race. Bring out an active dialogue to promote acceptance and equality in your office.
Sending “Thank You” emails to your employees is a nice move to appreciate their efforts. Whereas taking out some time to say thanks personally through handcrafted cards can make a big difference. Thank you card plastered on your employees’ desks work as a wonderful reminder to keep them productive.
Volunteer Time Off is another evolving policy among top brands. It means giving explicit time off for employees to go volunteer. It not only allows your company to help local communities but also boosts employees being a force for good.
Formal team meetings are not the only ones that matter to bring your team together. In fact, frequent team huddles foster positive touch points among workers.
The feeling of becoming a new parent is the most overwhelming feeling ever. Giving explicit support in terms of flexibility and time off are important for workers who are just about to welcome their new bundle of joy.
Inclusive team-building activities like drink-and-draws or escape rooms are the best opportunities to bring your workforce closer together.
The data shows that 28% of new hires quit within the first 90 days of a new job. Lack of mentorship or guidance is detrimental to the latest talent. It is your responsibility to make a point to mentor new hires to ensure they feel supported.
Plastering motivational quotes and mission statements on your office walls serve as a great reminder to what your business is all about. Also, innovative signage gives your workers something to at instead a blank space.
Decorating office space for upcoming holidays is another ideal way to boost your employees’ spirit and keep your office environment lively and inspired.
Offering bereavement leaves to employees during their emotional period (loss of a loved one) is a great idea to show your concern and support them during their tough times.
Who is the best-dressed employee? Who has the most visionary and creative desk space? Offering employees with random awards represents that you appreciate their personalities.
Office-wide actions like Post-in-Note battle gives your workers a creative way to showcase their talent, ideas and stay in touch with all departments in the office.
Bringing in a food truck on a special occasion or a launch event is a subtle deal to serve employees and engage them to your business.
Only one out of five employees claim to have a friend at work and the reason is lack of personal communication. It can drain happiness and productivity in the office. Encourage your team to form friendships with their coworkers both inside and outside of the workplace.
Look out for a nearby 5K run in your community and pay the entry fee for employees who are willing to participate.
Sign up for the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge
Scooters in the office foster employees to move around in free time and refresh their mind for good.
Keep accessories like volleyballs, footballs, and badminton in the office to make it fun and motivate employees to take breaks and rejuvenate.
Posting such type of note works as a great reminder for workers to stay fit and healthy. Do it for maintaining employees’ health and improving their productivity in the workplace.
This is a 30-day challenge that tracks employees’ records that how many days they managed to run at least 1 mile daily. Give a special prize to the winner at the end of the challenge.
For 1 month, workers track how many nights they managed to take at least 7 hours of sleep. Reward the winner with a prize at the end.
For one month, employees observe how long they managed to drink at least 8 glasses of water. The winner at the end gets a reward.
Its an 8-week long challenge includes considerable lifestyle change by rewarding points for reaching 7 daily habits – exercise, nutrition, mobilize, lifestyle, hydrate, reflect, and sleep. The game keeps your employees engaged and the scoreboard keeps them in healthy competition with colleagues.
Check out The Whole Life Challenge
Ask your employees to cook their favorite healthy dishes and bring them to the office for a friendly cooking competition. Let all employees taste recipes to choose a winner. Give a reward to appreciate the winner’s efforts.
Pick a 15-minute time-slot in the mid of the day for employees to get away from their workstations. Let them go outside, enjoy fresh air, and socialize with each other.
It’s a win-win program for employees and employers. Allowing employees to take unlimited time-offs represents your trust among your staff. The best way to apply this strategy is to bind it to performance that means tasks need to be completed and goals being met.
Give a few days furlough to workers who complete their 5-year service mark in your company.
Ask frustrated employees to go out and take a walk in the fresh air to refresh their mood for improved productivity.
Give your workers options to select how they want to use their paid leaves bank as sick days, vacation, and more.
Pick a day of the moMonthlynth or week for employees to dress up in a specific theme. Boosting theme days culture in your office is perfect to encourage employee engagement and morale.
Working hard absolutely deserves a fun time. Take your employees out for Happy Hours after a long and tiring workweek to help them relax.
Appreciate each team member for their hard work and dedication for completing a major project successfully by giving gift cards.
Greenery around office promotes fresher air, wellbeing, and emotional state. It can surely help you in increasing your employees’ productivity.
Include pictures of all employees and share them on your business website with a short blurb displaying their talent to keep them motivated.
Ask your employees to bring in their old clothes to be donated to a Goodwill.
Frame your honorable mentions, community awards, and accolades around the office to remind your staff that their dedication will be appreciated by other organizations as well.
Create fun awards to keep your employees enthusiastic all the time.
- The Cliff Jumper Award: an individual who takes risks
- The Duct Tape Award: an individual who fixes everything in the office
- The Pearly White Award: an individual who smiles the most
Send an email to your staff to commemorate your employees anniversaries at the end of the month. A great idea to say thanks for their exclusive service.
Company retreats are the best wellness activity you can do to your workers. Retreats are a lot of fun and an ideal method to brainstorm new schemes and proposals to drive your business forward. Take your team out for dinner and drinks after a productive day in the office.
Consider celebrating an uncertain holiday to amaze your staff and motivate them to come back to work with more energy.
Hire a professional masseuse who can work with your workers to help them relax and control muscles.
Setup a gift exchange event like Dirty Santa, White Elephant, or Yankee Swap just for fun and bring your workforce together.
Hold a competition to see which employee can customize his/her cube the best and select a winner after voting.
It does not necessary to wait for Halloween to throw a costume party. Organize themed party any time in the office to surprise your team members.
There are certain things your employees actually want like babysitting, Netflix subscription, tickets to a sports game, and more. So, why not give them something they are really looking for.
Make certain your employees have all necessary cool company gears (T-shirts, pens, polos, hats, etc.) you giveaway at social events and conferences.
Make online bookings in a nearby theater who offers group discounts and take your employees out in the middle of the day to watch the latest blockbuster.
Replace the old coffee pot with a coffee keg and bean-to-cup coffee machine (check out Jura on Amazon.
Create an employee discount policy to offer up to 25% discount to employees on your products and services.
Reducing health insurance premiums for active team members is a great beginning to reward them for their efforts. Also, a brilliant program to enforce a healthy work culture and cheer other employees to follow the same.
A convenient laundry service makes it easy for busy staff to get their clothes clean without any hurdle and let them focus on their work.
Chances are your good staff must know talented people. Create an employee referral program and give an employee a bonus on referring a new candidate.
Make a fake currency where employees get rewarded with Team Bucks for their work. They can further use these bucks to win real-world awards from employers, e.g. gift certificates.
Make it fun and conduct a regular poll every year where all employees participate to choose their next Wellness Governor.
Consider giving paid maternity leaves to new mothers, if your company is not following this program.
Layout tea bags, hot water, and healthy snacks. Take paper strips, write down inspirational quotes, and put them in a bowl. Invite employees to take a break, enjoy a cup of tea/coffee with snacks, and ask everyone to take out one quote to keep them inspired.
Bring a spinning wheel and let your employees spin it for winning prizes after hitting special business milestones.
Laughter is the best medicine and works wonderfully when it comes to improving employees’ work rate and business revenue. So consider inviting a comedian to perform or give away tickets to a nearby comedy show.
Check out Laughter Yoga Workshop
Establish a time for your workers throughout the day to visit a nearby cafe for a pick-me-up. A great chance for employees to gather, laugh, and rejuvenate.
Top companies including Apple provide to match philanthropic donations or charity programs created by workers. Incorporate the exact plan in your company.
Appreciate hybrid vehicle owners by giving them assigned parking spots in the parking lot.
Find an empty or unused area around the workplace and turn it into a gathering point where employees can come together to collaborate. Install some furniture to sit comfortably and let the innovation flow.
Let your employees know that their personal and professional growth is your priority by sponsoring personal development courses, seminars, and books.
Offer your reliable and responsible employees the choice of working remotely. It allows employees to boost their productivity, eliminate commutes, and spend quality time with their family.
Place a whiteboard where employees can share their personal goals. Doing this promotes a sense of accountability and common sense, prompting higher business goal completion rates.
From morning to noon, try banning non-important meetings to help employees complete their tasks early and keep them stress-free at the end of the week.
Make cutouts with each team member’s name and paste them on the whiteboard for something positive they did. A great way to motivate your team to do well in their field.
Select a day of the month or week to gather all employees for a Lunch and Learn. Use this time to discuss necessary business updates, triumphs, and goals.
Try this plan to teach your staff the basics and benefits of finance, especially younger team members.
Schedule 30-minute get-together on Friday to acknowledge employees who gave a remarkable performance in the week. It can also boost other workers to improve their performance.
Place a chalkboard or bulletin board in the most-visited space in your office. Write a new motivational quote daily to energize your employees.
Put up a wellness wall in the office where your staff can write things such as exercise routines, healthy eating tips, etc. to inspire people to maintain their health.
A vision board is a great investment for your employees where they can paste pictures by writing down things they want to attain in their lives.
Take emotional intelligence classes to help employees process and control both internal as well as external emotions. It offers clear thinking, strong interpersonal relationships, and improved communication. The right way to uplift overall wellness in the office.
Check out Outschool class - What is Emotional Intelligence?
Put a jar with paper strips and a pen for employees to confess or acknowledge other team members’ work. Read out these appreciations slips aloud during group meetings.
Seasonal Affective Disorder is a depression form that afflicts your employees during winters when less light influences the production of brain chemicals such as melatonin and serotonin. So, use bright artificial lights to maximize the light amount at employees’ desks and prevent them from this issue.
The best investment an office can make for its employees. Subsidize their ongoing education and help them grow in their field.
Regular meditation is vital to mitigate stress. Encourage your staff to do meditation or mindfulness activities to help them relieve stress and calm their minds.
Studies claim that sitting on a chair for 8 hours a day raises the premature death risk by 60%. So, promote 2-minute workout break in your office to help employees get up from their seats and walk around.
Hiking is amazing for your lungs and heart. Take your employees out for hiking adventures on the weekend to get some fresh air. Also, it’s a great opportunity to get to know your employees better.
An exciting office sport day is the right opportunity to break your office monotony. It helps in building team spirit and keeping employees stress-free.
Dancing is a great fun activity to bring employees together and reduce stress. Include dancing or Zumba activities in your office routine, with or without a trainer.
Make a plan and invite your staff to a cardio commitment. This is a subtle way to encourage them to stay fit, healthy, and fresh.
You can make your lunch time more energetic by making some investments. For example, install a ping pong table indoors or play basketball or volleyball outdoors.
Encourage hygiene in the office to help employees stay well and disease-free. For example, encourage your staff to clean their hands regularly or use hand sanitizer whenever required.
Standing workstations do wonder for good health. Create standing workstations and allow your employees to work there whenever they get tired. Place anti-fatigue mats to help employees take the stress off their back and knees.
See Also: 37 Benefits of Standing Desk - #17 & #18 Convinced Me
Include bouncy pilates balls and let employees use them to do stretching when they feel tired. Pilates balls can help them strengthen their leg and core muscles.
Encourage your employees to take longer walks in lunchtime or evening. Longer walks can help them shrug off their stress, lower death risks, and feel refreshed and energized.
Assign workout partners to employees by making random selections or let them choose a partner on their own. This is a great idea to give your employees somebody to inspire, motivate, and workout with.
Nobody wants to work sitting all sweaty throughout the day. Give your employees showers and lockers in the office to reduce the excuses of not working out or less productivity.
Bicycle chairs are an awesome deal to help employees do cycling while working on their desks to break the sweat and stay fit.
Read 25 Desks Your Office Needs for Health & Wellness
Polluted air and gases in the office can affect your employees’ health and consequently productivity. Do regular checkups to give a healthy workspace to your employees.
Place attractive posters on your office kitchen walls or restroom areas, e.g. spine-saving posture poster. The poster reminds employees to sit up straight on their chairs to ease tension and strengthen back muscles.
Organize a health fair includes activities like healthy eating on a budget, healthy heart check-ups, managing work-life balance, etc. to foster employees to stay well.
Having an office fridge helps employees to store their healthy home-made food and snacks conveniently and get healthier.
An office canteen area is not just a place where employees eat during lunch breaks but it is an area that boosts communication and bond between workers.
Your office air includes pollutants and toxins that can affect your employees’ wellness. Consider placing a couple of air purifying plants in the office for good air flow and offer a stress-free environment to employees.
There are several ideas and trends to make your workspace safer, healthier, and efficient. Assemble all these trends into a newsletter and send it to your staff regularly via emails.
Pamper your employees by offering spa or massage coupons from time to time. This is a great idea to keep your employee happy and active.
An additional language can be a plus point for your employee's growth and for your company. So, offer them an opportunity to learn a new language. It also help them enhance their memory, focus, and problem-solving skills.
Giving support to your employees during an emergency. Make them feel more appreciated by standing with them at the time of any mishap.
Family day in the office is great fun to boost good mood and happiness among the staff. Organize a family day to appreciate employees for their hard work and make them feel that they are more than just employees.
This wide list of employee wellness program ideas can help both your employees and organization to grow fast and high. Implement these wellness ideas into your company to attract new talent, keep them happy and healthy, reduce employee turnover, and take your business to the next level. Many top companies in the industry are already using these ideas. Now, it’s your high time to enhance the wellness of your workplace.
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