Workplace Wellness Goals and Objective (Steps To Design a Workplace Wellness Program With Examples)


Workplace wellness goals and objectives setting is a process of deciding what you want to accomplish in terms of employees wellness and planning to achieve the result you desire. Practically, the process of setting the goals entails knowing what you want and organizing the mechanism to actualize what you want.

Workplace wellness goals are an overall accomplishment. Therefore, for effective goal setting, an evaluative means must be created to measure the level of the achievement of the goals.

Workplace wellness objectives are specific targets within the framework of the goals with a period of time during which the goals are expected to be actualized.

Goals and objective have a thin line of distinction, goals are broad and objectives are specific. Workplace wellness goal is broad in its foci and more general. On the contrary, objectives are more specific and pin the goals down on what the company will do to achieve the goals. For instance, the goal of a wellness goal may be to ensure dynamic work placement for the employees. Practical objective or aims may include providing a work break and shift.

The task of formulating wellness goal is saddled on wellness program coordinator or wellness committee in a company. This committee set the mission statement which are long term accomplishments expected from the wellness program. The main aim of wellness programs revolves around physical and emotional well-being, facilitating the individual health of the employee.

The wellness coordinator/committee should formulate a workplace wellness objective that is SMART that is, specific in its targets; measurable in terms of outcome; attainment in term of the feasibility of the targets; realistic that is, no abstraction but practical and time specifics whether terminal or annual.

In formulating workplace wellness goals and objectives, the American Psychological Association outlines five elements that are central in the workplace to make it working-worthy and healthy for the employees. These are:

  • – Work-life balance,
  • – Employee safety,
  • – Employee growth,
  • – Employee development,
  • – Employee recognition and involvement

In addition to the foregoing, there are foundational elements of employee wellness: designing a comprehensive plan with strategies and evaluative mechanism, organizing wellness committee to see into the regular upkeep of wellness plans and programs, conducting wellness assessment of the workplace and the employees, execution of employees’ health assessment and setting up an environment that support employees’ wellness. The elements are arguably explained under the steps in designing workplace wellness programs in the subsequent outline.

It is important to create a timeframe or timeline for the implementation of workplace wellness goals and objective. This can be done by clearly stating the timeline for the completion or achievement of each goal. Also, there should be a distribution of roles and responsibility within the wellness committee with specific tasks in relation to the goals and objectives. The roles can be hierarchical or parallel such as coordinator, assistance, representative, communication agent. Have a budget for the wellness programs, this will put a value on the wellness programs as a vital part of the company’s activities.

Sample wellness goals and objectives:

To Sensitize the employee about Health Guides

   Sample objectives:

  • – Organizing of monthly wellness program to discuss different topics on health and safety living;
  • – Health experts will be invited to give a talk on health issues at the company dinner;
  • – Formulating dynamic in the topic for each month so as to tackle all the areas, needs in workplace wellness;
  • – Keeping a theme-table for a year to build the third object.
  • – Sharing of fitness, health, and nutrition leaflet every quarter to promote workplace wellness.

To Facilitate a Healthy Lifestyle

Sample objectives:

  • – She wellness committee organize activities oriented towards the health topic of the month. For instance, if the theme for January is on mental fatigue; a film show can be organized twice a month;
  • – Register each employee with a psychologist or counsellor to adjust and readjust their lifestyle for better productivity and self-actualization.
  • – Enroll employees in smoking cessation classes

To Ensure Sustainable and all-around Wellness of Employee

Sample objectives:

  • – Placing wellness representative at different company site that can attend to any case that can breach employees’ wellness in the process of carrying out a task;
  • – Create a platform for  from the employee;
  • – Dissemination of wellness nuggets to employees via the company newsletters or internet pages every Monday and monthly bases;
  • – Partner with health organization either governmental or non-governmental to create sustainable wellness program.

Educating employees on the Appropriate Use of Equipment and Facilities

Sample objectives:

  • – Provision of manual and guidelines for the appropriate use of equipment;
  • – Organizing workshops for the use of new facilities and tools;
  • – Monitoring the employees in their various work placements or tasks;
  • – Formulation of shift schedule to facilitate flexibility in the handling of manual equipment.

Facilitate Employees’ Enthusiasm and Comfort

Sample objectives:

  • – Provision of chairs and tables according to the height and the body side of the employee;
  • – Placement of employees identified as obese check-ups and health consultation for six month
  • – Implement health leave and insurance scheme for the employee in a case anyone is a casualty.
  • – Company trip can be organized three to five times a year for better exposure of the employee to a new atmosphere.

The process of designing and directing a workplace wellness program is a vital and core aspect of facilitating the wellbeing, productivity, and quality of outcomes. Wellness programs will not benefit the employees alone but also the employers in a various way. For instance, reducing health care cost; upgrade employees’ productivity thereby increasing the company’s productivity; reducing absenteeism from the workplace which can leads to low output; heightening employees’ morale and devotion to their daily task and placement.

The wellness committee in a company has to design a productive and result-based workplace wellness program.  Employers must facilitate and implement a sustainable wellness program that benefits of ensuring employees’ health and minimize health insurance cost. Below are the steps to design a strategic wellness program.

Steps to Design a Workplace Wellness Program:

Assessments: collecting of information and data about the employees and their health reports is the first operation to carry out in assessment and by carrying out the assessment on the level of willingness of the organization to make improvement on the workers’ wellness will be checked. The data and information obtained to enable the employer or the wellness committee in a company to design, organize programs, activities, and services to achieve the goals and objectives of workplace wellness set ahead. To collect this information and data the following tools and methods can be used-

  • Conducting the survey: individual employees wellness needs can be evaluated through an employee survey. Conducting of the survey can be carried out by issuing of a questionnaire to the employee with items that are both open-ended and restrictive, this will assess the wellness interest of the employees and obtain information on their perspective concerning the wellness program.
  • Assessment of the organization area of focus and the wellness programs to offer: it is not possible for the organization to support or use well all programs. Consequently, the organization must choose the program that suits the workplace and the employees. To assure this, the employer can consult the center for health studies for guide;
  • Medical and pharmaceutical review of group health plan utilization;
  • Assessing the health risk of the workplace in relation to the workforce to determine which program to implement. Generally, to conduct this assessment, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidance on wellness programs can be consulted for guidance. More importantly, to carry out a health risk assessment it is advisable to consult legal counsel for recommendations;
  • Assess the workplace environment and the health culture and their impact on employees’ wellness.

Set goals and objectives: accurate and valid assessment will provide a perfect track to the employers to create goals and objectives for the wellness program. The primary goal of all organization is to promote employees’ health and safety and consequently minimize the health care costs. Apart from this one, other goals and objectives are stated in the above theme “sample wellness goals and objectives”.

It is important to note that wellness goals are broadly stated in terms of their operations. Objectives are to be started in with limited timeframe with terminal evaluative mechanism or means.

Seeking management assent and support: nothing can be done behind the management of a compliment, as such, the support both administratively and financially is indispensable for a successful wellness program. The wellness committee must communication all the details of the program to the management and inform them about the potential values of the wellness program. By seeking management support, workplace wellness will be given a fundamental recognition in the organization or company. 

In seeking assent and support of the management, the wellness program must support agree with the organization’s priority and focus; it must values and benefits that promote the organization’s vision and mission.

Establish a wellness committee: the needs assessment has been carried out and the management has assent and pledge their support, the next step is to formulate an in-house committee with the sole aim of seeking employees’ wellness and maintaining a sustainable wellness culture in the company or organization. The employer can call for nomination or volunteer but ultimately ensure there is no bias and imbalance representation of all the departments in the organization. Members of this committee must include top management, marketing department, customer service department, human resource department, information technology department and other neutral member based on interest.

The committee is responsible for the assessment of policies, activities, and programs in the workplace, examining employee area of interests and needs; planning and organizing of health promotional programs and activities and monitoring and evaluating wellness activities. In sum, the committee builds the organizational support and efficiency for the wellness program.

In addition to the foregoing, the committee should have a tenure of operation, how to expel or suspend a member if there is an exhibition of inappropriate, indecent act or dormancy.

Create a proposed budget: create a budget for the wellness program cannot be left out in the steps. Even, financing of the programs and plans is a strong pillar that will ascertain the prospect of the programs. In sketching a budget a critical survey must be carried on all sections of the program.

Wellness program budget should include the program design, cost of incentives, promotional materials, fitness equipment, invited experts, human resource representative and so on.

In drawing up of wellness budget, other resources to supplement the budget: a partnership with a non-governmental organization that works on general wellness and free community resources, incorporate health insurance company or firm to handle some of the wellness program parts. Request for the participation of department or college of clinical studies studying the influence of workplace wellness program.           

Design wellness program components: the needs and interests derived from the assessment process will determine the composition of the wellness program. Designing wellness program, the goals and objectives with target risk behavior should be incorporated also, the level of involvement shown by the management of the organization from the organizational assessment will determine the kinds of programs to design. The wellness committee should make use of the assessment result and must be guided the stated goals and objective in designing the wellness program components. It should be noted that the primary aim of the wellness program is to promote health, injuries, and disease. Wellness programs can be in different types, some are outlined below

Types of workplace wellness program:

– Smoking cessation programs (components: pharmacological assistance and lifestyle coaching)

– Transit options (components public transit incentives, providing car loan scheme)

– Nutrition education (components: delivery of healthy snacks to the workplace, building standard cafeterias)

– Wellness challenges (components: regular physical exercise and daily hydration)

– Stress reduction programs (component: wellness adventure and tennis or golf lesson)

– Health screening (components: disease diagnosis, vaccination, and health education).

Opt for appealing wellness program incentives or rewards: by selecting appealing incentives or rewards, wellness goals and objectives can be attained because it is effective  to make an employee to conform to the health prescriptions, adhere to healthy behaviors and to facilitate the interest of an employee to complete his or her wellness program whether smoking cessation program or catching up with medical appointments.

Incentives and rewards are made available to appeal to the employee to participate in the wellness program, this appeal to their psychological stance. These incentives and rewards serve positive reinforcement and a stimulus to gear the employee to engage in wellness programs and activities. Rewards motivate and build desire in the mind of the employee and can be intrinsic/internal or extrinsic/external. It is internal when the employee rationalizes the rewards he/she will derive by participating in the wellness program, the employee is internally motivated. It is external when there are material benefits attached to it, maybe a provision of refreshment and other buddies. The incentives must commensurate with the efforts and time required for the execution of the desired behavior. For instance, the reward attached to stress reduction program should be greater than incentives for participating in a nutrition education session.

Accurate dissemination of the wellness plan: proper and timely dissemination of the wellness program is very vital to ensure participation and recognition from the entire body of the employee. The organization’s wellness policy must be accurately communicated to all and sundry, the policy should incorporate the organization’s purpose, individual responsibility to ensure wellness, the incentives system in relation to employee wellness.

To ensure there appropriate communication of the wellness programs and policy, social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Email among others can be used, publishing of bulletins and fliers on the organization board. Other techniques that can be used to communicate the wellness plans are:

  • – Creating an attention-generating program outline;
  • – Using new terms to code the wellness program;
  • – Creating a platform for the employee to pigeon-hole their interest and wellness needs;
  • – Encouraging participation of the top management;
  • – Keeping the message fresh with new wellness and fitness information.

Communication is a process that is ongoing and progressive, and it is important for maintaining engagement in the wellness program.

Evaluate the wellness program: evaluating the effectiveness and achievement of the wellness program is essential for the reviewing and revising of the program strategiesOpens in a new tab.. Evaluation exposes the lapses and inconsistencies in a project or program that call for improvement and re-strategizing of the program. Evaluation can be summative that is, at the end of the program or terminal which is carried out at different stages of the program planning and implementation. Wellness program evaluation covers the rate of participation of the employees, program budget and supplementary cost, program completion rate, number of employees that are absent for the month due to injuries, percentage of employees who stopped smoking and percentage of employee that suffered cumulative trauma disorder after the wellness programs and activities.

Evaluation of the wellness program is done in relation to the objectives of the program to grade and the effectiveness and sustain management and employee support. It is also of great relevance when planning and implementing a new workplace wellness program.

Steve Todd

Steve Todd, founder of Open Sourced Workplace and is a recognized thought leader in workplace strategy and the future of work. With a passion for work from anywhere, Steve has successfully implemented transformative strategies that enhance productivity and employee satisfaction. Through Open Sourced Workplace, he fosters collaboration among HR, facilities management, technology, and real estate professionals, providing valuable insights and resources. As a speaker and contributor to various publications, Steve remains dedicated to staying at the forefront of workplace innovation, helping organizations thrive in today's dynamic work environment.

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