Does your company promote a healthy workplace? Research has shown that investing in employee health can have big benefits on your business. In fact, companies who invested in their employees wellness saw an 8% increase in productivity and 56% lift in morale! – National Business Group on Health, 200
A corporate culture that promotes wellness also helps to reduce risk of injury. Each year in America, thousands of work-related foot injuries are reported and an increasing number of sick days are taken because of leg and foot problems. Curb absenteeism by supporting your employees where they need it the most... their health and wellness!
In fact, investing in your employees health also helps to increase employee retention. 45% of employees agree that an employer-sponsored wellness program would encourage them to stay in their current job, up from 40% in 2011.Principal Financial Well-Being Index, 2013.However, even though the benefits of investing in your employees health are easy to see, only 7% of companies actively pursue the development of such a program.
So how do you even start building such a program? What do employees actually want and need?
BUILD A CORPORATE WELLNESS PROGRAM
1. MAKE IT PRACTICAL AND ACCESSIBLE
Think about the cross section of employees at your office. Do they enjoy yoga, going to the gym, Crossfit, running etc. then perhaps starting a work club, paying for memberships, or scheduling times during the week that employees can go indulge is an option. If you work in a high-stress environment, then perhaps stress management seminars that address the practical side of stress – example: sleep or work-life-balance seminars might be an option. (See: How Many Steps We Take At Our Job Everday)
2. HAVE A HEALTH-CONSCIOUS ENVIRONMENT
Offer healthy snacks to help combat junk food cravings, and keep your employees healthy and happy. Not only will their energy levels rise at work, but they wont spend as much money during the day, helping to curb personal finance stress. Encourage healthy behavior from the ground up. If your building has a cafeteria then this is the best way to help keep people energized and feeling good. If you have a lot of meetings, serve veggies and hummus instead of cookies and chocolate.
Be mindful of noise, and encourage breaks. An employee should be allowed to head out and go for a walk to move/distress without being chastised. Many companies offer in-house workout spaces or marked walking paths on the corporate campus to encourage physical activity.
3. INTEGRATE INTO THE COMPANY’S STRUCTURE
It needs to start from the leadership. Managers need to buy in and see it as an integral part in their management style and make it seamless with workplace safety, benefits, human resources, and other infrastructure elements. Set aside a budget for these initiatives to help develop these programs. Figure out which perks your employees need based on the culture, and offer a way to subsidize it. For example, if you have a running group set up, or your employees are on their feet all day as a part of the job, subsidize their orthotics or insoles. Custom insoles can not only reduce pain and fatigue, but can keep people feeling energized and happy when they get home, instead of feeling like they have to recuperate from the day.
4. LINK TO EXISTING SUPPORT PROGRAMS
If your company pays for an employees benefits, or offers health insurance, finding a way to link to your new wellness program is key. Helping employees get support when they are in a difficult emotional or physical situation that affects both their health and their work. Offer employees access to counselors who can advise them confidentially on issues from emotional distress to a difficult medical diagnosis to personal or work relationship issues to life events like marriage or becoming a parent. This brings your program from 'work wellness' to 'life wellness'.
FITMYFOOT AS A WELLNESS PERK
Outfit your employees with the world's most advancedcustom-fit footwear. FitMyFoot custom-fit 3D printed insoles provide enhanced biomechanical support and superior comfort throughout your day and with every step you take. (See:10 Types of Pain FitMyFoot Can Help)
We make it easy to bring your team the comfort they need to work pain free. We will outfit everyone on your team with our special corporate wellness price. Each person will receive a pair of FitMyFoot Custom Fit 3D Printed Insoles, made on demand for each team member. (See: Who Should Wear FitMyFoot Insoles)
FitMyFoot takes care of all the ‘heavy lifting’. We provide you with a purchase kit for each employee. Inside they will receive a purchase code, link to download the app, and our measurement guide to get them started.
We offer a 30-day happiness guarantee for every pair. This includes access to a dedicated team member who would be happy to answer all of your questions, and help you at anytime.
If you're interested in promoting healthy feet to your employees, reach out to care@fitmyfoot.comand we'll get you set up!
