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Employee Wellness Programs

Blog   26 04 19

Matt Darvill Blog, Work, Work Life...

One of the keys to recruiting and retaining talented employees is to introduce wellness programs for staff members, encouraging a healthy workplace and boosting productivity. These wellness programs are becoming more and more commonplace, and don’t have to cost the Earth. We’ve researched the most accessible options, which you can see below.

Yoga Classes

This is something that can be done before, during or after work. Yoga and meditation can really help to relieve stress and promote self-care in the workplace. The sessions don’t have to be expensive in order to show to your prospective recruits how much you value their wellbeing. We have a weekly session on a Wednesday afternoon in a meeting room. As long as the office has space, this is a really accessible option for most companies.

Transport Options

Adopting a ‘Cycle to Work’ scheme is an easy way of encouraging a healthier lifestyle, with employees being able to save on bikes and equipment thanks to a national Government scheme. If this isn’t really practical for your staff members, many employers are also incentivising public transport. This can be a full or partial reimbursement of a season ticket, or fare every day. With employees now more conscious and environmentally aware, this can help attract quality recruits by demonstrating a responsible culture.

Lunch and Healthy Snacks

More businesses are providing healthy lunches throughout the week, major companies like Google have cafeterias that offer catered lunches. Clearly this isn’t practical for all companies, but your employees will certainly appreciate a free lunch now and again. It’s something that is inclusive, relatively inexpensive depending on how infrequent it is, and hugely popular. Other companies extend lunch on certain days, allowing people to go to the gym, take a long walk, or simply relax before the afternoon.

Wellness Challenges

Promoting competition and encouraging workouts can be a huge motivator to existing and new recruits. Some employers help by offering gym memberships; however, this can be done by having an organised competition and incentivising the result. Whether it’s a 10k run time, number of gym sessions or even just drinking more water, friendly competition can inspire everyone.

There are loads of other options, such as massage treatments to help with posture and extended periods of sitting down. Some businesses even plan laser tag or golf lessons, anything that breaks up the usual routine and engages the people in the office. Have you implemented something into your business recently and can’t imagine life without it? Let us know in the comments!