So you want a workplace wellness program?

The case for investing in workplace wellness is clear. But turning good intentions into actions daunts many business leaders.

THE PANELLISTS at the most recent Success & Leadership breakfast presented some compelling reasons why employers should care about the health of their employees. Better employee retention, higher productivity and lower absenteeism are just the start. We also heard that employees with healthy minds and bodies are more focused, creative and engaged.

Yet well thought out and integrated corporate wellness programs are not yet commonplace in Western Australia. For a WA business leader looking to give their company a competitive edge, a wellness program may be a very smart investment indeed. And doing so today, before corporate wellness has become firmly lodged in the consciousness of every business leader, may well give your company a competitive advantage.

Where to start?

Should a company’s investment in wellness simply be driven by what employees want (“anyone for a ‘stress down day’ at the beach?”) or by what the business needs? Do you address the urgent health issues in your organization (assuming you know what they are) or do you encourage and recognise the already fit and well employees in the hope that others will follow their healthy example? Should you incentivise healthy behaviours or penalise unhealthy habits?

And is there a danger that wellness initiatives will be perceived by some employees as coercion or even bullying? So while the case for workplace wellness may be compelling, introducing a wellness program may seem daunting.

But before you decide it’s all too hard it’s worth remembering that workplace wellness is one area where everyone can win. When it comes to people becoming healthier and happier, the interests of employees and employer are aligned.

Like any change management, a poorly planned and clumsily executed wellness program will be ineffective at best and may actually do more harm than good to employee engagement and morale.

A wellness program that considers the needs and wants of employees, identifies and then addresses real health needs, and is led from the top and accompanied by sophisticated communications is altogether different.

Wellness done well

The first thing to get right is to know where you are starting from. Don’t assume you know the health issues that should be tackled first. You may see a workforce that could be trimmer and more physically active but do you really know whether your employees are suffering from stress or fatigue which could be driving their behaviours? The wellness needs of an organisation can look very different to someone in the call centre than they do from the CEO’s office.

Which is why it makes sense to carry out some sort of health audit and survey before you do anything else. If it’s done properly this will benchmark your organisation’s overall wellness, identify the main health issues (and you may be surprised what they are) and set the priorities that will shape the program. It will give a common point of reference for leaders and employees and spark a conversation about what needs to change.

We need to talk

This conversation within the organisation is crucial. Workplace wellness simply isn’t something that can be delivered through a CEO edict. Commitment and even passion on the part of the leadership team is important but engaging hearts and minds is more critical. Very few Australians have ever changed their lifestyle habits because their boss thought it would be a good idea. This is workplace culture at its deepest, most personal level and the change in an organisation’s culture needed to make lasting change to the health of employees can be profound.

So be prepared to take time to listen, talk, and listen some more. Changing the habits of a lifetime can be a frightening thought for employees - even after they understand the benefits are nothing less than a longer, happier life. One of the most important tasks of a leader is to make the prospect of change not only safe but irresistibly attractive.

As many HBF Corporate Wellness clients can testify, where this is done well the dividends for employees and the business itself can be immense.