As we near the end of the year, don’t let your wellness program slip through the cracks. With the holidays approaching, flu season here, and 2022 planning in full effect, now is the perfect time to evaluate your organization’s end of year wellness initiatives to keep your employees healthy and ready for the new year.
Consider these 8 tips as you approach the end of year:
Educate employees on how to reduce the spread of illness and encourage them to receive a flu shot, COVID-19 vaccine, and booster shot (provide education and coverage information when possible)
With the on-going COVID-19 pandemic and emerging flu season, we must do our part to prevent the spread of illness. Not only do you want your team to be healthy, but we need to continue to reduce further strains on our health care system. Encourage frequent hand washing, social distancing, and the use of face coverings when appropriate. If you have any questions about setting up a COVID-19 vaccination clinic or flu shot clinic, please contact Innovative Workplace Wellness at wellness@ibpllc.com.
Encourage employees to complete preventative exams (provide education and coverage information when possible)
Prevention is key when it comes to living a healthy life as early detection often leads to successful treatment. As a result of COVID-19, many employees may have delayed visiting their primary care doctor and seeking routine care. Encourage your employees to schedule their annual physical, mammogram, colonoscopy, and other routine exams now. Visiting your health care provider each year is a great way to stay on top of overall health concerns and risks for chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
Begin to think about your wellness goals for 2022
As you prepare your business strategy for 2022, be sure to include your workplace wellness goals and strategies as well. Consider implementing a wellness committee within your organization to ensure that these goals are met. The committee will be able to evaluate your team’s needs, and design a wellness program to best fit their needs. Planning wellness challenges, promoting healthier eating, and providing resources will help your employees to live a happier and healthier lifestyle, which can drive employee satisfaction in the workplace.
Consider hosting a wellness challenge around the holidays
It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle around the holidays, which can end up negatively impacting our health. Improperly managing stress and unhealthy or over-eating are two common factors that people experience, so it may be a good idea to promote exercise, proper nutrition, or stress management techniques around this time. One way to do this could be through a challenge focusing on any of the previously mentioned topics. Inform employees about the challenge and continue to promote it during the season so that it on everyone’s mind. In order to help motivate your team and get them involved, consider an incentive-based challenge with health and wellness related prizes.
Encourage preventive mammograms and self-checks
October is breast cancer awareness month, but it is not the only time that it should be acknowledged. Take some time to educate your employees on their benefits, remind them to schedule their annual appointment, and provide resources on how to preform self-checks.
Promote available mental health resources
Host an EAP seminar to promote mental health around the holidays. Often times, your employees may forget about the resources they have available to them or they aren’t aware of their coverage. If possible, consider hosting a virtual yoga or meditation session to ensure that your employees are making time for self-care. Remember to keep your team informed, provide support, and become a resource.
Consider hosting a biometric screening program
As previously stated, many individuals tend to put their health on the back burner as the end of year approaches. Providing on or off-site biometric screenings can help employees be aware of their baseline health numbers and areas that may need attention. Biometric screenings can serve as a reminder to not let the efforts towards better health slip up and help show your employees that you care about their health and wellbeing. Contact Innovative Benefit Planning at wellness@ibpllc.com to schedule biometric screenings for your employees.
Consider promoting a charitable event or activity
It is the season of giving, many employees may want to volunteer, but simply can’t find the time or don’t know where to start. To ease this stress, consider a charitable opportunity that they can take part in. It will provide your employees the chance to give back as a team, and they’ll appreciate the values of your organization.
Overall, workplace wellness should be one of your organizations end of year priorities. Your employees’ wellbeing will be the driving factor in not only production, but their satisfaction. They need to feel valued and appreciated, and there’s no better way to do that than to provide them with resources that they can use in their day-to-day lifestyle.
If you have any questions, please contact Innovative Benefit Planning at wellness@ibpllc.com. Download the full tip sheet here.
Starting and Sustaining a Workplace Wellness Program Part 1: Developing a Wellness Committee
If you’re just starting out in wellness or have been providing a wellness program for several years, this manual provides an outline of how to build a culture of health and well-being for your organization. Download part one of our “starter kit” below!
