End of Year Wellness Initiatives to Drive Employee Well-Being
As we near the end of the year, don’t let your wellness program slip through the cracks. With the holidays approaching, flu and germ season here, and 2021 planning in full effect, now is the perfect time to evaluate your organization’s end of year wellness initiatives in order to keep your team healthy and off on the right foot in 2021.
Consider these 8 tips as you approach the end of year:
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Educate employees on how to reduce the spread of illness and encourage them to receive a flu shot (provide education and coverage information when possible)
With the number of COVID-19 cases rising across the country, we must try to prevent the spread of the flu. Not only do you want your team to be healthy, but this also ensures that proper resources needed to treat critical COVID-19 patients will be available. Especially now, employees need to be fully informed to prevent the spread of illness. Frequent hand washing, social distancing, and the use of facial masks are crucial during this time. Contact Innovative Benefit Planning at wellness@ibpllc.com to schedule an on-site flu shot clinic for your employees.
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Encourage employees to complete a physical exam (provide education and coverage information when possible)
The best prevention for most medical conditions is to visit your doctor annually, however many employees may have delayed their elective doctor visit as a result of COVID-19. Encourage your employees to schedule their physical exams now, as early detection is the best prevention for many diseases. Going to the doctor each year is a good way to stay on top of overall health concerns such as weight, blood sugar levels, blood pressure and cholesterol, which can help identify many underlying conditions.
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Begin to think about your wellness goals for 2021
As you prepare your business strategy for 2021, 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
For a downloadable PDF, click here.
If you have any questions, please contact Innovative Benefit Planning at wellness@ibpllc.com.
