Why Does Your Company Need a Workplace Wellness Program?

“Combining strengths and wellbeing at work is potentially the most transformative treatment yet in the urgent quest for resilience, mental health and, ultimately, net prosperity”. ―Jim Harter

Mental health and wellbeing in the broadest sense have become very important topics in recent years. They are factors that employees value and, therefore, should be a point of attention for companies.

In today’s competitive business world, employee mental health and workplace wellness have become crucial elements for the sustained success of any organization. Beyond being just a fad, workplace wellness programs are becoming established as a fundamental pillar in the business strategy of forward-thinking companies.

From an HR perspective, workplace wellness goes beyond offering a comfortable workspace or competitive compensation. It is about cultivating an environment where employees can not only survive, but also thrive. In addition, it is important to consider mental health in senior management positions, as leaders significantly influence the culture and work climate of the organization, promoting a positive and productive environment for all employees.

Having a workplace wellness program to take care of the mental health of workers could be considered an ethical imperative for any company today. In addition, a workplace wellness program constitutes one of the smartest means that companies in any sector can employ to improve their performance in a sustainable way. Let’s look a little closer at why:

• What are the advantages of wellness programs in companies? They improve the work environment, self-esteem and employee motivation, contributing to the quality of their performance and improving their experience in the company.
• What are the goals of workplace wellness programs? To offer employees a holistic mental wellbeing care service based on their needs.
• Who are they aimed at? Any company interested in looking after the wellbeing of its employees as a fundamental tool for generating sustainable productivity.

What are the benefits of having a workplace wellness program for companies?

Implementing a workplace wellness program in companies brings numerous benefits that positively impact their performance and sustainability. By improving the mental health of employees, absenteeism and staff turnover are reduced, which increases the company’s overall productivity and efficiency.

In addition, a healthy and motivating work environment fosters greater employee satisfaction and commitment, creating a positive work climate that fosters innovation and teamwork. These aspects, in turn, strengthen the company’s reputation and its ability to attract and retain high-quality talent.

However, we know that starting the implementation of the program is often not an easy task. One of the main challenges when implementing a workplace wellness program is the stigma associated with mental health, which can discourage employees from seeking help.

What activities can include workplace wellness plans?

The first thing to consider when promoting well-being at work for employees is to identify their needs. Some activities that promote well-being at work are:

• Psychological care, to increase the mental health of employees.
• Tools for stress management, since high levels of stress can lead to disorders such as burnout syndrome.
• Promotion of physical health, through vouchers or discounts for sports centers. The creation of a sports community with the employees of the organization will encourage those people who find it more difficult to exercise and will increase cohesion among employees.
• Concern for the family conciliation of employees, since each one of them has a different situation, and taking them into account can improve their performance at work.
• Committing to internal promotion, which increases engagement.
• Promoting fluid communication can help to optimize processes.
• Considering the possibility of implementing teleworking.
• Provide a pleasant space where employees feel comfortable while carrying out their work activities.
• Offer training plans, with the aim of promoting professional growth.
• Emotional salary and flexible compensation, reducing the amount of taxes that employees must pay.

Working in a company that cares about well-being has become a determining factor for employees. And accordingly, companies have begun to develop corporate well-being models with the aim of being more attractive to new candidates and increasing the wellbeing, performance and productivity of their employees.

When are you going to start developing your workplace wellness plan?