Prioritizing Health in the Workplace: A Culture of Health

The advantage of an investment in employee health and wellness programs can get lost if employees don’t understand their benefits and the advantages for them personally. While most organizations have the best interest of their employees at heart, many struggle when it comes to communicating effectively and encouraging staff to prioritize their health.

Enter the concept of a culture of health. As culture becomes increasingly important to the talent market, creating a workplace culture that prioritizes the mental and physical health of their employees will surely set employers apart. Further, employers exemplifying this culture of health will find that their staff will be encouraged to utilize the benefits that are most important to them, maximizing investment in their wellbeing.

Defining the Culture of Health

So, what does a workplace that promotes healthy employees look like? It’s not just little things like “a glossy poster of the food pyramid in the lunchroom or a corporate discount at the local gym.”¹ It’s much bigger than that, and when done right, it has the ability to have a positive impact across the company, such as “its framework, its leadership and the overall behaviors of its workforce.”[1]

There’s no cookie cutter structure for success here, but a recent survey conducted by Aon Hewitt, the National Business Group on Health, and The Futures Company collected attributes that employees felt contributed to their perceived wellness culture. A few tips to incorporate into your work environment include:

1. Encourage employees to incorporate health activities into their workday.
2. Prioritize actions that improve employee health.
3. Lead by example.
4. Create a supportive environment.
5. Allow employees to share their efforts with others.
6. Make health an input in decision making.
7. Recognize health achievements.
8. Offer healthy food choices.[2]

A few small steps to prioritize the wellbeing of your employees can go a long way in recruitment and retention efforts and can positively impact productivity, too.

Healthy Employees and Other Effects of Creating a Health and Wellness Culture

Creating engagement and communication strategies will encourage employees to leverage the resources available to them, making the most out of the employer’s investment. The Aon Hewitt Study suggests that employees who perceived a strong culture of health in their organization were found to:

• Feel that they have more control over their personal health,
• Report that stress had less of an impact on their work
• Claim to be extremely or very happy overall.[3]

Creating a positive and supportive work atmosphere will not only improve the wellbeing of employees in these ways but will also benefit the bottom line. Evidence shows that companies who implement wellness programs actually experience superior stock performance.[4] Not to mention that employees who eat right, sleep well, and exercise regularly can see improved focus and reduced afternoon crashes and brain fog.[5] A happy employee is a productive worker, which means they’ll be more likely to stick around in the long term as well.

We Can Help You Prioritize Health in the Workplace

Not only are we offering top-notch products that will set you apart from talent acquisition competition, we are here to help you implement it. Whether creating a communication strategy, providing educational resources or generating engagement, we’ll make sure your employees have everything they need to benefit from your investment. Get in touch with us to learn about our suite of supplemental products that support health and wellness.

[1] https://www.cigna.com/assets/docs/improving-health-and-productivity/837897_CultureOfHealthWP_v5.pdf

[2] https://www.peoplekeep.com/blog/want-healthy-employees-build-a-company-culture-of-health

[3] https://www.peoplekeep.com/blog/want-healthy-employees-build-a-company-culture-of-health

[4] https://talentculture.com/the-benefits-of-developing-a-workplace-culture-of-health/

[5] https://talentculture.com/the-benefits-of-developing-a-workplace-culture-of-health/