What Does an Employee Wellness Program Look Like?

Small, medium, or large: no matter the size of your organization, it’s only as strong as its employees. And employees are at their strongest—and most productive—when they feel truly valued by their employer. It’s no wonder that employee wellness programs are seeing their popularity rise, across virtually every industry and in companies of all sizes. 

That’s especially true when you understand the impact these programs can have on engaging and empowering employees, increasing employee effectiveness and productivity, and creating a supportive culture with wellness at its forefront.

If you’re thinking successful employee wellness programs aren’t something smaller organizations can achieve, you’ll want to keep reading. As it turns out, company size doesn’t play as much of a role as you might think. In this article, we’re going to explore a few different aspects of employee wellness programs, including:

• What makes employee wellness programs worth the investment,

• What your wellness program’s goals and priorities should be, 

• How even small companies can develop wellness programs that achieve their goals, and

• How to implement a wellness program in the workplace (including the role a wellness platform for employees can play in ensuring your program’s success). 

What Are Workplace Wellness Programs, and Are They Worth It?

Yes—companies that are small, large, and in-between can all benefit from employee wellness programs. Ultimately, it comes down to this: whether an employee works for a small startup or a large, established enterprise, their physical and mental wellbeing matter. Of course, smaller companies tend to have smaller budgets and fewer resources available—but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t take steps toward creating a meaningful employee wellness program.

There are plenty of reasons why employee wellness programs are worth the time and investment it takes to develop and implement them. In an article focused on the “hard return” of employee wellness programs, Harvard Business Review actually uncovered something quite interesting about companies with employee wellness programs: that “every dollar invested in the intervention yielded $6 in health care savings.”

Additional benefits include improved employee health, morale, and productivity. When employees feel good—about themselves, their employer, and the work they’re tasked with—they simply perform better. They’re more engaged, they feel more connected to their coworkers and managers, and they recognize that their employer truly values them for more than just their productivity. Simply put, it’s a better work environment for everybody.

What Are Employee Wellness Programs’ Benefits?

No matter the company’s size, the best employee wellness programs share a few common objectives or goals, including:

Next, let’s take a look at what should be included in a wellness program—whether you’re a small, mid-size, or enterprise-level organization.

What Should an Employee Wellness Program Include?

An employee wellness program should include elements related to both physical and mental well-being, and it should be flexible, customizable, and scalable. 

Successful wellness programs understand that there are two sides to employee wellness. There’s the physical component of wellness, which primarily focuses on keeping employees healthy and active; and then there’s the mental side of the equation, which focuses on empowering employees and helping to ensure that they feel valued, understood, and supported. 

Some popular wellness offerings related to physical and mental health include:

While these components provide a nice starting point, an employee wellness program should be dynamic. In other words, it should be flexible, customizable, and scalable. That way, you can not only support employees’ physical and mental wellbeing today—your program can evolve along with your employees and organization.

Employers shouldn’t mandate wellness-related initiatives and activities. Instead, they should include a wide range of opt-in activities, so employees can take advantage of the offerings that align best with their priorities and interests.

How Do I Create an Effective Wellness Program for My Employees?

There are several steps you can take to design and implement a successful wellness program and, like many business initiatives, it all begins with setting the right priorities. That means committing to “employee wellness” as more than just a buzzword, instead making it a true priority and, ideally, a part of your workplace culture. 

Here’s a basic framework that covers how to develop a wellness program and create a culture that truly supports employees’ holistic wellbeing:

1. Assess your needs. It often makes sense to create a wellness committee to explore the types of wellness offerings your employees would be most interested in. Another great way to ensure engagement and buy-in is to communicate with your employees and survey them to determine what they’d like to see included.

2. Set (and prioritize) your objectives. Set clear objectives for your wellness program. While a well-designed wellness program can often reduce absenteeism and increase productivity, nothing is guaranteed. What you can commit to, however, is creating a supportive culture, normalizing the idea of employee wellness, and driving buy-in.

3. Establish your budget. This is where things can get challenging for smaller businesses, again underscoring the importance of starting with the most in-demand wellness offerings, knowing you can scale your program as you go. 

4. Decide what to offer—and how. When deciding what to include in your program, keep both physical and mental wellbeing in mind, as they are both vital elements. You’ll also need to think through the logistics of your program. How will employees know what’s available to them, and how will employers track which program elements are providing the most value? 

This is where an app like Wellness by Moser Labs can make a difference. It’s an easy-to-use platform that enables employees to prioritize their own wellbeing and receive reimbursement for health-related expenses.  You determine the program’s scope and offerings, including allowance limits. As employees submit eligible expenses, they can be reimbursed through payroll or similar systems. If you’re looking for an easy way to get an employee wellness program off the ground, consider starting with Wellness by Moser Labs.

Following this broad framework can help you design and implement a successful wellness program; you can learn more in this article from the Society for Human Resource Management.

How Can Wellness by Moser Labs Benefit Your Organization?

Whether you’re looking to develop your first employee wellness program or fine-tune an existing program, Wellness by Moser Labs can help. We’ve designed our one-of-a-kind app to be simple, straightforward, and easy to manage. With Wellness by Moser Labs, you can decide the types of health expenses to reimburse, empowering employees to take active steps toward increased physical and mental wellbeing. 

So if you want a happier, healthier workforce, increased productivity—and the other benefits of a corporate wellness program—we’d love to hear from you. You can learn more on our website, or reach out today to schedule a demo.

Learn more about Wellness Programs and how they can benefit your workplace!

• Wellness by the Numbers

  Employee wellness programs are crucial for high performance, profitability, and overall business growth.

• What Does an Employee Wellness Program Look Like?

  Small, midsize, and large companies all benefit from workplace wellness programs—but what do they look like, and how do they work?

• Example Wellness Programs for Employees

  Learn about effective wellness programs across different industries and get ideas for activities and prizes.

• Benefits of Employee Wellness Programs

  Offering meaningful health benefits through a well-rounded employee wellness program is good for employees and employers alike. Learn where to start.

• Wellness Platform for Any Industry

  Learn about corporate wellness programs and how you can leverage technology to make your efforts successful and boost your bottom line.