There is a lot of good information and support out there on wellness for larger corporations. Diverse plans incorporate ideas like workout rooms, bringing in public speakers, and having fun days at work to rejuvenate morale and minds. Corporations tend to have better access to the resources needed to create committees and employ specialists to help drive a successful wellness program.
But when you have a small business and your employees are out getting sales or providing service all day, you might not have an environment that is suited for such initiatives. Yet, when one of your few employees is out sick, it can have a tremendous impact on your business. Supporting wellness is a good strategy, particularly if you are competing for talent to work at your company.
So, what can a small business do? With a little research and an open mind, small businesses can implement a useful wellness program. Here are five steps to getting your wellness program on the right track.
Get everyone on board
If you have a management team, make sure they are all 100% invested in a wellness program. If it’s just you and a few employees, make sure everyone is on board. Participation is the hallmark of every good program. Get the employees to commit to the program and make it your business to provide them with the means to achieve their goals. When everyone in the company is pointed in the same direction you can achieve real gains. Engagement in your program will lead to adoption of the activities and, ultimately, to a stronger culture of wellness.
Ask them what they want
One major advantage in a small business is that it’s easier to poll your employees for information. So ask your employees questions about what sorts of things interest them, where they would like more support, what types of wellness activities they would be most likely to use. Make sure the time, effort and money you spend to implement an initiative will be adopted by your team.
Do your research to find the most successful ways of achieving your wellness goals. Also look at some sort of metrics that you can use to evaluate the effectiveness of your program. It could be absenteeism, punctuality, productivity – anything you can quantify to determine if the program is having a positive impact.
Put a committee in charge
Your wellness program likely can’t be all things to all people. Decisions will have to be made about what programs should be in place based on budget and objectives approved by management / ownership. If your staff complement is too small for a committee, then put someone in charge of the program. Initiate a culture of wellness and task each employee with contributing to it. Let them find consensus in the company then drive the implementation. Be sure to suggest to employees that their support for this wellness manager will improve the ultimate effectiveness of the program.
Set goals, do research and develop strategies
As they say, if you don’t know where you’re going, it doesn’t matter which route you take. Determine the long term goals of your program. If your goal is to reduce absenteeism, then look for the drivers of absenteeism in the company and strategies that will address them. If your goal is to improve morale, set your sights on team building and personal development. You may, of course, have multiple goals.
Use the employee feedback you received and any other information your research has provided to determine which wellness elements you will focus on. Identify the conditions that are having negative effects on wellness, then, develop the strategies to correct them. Find partners and experts to help you meet the challenges. Get your employees involved to improve engagement in the program and to sharethe load.
Communicate!
There is often a disconnect between what employers say they offer in a wellness program and what employees are aware they have access to in the company. Make sure employees know what they’ve got! Invite them to participate in the activities and the planning. Create a communication plan to build awareness and interest. Ask for feedback from your employees and monitor their progress, then use this information to shape future activities.
The benefits of a wellness program can greatly outpace the costs. Health and lifestyle related activities are known to reduce disability and health insurance claims. Improved attitudes and reduced absenteeism are other benefits that can directly and indirectly improve your bottom line. Just a little bit of effort and dedication to the program will benefit employees and employers alike – in any size of business.
