3 Best Ways HR Can Promote Employee Wellness

In Malaysia, employee wellness is becoming more important. Employees want to feel like their organisations are committed to them beyond their productivity and contributions to the bottom line. They want a real connection between themselves and the company, and part of that is knowing that the organisation cares about their well-being.

Today’s HR professionals are coming up with strategies to promote healthy living among their workers. There are many ways to promote health and satisfaction of employees and each organisation will end up creating programs to fit their culture, but the central mission remains the same.

Here are some ways you can promote healthy living culture in the office:

1. Fitness programmes

There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach to creating a fitness program. It is possible to focus mostly on fitness, health, or a combination of both. It’s is impossible to force employees to exercise or practice healthy diet, but it recommended to help employees adopt a more healthy lifestyle through motivation and by providing access to tools and services that will get them started.

On-site fitness classes or exercise facilities is not possible for every business, but you can partner with a gym nearby and ask for discounted rates for employees who join. Holding fitness competitions, starting a fitness club, or hosting guest speakers who are fitness experts can provide the jump-starts employees need.

2. Encourage smart eating

It is very easy to obtain fast food and snacks. While these treats are fine on occasion, employers need to ensure there are plenty of healthy options available.

Companies can also stock vending machines with healthier snacks such as protein and granola bars. Whenever a company holds an even that involves food, consider limiting the number of sweets people can bring, or provide an incentive to the employee or department that brings the most appetising and healthy dish to share.

Here at AJT, we encourage our employees to consume more fruits by providing free fruits every Wednesday.

3. Think out of the box

Wellness takes many forms, and it’s not always related to physical health and fitness. Nowadays, mental health is becoming more important so it’s recommended to create a program that promote mental health.

Collaborate with representatives of other departments to devise such wellness programs that are sensible for the entire office.

Coming up with the right wellness program consumes time. Don’t be afraid to try out different options until you find the programs that are most effective for your organisation. Make sure you change up what you offer from time-to-time so employees don’t get bored and abandoned what they start.

Wellness may seem like a tough task, but the productivity gains and reduction in healthcare costs from a healthier and happier workforce should be the motivation the HR department need.

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This article is based on Best Practices For Promoting Employee Wellness by Lesley Lyons.