70 Employee Wellness Program Ideas

A wellness program is a proactive measure that helps you reach your goal of maintaining optimal health. To make it work best, the steps should be individualized and measurable so results can be tracked on regular basis.

Here’s our list of 70 employee wellness program ideas for companies large and small to start planning their own programs today!

Wellness programs for employees or corporations are designed to improve, promote, and maintain general health and well-being. Employee health may be promoted via these programs, which can include appropriate nutrition, exercise, stress management, and disease prevention.

To help you develop wellness program ideas, we’ve put up a list of 70 program ideas divided into ten categories. Many of these ideas may be tweaked to fit the requirements of your team, whether they’re in the office, on the road, or in the field.

Information and Resources Availability

Providing workers with health-related information and tools is one of the simplest, cheapest, and most visible employee wellness measures a company can take. At the absolute least, a business should provide information and resources to its workers about flu and COVID vaccinations, fitness programs, dietitians, gyms, and tools like GoodRx, among other things.

This might look like this:

1. In a shared disk, a basic folder
2. Printed brochures providing information on health programs and local services distributed across the workplace
3. Employees may access everything from their pay stubs to their wellness dashboard via an online interface.
4. Employees get a weekly or bimonthly e-mail or newsletter informing them of local events, health news, and opportunities.

Program of Rewards, Incentive, or Points

Goal-setting, improved habits, employee initiative, and baby steps toward better overall health are all encouraged by incentives systems, assuming the prizes are useful to the workers. Some of these behaviors may be assessed through paperwork or applications (see some app ideas in the next section), while others will be judged on their own merits.

The following are some examples of employee behavior that your business may promote and reward:

1. Quitting smoking
2. Meetings on the go
3. Instead of using the elevator, you should take the stairs.
4. Parking in a certain lot or at a particular distance from the building is required.
5. Getting at least seven hours of sleep
6. Each day, eight glasses of water should be consumed.
7. A daily walk of 10,000 steps is recommended.
8. Journaling about mindfulness
9. Getting in shape or exercising for personal reasons
10. To work, you may walk or ride your bike.

App, software, or a program based on technology

There is, of course, an app for that. In fact, we have access to over 100,000 wellness applications. Here are a few to get you started when it comes to recording, evaluating, and analyzing data for employee wellness initiatives that are business-friendly:

1. Wellable provides a fully integrated and customized employee wellness solution. It interacts with wearable devices and provides a wide range of options, making it a one-stop-shop with a lot of punch.
2. Fitbit is a wearable gadget that tracks physiological data such as heart rate, steps walked, and sleeping habits. Fitbit Care is a health solution software developed especially for wearable-based employee wellness initiatives, according to the company.
3. Another platform developed especially for employee wellness initiatives is Vantage Fit, which provides company owners or human resources teams with a portal that includes contest and challenge advice, wearable device integration, and fitness incentives.
4. LifeWorks is most known for its mental health-focused employee assistance program (EAP), but it has since grown to include a full spectrum of self-service and HR-led wellness services, such as online counseling for legal issues, financial well-being, relationship and family issues, and more.

Your employees may see how they compare to their colleagues on Wellable’s dashboard, which includes a Leaderboard. (Image courtesy of Wellable)

Fitbit Care gives workers the tools they need to concentrate on their health and wellbeing via personalized programs and challenges. (Image courtesy of Fitbit)

Vantage Fit hosts fitness challenges and competitions to inspire people to adopt healthier habits. (Image courtesy of Vantage Fit)

The Wellness Assessment from LifeWorks may help your workers discover areas for improvement in their health. (Image courtesy of LifeWorks)

Snack and Dining Options

Simply having healthier meals accessible to your workers is a page out of the Cleveland Clinic employee wellness playbook. When it comes to on-site eating, vending, and food retail, convenience, and cost are important, so start shopping with a conscience and consider employee wellness.

You should think about the following options:

1. Vending machines with healthy snacks and vegetables
2. Cafeteria items that are free of trans fats and added sugars
3. Potluck lunches with healthy dishes brought in by your team
4. Fridays are dedicated to health-conscious vendors that provide smoothies, salads, vegan and vegetarian choices, grilled meats, and even Buddha bowls.

Furniture and Supplies for Health and Wellness

Our physical aches and pains are often caused by sitting bent over our computers all day, rather than by aging. Manufacturers of furniture and electronics have taken note, and you can simply offer or suggest furniture and equipment safeguard your workers’ bones, muscles, and eyes whether they work from home or in the office.

Here are a few examples of things that may help enhance employee health:

1. Standing desks that may be adjusted in height
2. Mats that reduce tiredness
3. Monitor stands and mounts that can be adjusted
4. Bikes for the office
5. Ergonomic keyboards and mice are available.
6. Computer displays with little strain
7. Chairs with good ergonomics
8. Chairs with balance balls

Standing workstations with adjustable heights allow users to stand or sit while working, eating, or talking. (Photo courtesy of FlexiSpot)

Desk bikes are the pinnacle of multitasking, enabling users to exercise while at work and at their desks. (Photo courtesy of FlexiSpot)

A backless classic balancing ball chair, like this one, claims to stimulate your core, alleviate discomfort, and enhance breathing. (Image courtesy of Gaiam)

Workshops, classes, and education

With possibilities to bring in instructors and experts or provide your workers access to online education sites like Udemy, Skillshare, Coursera, or Calm for Business, this area may nearly be limitless. There are many subjects and choices for various kinds of wellness, as well as numerous places for education, seminars, and classes.

Here are a handful to get your creative juices flowing:

1. Cooking and nutrition courses may be held on-site or online.
2. Fitness courses and seminars are available on-site.
3. Retreats for health and wellness
4. Stress reduction
5. Series of motivational speakers
6. Sessions of mindfulness and/or yoga
7. Financial well-being for individuals
8. Lunch and learns or seminars

Udemy has a large selection of health and wellness courses. (Image courtesy of Udemy)

Relaxation

Forcing some relaxation into the environment is sometimes the greatest thing you can do for your employee’s physical and emotional well-being. Consider providing your staff with the following reasons for pampering and recharging on a regular basis:

1. For a day, hire a masseuse or massage therapist.
2. Send your workers to a spa day.
3. Purchase a massage chair for your workplace or break area.
4. Make a designated area for midday naps (Google, HuffPost, and Facebook all do it).

Gamified Wellness

Employee wellness gamification can be easily adapted from online and televised competition shows like The Amazing Race and The Biggest Loser, but it can also include fun, game-like sporting events that will not only promote physical and mental health but may also bring your team together on the course and in the office.

The following are some examples of wellness-themed games:

1. Challenges with Weight Loss
2. Challenges in fitness
3. Sports leagues and teams in the workplace or in the community
4. My Virtual Mission which is a group or team challenge.
5. 5K events and runs (for charity or just for fun)
6. The Color Run is a running event that takes place every year.
7. Obstacles and challenges that concentrate on teamwork, such as Tough Mudder

My Virtual Mission hosts wellness challenges to encourage workers, particularly those who work from home, up and moving. (Photo courtesy of My Virtual Mission)

Subsidies and Financial Incentives

You may financially encourage and subsidize some of the expenses of wellness for your workers by looking into reduced group rates, whether it’s the cost of a gym membership or a wearable gadget.

Consider group and corporate discounts for projects such as:

1. Gym membership with a discount or reimbursement
2. Therapy, counseling, or life coaching that is subsidized or discounted
3. ClassPass membership at a reduced rate for businesses
4. Meal planning for the office using subscriptions like Freshly for Business
5. With programs like Fitbit Wellness, you may get a discount on wearable gadgets.
6. Premiums for health insurance have been reduced.
7. Telehealth consultations are provided at no cost.
8. Contributions to a Health Savings Account (HSA) or a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) are matched.

Workday Flexibility and PTO

Allowing workers schedule flexibility and substantial paid time off (PTO), as well as “wellness time” to spend on anything they choose, encourages not just mental health and work-life balance, but also accountability and mutual trust among your team members.

Here are some ideas for giving workers more autonomy and space:

1. Fridays in the summer
2. Days when you work from home
3. Google’s approach of devoting 20% of work time to creative/innovation activities is a good one to follow.
4. Vacation policies that are flexible

Small gestures

Then there are the seemingly little details that, when taken together, may result in a positive work-life balance, a caring corporate culture, and loyal, happy, and healthy workers.

Here are a few little acts of kindness that may help your team members’ mental health:

1. Give each new employee a plant to care for at the office.
2. For work anniversaries, birthdays, big sales or accounts, fulfilled forecasts, promotions, or anything else, show your gratitude to your employees.
3. Employees will feel included with company-branded gifts and gear.
4. Days dedicated to watching movies
5. Employee discounts that are meaningful (25 percent or more)
6. Bonuses for employee referrals
7. Personal and professional growth is subsidized.
8. Organize a Little Free Library for the sharing of ideas, community, and literature.
9. Introduce positive reinforcement and team development, a la the Snap Cup from Legally Blonde.

Why Are Wellness Programs Offered?

The advantages of providing employee wellness programs are many and obvious. They are as follows:

• Developing cost-effective benefit programs to attract great people
• Combating and lowering increasing insurance rates, which lowers the company’s healthcare expenses.
• Increasing staff productivity and retention
• Improving employee well-being on all levels: physical, emotional, financial, social, occupational, purpose-driven, intellectual, and environmental.

Employers are beginning to understand the significance of employee wellness, particularly when it comes to their workers’ mental health. COVID has sparked a surge in mental wellness among American employees, with Wellable predicting that in 2021, 88 percent of companies would increase their investment in employee mental health programs.

The Cleveland Clinic, which launched a companywide employee wellness program in 2005, is a pioneering case study in employee wellness programming.

This initiative implemented a companywide smoking ban with the help of a tobacco treatment clinic in the first two years, as well as eliminating on-campus sale of meals containing trans fats or added sugars. It also offered the Healthy Choice financial incentive program and a Coordinated Care Program, both of which aimed to reduce the prevalence of chronic diseases by providing health assessment tools, nutrition, stress management, physical activity courses, fitness center memberships, and access to medical treatment plans.

Despite the fact that this initiative was enormous, the Clinic claims to have saved over $260 million in medical expenses over the past 15 years. This sort of investment in employee wellness by a major American hospital is a wonderful indication of the financial and nonfinancial return on investment of investing in employee health.

Conclusion

A great health program is only limited by the architects’ imagination. The sky’s the limit for forward-thinking, employee-focused wellness programs, depending on your company’s size, industry, age, budget, and culture, as well as the corresponding characteristics of its staff.

Creating a long-term employee wellness program is similar to creating or designing a new company, product, or service. Market research and employee interviews, calculating possible return on investment, getting buy-in, designing and launching a program, rolling it out, providing support and resources along the way, and assessing program effectiveness are all part of the process.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should be included in an employee wellness program?

An employee wellness program should include a broad range of things. This includes providing incentives that can be used to improve health and fitness, as well as opportunities for employees to take time off if they need it.

What are some good wellness activities?

Some good wellness activities are yoga, meditation, and Tai Chi.

What are 3 key elements of a successful wellness program?

The 3 key elements of a successful wellness program are, the ability to identify the needs and goals of your community, engage them in dialogue about what’s important to them, and provide an avenue for their feedback.