Do Corporates Need an Employee Wellness Day?

Employee health and well-being is very important for an organization to improve productivity, reduce healthcare costs and contribute hugely towards attracting and retaining talent. Employee well being programs motivate employees to adopt and maintain healthy behaviors. Healthy behaviors lead to lower health risks, and lower health risks lead to less chronic disease. Employers are now using corporate wellness programs to increase employee engagement and this in turn makes them the employer of choice. The concept of employee wellness is slowly emerging in India. Many corporate wellness companies in India are offering wellness corporate solutions today,An ‘Employee Wellness Day’ can be a part of the employee wellness initiatives adopted by a company. What exactly is meant by an Employee Wellness Day? A wellness day is a day that is focused on the physical and mental well being of the employee. It is a day where an employee has a chance to learn more about health, nutrition, and fitness in a relaxed and fun environment. A company can incorporate the following health-boosting tips as a part of an Employee Wellness Day which can benefit both the employees and the employer by eventually increasing the profits of the company:

1. Screening activity: Healthcare companies conduct various screening activities onsite for the employees. This screening can include the body composition analysis and fitness tests, flexibility tests, blood pressure and glucose testing, etc. These tests create an awareness among the employees about their nutritional and health status, motivating them to set new health goals and working on lifestyle changes to achieve them.
2. Health and nutrition talks & seminars: Today, each one of us is exposed to too much irrelevant information through the internet, random reads through forwards on social media by friends, family, etc. The accuracy of this information is not guaranteed. At a Health and Nutrition seminar, employees get a chance to interact with healthcare professionals and seek advice and tips on ways to adopt a healthy lifestyle. A group interactive environment shows employees that they are not alone in their journey towards living a healthy lifestyle, which offers them a sense of encouragement and inspiration. Added to this, a fun and interactive event is a perfect way to ensure employee engagement and participation in the wellness program.
3. Alternative strategies for maintaining good health: Physical activity is an important aspect of good health. Most employees lead a sedentary life. An ergo metric professional on such a day can guide them on their sitting posture and employees can also be helped to tackle neck and back problems.
4. Healthy food demonstration: ‘Lunch & Learns’ are activities where simple food demonstrations are organized in the cafeteria. These demonstrations educate the employees on how to cook healthy food through simple and practical ways. The employee can learn and then eat a healthy breakfast at home and also carry nutritious food for lunch and snacks in the office.
5. Evaluating the ‘Nutrition Score’ of the employee: Many of us are convinced that we eat healthy. However, there may be an over emphasis on a particular food group while another food group is completely ignored. Most Indian foods are loaded with carbohydrates but lacking in proteins. That is when one needs a tool that analyses his / her nutritional intake to give a Nutrition Score. This tool gives a detailed report on the food groups or nutrients lacking in the diet. Corporate wellness providers have such a diagnostic tool; employers can contact them and use the tool for determining their employees’ health status and thus motivate them to participate in wellness activities throughout the year.
6. Wellness challenges: An Employee Wellness day is perfect time to kick-start a wellness challenge. These are challenges like eating five a day, taking the stairs, or a sugar control challenge. Special recognition can be given to the employees who win these simple challenges and make healthy eating and lifestyle modifications a part of their life. Such innovative employee wellness ideas also create a sense of bonding between the employees.

An Employee Wellness Day can be an educational yet a fun and interactive day for the employees. By conducting various corporate wellness activities, the employers can improve employee engagement, retention, loyalty and happiness and transform the company’s overall working environment. Wellness days are easy to plan and conduct. The key is encouraging the employees to attend and in the long run the corporate creates a workplace that prioritizes employees and their well being.

Arati Shah is an astute nutritionist having expertise in all types nutrition, she is one of the top 10 dietitians in Mumbai who can also guide one through corporate wellness programs with same efficacy