Have you thought about a workplace wellness program? They can be
extremely helpful in creating a happy & healthy workforce. They can
also result in decreasing sick days while creating significant gains in
productivity.
One important aspect of a good wellness program is helping employees
learn how to make healthy and balanced eating decisions. Helping team
members make sensible food choices can have a big influence on the
effectiveness of a wellness program.
One important thing is to help your employees understand that any
such program is voluntary. In fact, it is critical to listen to
employees closely to help determine if a healthy eating program would be
a good fit for your office. Surveys and conversations can help uncover
team concerns. They can also help to uncover “evangelists” who’ll keep
co-workers excited about the program.
Some general guidelines include:
- Know your employees – find out what has and hasn’t worked for them in the past.
- Work with your team to develop a plan the entire team can be excited about.
- Determine how long the plan will go and what support will be included.
- Pay employees a little extra to help organize the program and keep it going.
As for topics, there are many you can leverage to build an excellent program…
- Pros & cons of going vegan
- How to eat healthy when on business trips
- Understanding the basics of healthy eating
- Stretching healthy dinners into healthy lunches the next day
- Understanding the impact of things like salt, sugar, fats, and cholesterol
- How stress management impacts eating habits
The list is nearly endless!
You should also ask your insurance professional if integrating a
healthy eating / wellness program could have a positive effect on your
group health insurance rates…
And for more thoughts on creating a program, here’s a great resource out of Canada.