Better late than never: Creating effective employee health and wellness plan
It might seem that well-being has been placed center stage as a result of the pandemic, however, multiple reports show that it had already been emerging as one of the top 10 global human capital trends over the last few years. Then what is it that has changed?
The definition and approach to well-being have changed tremendously. Talent leaders have realised its importance and its impact on the entire employee experience: Well-being is a critical lever to create a better employee experience.
The new reality of the world of work has brought forth an acute awareness of health and well-being, calling on organisations to devise innovative ways to integrate employee well-being into the flow of work to help their people perform optimally and lead healthier and happier lives. What does this mean for employee health and wellness plans, earlier restricted to reactive measures and remedies?
The evolving employee health and wellness strategy for the now of work
“COVID-19 has accelerated the demand for overall health and wellness. We are now living in the post covid awareness era where people have realised health issues are not to be taken lightly,” Naresh Krishnaswamy, Head - Growth & Marketing, cult.fit (cure.fit), said.
But are the current employee health and wellness programs cognizant of the evolving health and wellness needs? Are they addressing all the key elements including fitness, mental wellness and nutrition for all employees?
“We have made great strides in recognition of certain aspects of health and wellness but we need to understand that all these aspects are interlinked and none of them can be ignored,” Naresh added.
Talent leaders need to play a critical role in propelling this change.
Naresh believes, “HR leaders have the capacity to influence and guide the Indian workforce to not just be more productive but also lead a healthy lifestyle that contributes to personal happiness and a sense of accomplishment.”
Employee health & wellness plan (EHWP) improves engagement & productivity
In a poll, cult.fit asked a poll from 100 companies what HR problems are being solved by employee health and wellness plans. Here’s what they had to say:
According to 70 percent of them, employee engagement tops the list. 50 percent said EHWP helps improve employee productivity. It also helps in stemming attrition and attracting top talent.
While talent leaders realise the importance of investing in employee wellness, they have still not been able to create the expected impact. Where are the gaps? What makes EHWP relevant and impactful for individuals and businesses.
What works? The key tenets of effective employee health and wellness plan
Physical and Digital delivery of fitness sessions, dashboards for monitoring usage and trends, mass engagements to boost team spirit and morale, mental health and nutrition consultation, all contribute to overall health and wellness.
Fitness experts believe that health and wellness are very personal, “we can’t force people to do just one thing.”
Each individual needs to work along with an expert to see what works best for them. As an employer, organizations can equip employees with a portfolio of activities to choose from and give access to experts who can help them unlock health and wellness plans most suitable for their specific needs.
For instance, cult.fit provides organisations access to a vast pool of resources like trainers, therapists, etc who are aligned to the employee wellness delivery.
There are multiple product features like dashboards, scheduling engines etc that experts have readily available that drive better results. The experts are aware of the newest trends in the health and wellness space so you get the best programs. While talent leaders steer the change journey towards a healthier and happier workforce, experts assist each employee to arrive at that goal.
Further, the combination of digital and physical wellness plans is required to tackle the uncertain challenges that unpredictable virus breakouts and lockdowns may bring in. This hybrid model of delivery ensures employees’ wellness and fitness needs are addressed without compromising their health to the virus.
To tackle the challenge of low engagement, the employer can leverage the plethora of content available on platforms like cult.fit. “Regular and updated content keeps employees’ interests piqued,” Naresh said.
Lastly, digital solutions enable the leaders to get insights on what’s working for their employees to create the most relevant wellness plans for them.
With a comprehensive and hybrid approach, subject-matter experts onboard, and people insights, organisations will be able to create more impactful employee health and wellness plans. It is time for employers to explore how they can leverage available solutions to nurture a healthier and happier workforce.
