The pandemic has changed every aspect of daily life. There are new company rules for employees across the globe, and the obvious general shift to work from home. This present situation will have an enduring effect. As a business owner, you and your HR team will also have the tall task of figuring out the benefits that will have relevance in the post-pandemic world. While mapping out the future of employee benefits, the focus will have to be on employee’s health and wellness programs at the workplace.
Even before the coronavirus, wellness programs played a crucial role in the company’s policies. These programs helped to reduce health costs and sick days. Both enterprises and small businesses benefited from these policies. At present, the situation is quite different as conditions like work from home due to COVID-19 are causing unusual stress and mental health challenges. Hence, it has become essential to take steps that will address the physical and mental well being of employees post-pandemic. We offer a few suggestions that can prove useful.
Employee wellness ideas by Ram Duriseti
Offsite and online exercise options
Many companies already offer gym membership to their workers. Consider expanding reimbursements to include your employees’ online fitness preferences during COVID-19: It can be both cost-effective and convenient. Employees may continue to attend online yoga classes, webinars, and other online programs post-pandemic.
Ram Duriseti suggests that employers not focus only on employees’ physical health, but provide resources for mental health. Self-isolation and remote working create feelings of loneliness and helplessness. Arranging telemedicine and even group therapy sessions for employees’ mental wellbeing can be helpful by allowing people to reconnect and discuss common challenges.
Wellness challenges
A sense of community can work wonders on anybody. One opportunity that employers can explore is to create online wellness challenges. By creating an online platform that allows employees to interact with one another you can create joy and a feeling of connectedness at the same time. Thanks to social media, many companies have incorporated such practices on a regular basis. Wearable devices facilitate tracking and further interaction.
If you find it difficult to set up a challenge for your employees, you can take a survey and find a solution that is suitable for almost everyone. For example, there can be a challenge around drinking a certain amount of water per day, covering a specific number of steps in a period of time, adopting healthy eating habits through eating fruits and veggies, etc. As an incentive, you can offer a food delivery service gift certificate or something else that your employees find valuable.
Nutrition
An improper diet negatively impacts many chronic diseases. Many people do not have a solid understanding of nutrition and how it can affect weight loss or simply energy levels while pursuing a fitness regimen. One solution is to offer nutrition programs as part of your health and wellness benefit. When there is an eventual return to physical workspace attendance, you can replace junk food with fruits and healthy snacks in the office cafeteria and request certain health-conscious dishes.
Addressing your employees’ health holistically will help you win the confidence and loyalty of your workforce. In return, you will receive better productivity, less absenteeism, and a more favorable workplace environment – whether it is virtual or in person.