Now, more than ever, anxiety is running really high. People are becoming more and more fed up and it can be critical to reinforce company culture at a time when there’s a lot of stress and uncertainty. With most employees stuck in their homes, staying active and relieving stress can be particularly difficult, but company-run initiatives can help to make a difference.
Successful companies are aware that an effective employee wellness program leads to intangible benefits like increased productivity, lower turnover, and better alignment with the company’s mission.
Remote work is the new norm: Meetings are held via video, conferences are hosted as webinars, conversations are conducted via email or messaging tools. People are missing social interaction, resulting in new trends such as virtual happy hours, meditation and at-home workout classes.
Making it easy for your remote team to access healthy resources at any time doesn’t have to be expensive. You can easily create a wellness hub by uploading content into an online chat or in a Google Drive to share with your team. Ask employees to submit their favourite go-to resources such as websites or social media influencers. You could even build your own online cookbook where employees submit their favourite recipes. Make this a collaborative place; a project like this in itself can bring people together.
Another great accessible idea is to subscribe your teams to an external subscription service so that they automatically receive regular updates. These updates can be sent to their work or personal email for them to digest in their own time. If you wanted to take this to the next level, why not support a small business by introducing virtual weekly meditation sessions or virtual workout classes such as yoga or pilates. There are many affordable small businesses out there and your support will go a long way.
Remind employees of gym memberships (some offer virtual memberships) and consider introducing a corporate discount with a local gym to provide an incentive. Many gyms will offer complimentary corporate discounts, you may even be able to find more than one to provide options for your employees.
Wellness does not have to be complicated, or even include any of the above. It can be as simple as hosting good for the soul meetings. Humans need interaction. Consider virtual coffee shops, happy hours, book clubs or games nights. If you really want to pull out all of the stops, send your employees gifts such as an afternoon tea for them to enjoy while you meet.
It’s important to introduce offerings that appeal to a wide audience so that there is something for everyone. Consider sending out a questionnaire to employees to gauge their interest in different topics and the times that would be most suitable for them to participate.
Finally, remember that no company is the same and what might work for one company, may not work for another. Try not to overwhelm employees by introducing one initiative at a time, only then will your initiatives create lasting impacts.
Some key takeaways from this article:
- Emphasize a culture of health and wellbeing in the company
- Include employees in decision-making
- Listen to their feedback
- Determine interest before you decide on an offering
- Track participation
- Provide rewards and incentives
- Include a variety of offerings