As a business owner, you invest time and effort into the well being of your business. This means spending countless hours developing your product, your business plan and your marketing strategy, but it also means investing in your people.

Any good business owner knows that happy, healthy people equal passionate and diligent employees who produce good work and fresh ideas. One way to facilitate this is through employee wellness programs that improve the overall health of the workers and the business.

Make an Investment in Productivity Through Employee Wellness Programs

A recent poll by Survey Sampling International found that “71 percent of consumers want their employer or health plan to offer a program or a set of guidelines that helps them manage their health.”

An average wellness program focuses on the physical aspects of health. Through means such as gym memberships and healthy break room options, these programs aim to directly promote physical health for employees.  Many gyms and other fitness institutions promote health in business with discounts and subsidies that make wellness feasible. 

But there are a number of other ways to encourage health and wellness within your business:

Healthy Snacking

Forget the vending machines and after work happy hours. Promoting healthy eating, such as fruits, vegetables and water in the office gives employees good energy throughout the day.

Take Meetings on the Go

Small meetings and other conversations can be accomplished actively.  Walking or standing at meetings makes them more efficient and results in blood flow that can energize new ideas.

Wear It

The advent of wearable exercise devices, like FitBits, Jawbones and smartphone apps is proving a powerful tool for companies promoting wellness. These simple and unobtrusive devices are widely available and affordable and fit in with your average employee’s lifestyle.

Make It Visual

Sharing occasional exercise and educational videos or instructions on healthy lifestyles can break up the day for employees. Education on subjects from yoga to meditation to stress relief can be vital for mental and emotional health. 

Work the System

While it may seem as if health is incentive enough on its own for employees to participate in wellness programs, your employees might require additional motivation. Point systems, time off, and company pride is likely to make employees feel like their health is worth the effort.

Be Flexible

Creating a program that meets your employees' need for flexibility in their health regime will result in a program that should meet your needs. Wellness not only looks good to those that you hire, but will also showcase their individual dedication and value to your company.

Wellness programs can be extremely beneficial to you and your employees. The World Economic Forum (WEF) found that “companies that have implemented proactive wellness programs have averaged 700 dollars in savings per year per employee. These companies have also seen a return on investment of up to 755 percent in reduced health care costs and higher productivity levels. 

Healthcare is an important component of employee wellness too; don’t forget to check out our recent blog post on the best options for small businesses.

Like you, BizX values employee health and wellness. Interested in getting your employee wellness program off to a start? Not only will you save cash with healthier, more productive employees, you can keep that money in the bank and leverage your BizX dollars to offer these wellness opportunities. Check out the BizX Marketplace for everything from gym memberships to classes to spa treatments and aromatherapy. Maybe you’ll even find an opportunity to pamper yourself!