Employer Wellness

Can a small organization support workplace wellness? Most certainly! In fact, in some ways it is easier to establish a healthy workplace in a small organization than in a big organization.

Limited resources, especially in small organizations, can prevent a organization from setting up a Employee Wellness Program. Reasons can include:

• lack of financial resources;
• lack of employee;
• lack of senior-level backing;
• sparse knowledge of the wellness concept and;
• problem about making wellness available to all staff members.

According to the Wellness Councils of America, some small company owners may have a flawed idea of what is involved in running a Company Health Promotion Program. Some employers aren’t convinced that a program would truly work and others feel that trying to change personal lifestyle behaviours is intruding and “none of their business”.  Perhaps they do not understand that it need not be costly and that they do not need special employee. They may not know that some employee would like to see some healthy changes and would help make things happen in their workplace.

It Can Be Accomplished

Many small corporations have found ways to have a Workplace Health Promotion Program that works for them. They keep the expense and effort to a minimum and still have results that are positive for everyone. In 2006, Graham Lowe wrote a report on the best places to work in Calgary. He said that healthy workplaces often have a “positive workplace culture”.  In a workplace with a positive culture, people feel appreciated, valued, and trusted.

Dr. Lowe says it is easier for a small workplace to have a beneficial workplace culture than for a sizable workplace. Many staff members prefer to work for a small employer, he says, because it supports more opportunities to work closely with others and advance a sense of community.

In his report, Dr. Lowe says the most efficacious businesses with fewer than 100 staff members have:

• great employee benefits;
• policies that reward a balance between work and personal life;
• flexible schedules;
• competitive salaries;
• great leadership with an emphasis on teamwork;
• environmentally responsible employer policies;
• procedures for seeking employee input; and
• a focus on placing employees’ personal wellness ahead of the personal gain of Senior Leadership.

All or most of these elements are also pieces of a good Corporate Wellness Program.

Tips and Ideas

There are many ways to include wellbeing and health in a small company. You may not necessarily need a wellness consultant or a fancy gym. What you do need is support from upper management and a Employee Health Promotion Program Committee of a handful of committed people. Here are some ideas that your workplace can consider.

Communications and Promotion

• Send out a regular “wellness” newsletter in hard copy or internet based. Or send out a brief message such as the weekly Healthy U Hot Tip.
• Utilized promotions that are already designed, such as Healthy Workplace Week.

Active Living and Healthier Eating

• Urge employee to sign up for the Stairway to Health stair climbing contest.
• Have pedometers for workers and track their steps.
• Rent a nearby school or community gym and offer exercise classes.
• Hire a local fitness instructor to give classes or lead stretch breaks. Costs can be shared with employees.
• Install secure bike parking.
• Offer healthy alternatives at company meetings and lunches.

Policy and Corporation Initiatives

• Hire an ergonomics professional to assess workstations.
• Create policies to support work-life balance (for example, mandatory vacations, flextime, limits to work and e-mail on personal time).
• Provide a wellness subsidy for a variety of health and leadership activities and courses.
• Provide monetary incentives and rewards to be healthy.
• Offer wellness incentives and rewards as rewards and recognition for a job well done.
• Conduct an employer health audit.
• Become a partner with the neighborhood (for example, daycare, gyms, festivals, parks, restaurants).
• Distribute the workload. Establish a Worksite Health Promotion Program Committee.

Small employers may not have much time, money, or human resources available for a Worksite Health Promotion Program. But they frequently have a large advantage over large companies-a positive workplace culture. That is a great foundation for a Worksite Health Promotion Program. When staff members are satisfied, enjoy their work environment, they are more productive, and tend to be healthier.  With a modest amount of creativity and passion, small employers can advance thriving Worksite Health Promotion Programs. Obtain support from senior staff, form a Worksite Health Promotion Program Committee of two or more and discover the possibilities!