What can employers do to encourage their employee’s to stick with a healthy lifestyle?

Most people would agree that productivity in the workplace is linked to health and happiness. Companies that encourage all three stand to reap the rewards. However, while most companies do organise some employee health and wellbeing solutions, they are often not comprehensive or universal.

The outcomes for employee health of a successful corporate wellbeing strategy include: to stop smoking, achieve weight loss, obesity prevention, reduction in cases of diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and reduction in stress and anxiety.

It follows that a happy and health workforce results in higher productivity, lower absenteeism, higher job satisfaction, higher employee retention and lower health care costs. A study in the  American Journal of Health Promotion showed that companies with a successful wellbeing strategy had 25% lower annual sick leave. It also makes your company more attractive to talented job seekers.

A recent article in the Financial Times pointed to an increasing trend in UK companies to employ a wellbeing strategy. In the article, Barclay’s head of global diversity, Mark McLane, said of corporate wellbeing:

“It has had a positive impact across multiple measures including engagement and absenteeism. But it’s not about a programme, it’s about embedding wellness. The critical component is that it’s colleague-led, not human resource-driven. There is not one driving factor other than our colleagues wanting to push and us working to address their needs.” 

Shaun Davies from the Royal Mail said:

“It helps not only improve attendance at work but also employee engagement. With 142,000 staff, we have a real chance to educate and inform the broader population.” 

At Health Rewards we can help you put your corporate wellbeing strategy into place. We want to get your business healthy and active. With Vitality Health and Life you can support your staff wellbeing and encourage healthy lifestyle choice. Reduce the risk of illness by encouraging people to engage with their wellbeing by providing rewards and benefits for their healthy choices.

What can we offer your business?

• Vitality members will receive discounts of up to 50% on various health screens with Vitality Partners including BMI Healthcare, Nuffield Health and Bluecrest. By visiting the Vitality Member Zone, filling in the online Health and finding out their Vitality Age, our customers are engaged with their health from minute one.
• Discounted fitness trackers from partners such as Garmin, Fitbit and Polar
• Discounted gym memberships at Virgin Active
• Rewards for your Healthy choices, such as weekly cinema tickets, weekly Starbucks drinks, monthly iTunes voucher and discounts with our major partners such as British Airways, Eurostar, Evans Bikes, and Sweatshop.

How could you make your workplace healthier?

• Encourage your staff to do a Vitality Health review online and get their Vitality age
• Start a club, such as a running or cycling club, to get your staff active.
• Offer healthy food options.
• Encourage and motivate your staff to be healthy- Incentives

• Encourage and organise charity sports, fitness or healthy eating events
• Wellness days
• Cycle to work scheme
• Start weight loss and stop smoking groups
• Encourage gym time as part of the working day