For companies trying to increase productivity and decrease turnover, the benefits of corporate wellness programs are more important than ever. Wellness programs are gaining popularity in the American workplace: A 2015 Kaiser Family Foundation survey found that 49% of companies with fewer than 200 employees offered corporate wellness programs, as did 81% of larger companies.
For employees, the benefits of a corporate wellness program include weight loss, improved fitness and stamina, and reduced stress. For employers, a corporate wellness program’s benefits mean great things for the company. Read on to learn four of the most impactful benefits.
- Increased daily work productivity
Healthier employees are more active and eat better, which mean they’re more focused and productive throughout the day. One survey found that employees who eat healthy meals are 25% more likely to perform their work at a high level. Healthier employees are also more capable of handling stress and finding constructive solutions to problems—which can mean more productive employees and a more productive company.
- Improved employee retention and job satisfaction
When it comes to recruiting and retaining employees, good perks are essential. When you talk up benefits of corporate wellness programs such as your company’s healthy meals and snacks, on-site catering or kitchens, gym memberships, and other wellness initiatives, that sends a message that the company not only prioritizes productivity, but also employee well-being.
When employees feel valued as not only a worker but also a person, they are more likely to be satisfied with their jobs. Employees who are satisfied with their jobs are more likely to stay at the company, decreasing turnover, productivity losses, and recruitment costs.
- Lower absenteeism and turnover
When employees miss work due to illness and other health problems, the company suffers. While no wellness program can completely eliminate health problems, the benefits of corporate wellness include lowering absenteeism and turnover.
In 2012, the American Journal of Health Promotion (AJHP) published a review of 62 studies. The review’s conclusion? Wellness programs contribute to sick leave reductions of up to 25%. Wellness programs may also contribute to lower turnover, as one review found for the wellness program offered by a major pharmaceutical firm.
- Decreased health-related costs
The benefits of corporate wellness programs don’t stop there. Increased productivity, lower turnover, decreased absenteeism, and overall healthier employees benefit the company’s bottom line, too.
The same review published in AJHP found that companies with wellness programs had overall lower healthcare costs, including workers’ compensation and disability insurance costs. In 2014, the Harvard Business Review published a study of 20 companies with wellness programs. While companies nationwide saw a 7% increase in healthcare costs, those with a wellness program only had an average increase of 1 to 2%.
Corporate wellness benefits begin with meals and snacks
Healthier employees can get more work done (and done well), miss fewer days of work, and more constructively and productively handle workplace stress. A solid, comprehensive corporate wellness program capitalizes on building wellness into the infrastructure and process of day-to-day company life. For many companies, food is an easy way to establish a culture of health that realizes the benefits of corporate wellness. After all, everyone eats and many employees eat lunch, snacks, and sometimes breakfast or dinner at work. That makes food at the workplace an ideal place to set the stage for wellness.
By encouraging healthier eating, your company contributes to its bottom line. Each dollar your company invests in corporate wellness benefits can save up to $13. After all, the benefits of a corporate wellness program aren’t just an investment in the well-being of your employees, but in your company too.
