Posted by Health Wellness | Posted in Health And Wellness In The Workplace | Posted on 05-05-2009
Some of the top wellness programs currently in use today include:
Health Risk Assessments or HRAs
Health Risk Assessment is a top corporate wellness program currently in use globally. Corporations that enable it determine the safety and health concerns of employees by the assessment of appropriateness of the facilities and equipment against the needs of the employees.
It can, for example, guide the corporation into determining how the air quality within an office room impacts the users and then help the assessment team to come up with the measures necessary to correct the concern. An HRA can also evaluate the level of exposure workers have to certain hazardous or dangerous materials and practices.
Immunizations
This isn’t always practiced in every country since there are regions where government sponsored immunization shots are available. However, it has also become an important component of the top Company Wellness Programs in many businesses in North America.
Immunization shots, such as those used to combat flu, for example, are available to workers for free.
Employee Assistance Program(EAP)
EAPs consist of a wide variety of services. It can range from providing educational resources to workers regarding health concerns to sponsoring health services and healthcare. In many employers, medical and insurance have also become a staple part of their benefits system.
In-house nutrition drives
This is another wellness program that corporations use, particularly those that offer in-house commissary or cafeteria services. Instead of serving richer, high-calorie fare, cafeterias offer options for a healthier diet, usually in the form of low-calorie foods and sugar substitutes.
In-house employee wellness newsletter and campaign drives
One of the top wellness programs that businesses can start is a self-powered tool using a newsletter to promote wellness, coupled with a visible campaign. The campaign may be done periodically and focus on a specific topic, such as smoking hazards, cancer, stress, carpal tunnel syndrome, safety in the workplace, etc.
The employee wellness newsletter in itself can be an effective means to deliver information to workers or members of a company but it is far from perfect. Some workers, for example, may not read the newsletter entirely or even pay attention to it. If the problems outlined in the newsletter are promoted through an active and highly visible campaign, it will be easier to maximize beneficial results.
Exercise and physical activity drives
Another top wellness program for organizations is one that involves physical activities. Organizations often sponsor exercise-related events such as marathons and business sports programs to promote employees to remain fit or lose excess weight. In mid- to large-sized organizations, organizations may even pay for health club memberships or in-house exercise facilities.
Incentives
Some of the top wellness programs implemented by companies involve Incentives. This involves employer-sponsored programs that reward staff members for achieving specific wellness-related objectives and goals. Participation in health campaigns and signing up for wellness programs are two of the most commonly rewarded schemes. Rewards can range from special recognitions to over time acquired points (for bigger rewards) to specific gifts. In a few cases, cash may also be used.
Nonetheless, incentive systems have had mixed reactions and levels of success. But it continues to be one of the top choices among employers who are willing to modify it in order to fit their unique needs.
Peer Pressure
In a myriad of corporations, corporations take advantage of peer pressure in order to advocate staff members to participate in wellness programs. This is currently one of the favorite Workplace Wellness Programs currently in use today and growing in popularity. Peer pressure is frequently leveraged to help encourage competitions referring to workplace wellness and to persuade staff members to be active in corporation-sponsored wellness fairs.