Well-being & Wellness Considerations for Employee Health

Well-being & Wellness Considerations for Employee Health

Well-being & Wellness Considerations for Employee Health - MEA

At our recent Growth & Recovery Webinar, Mike McGrath, CEO of The Charge Group, spoke on the importance of well-being and wellness for both employers and employees and what he believes to be the top 3 well-being trends for employee health.

According to McGrath, organizations have a responsibility to consider its employees and their overall health. But before organizations can do this, they need to understand the difference between well-being and wellness.

Well-being Vs. Wellness

From the employee perspective, well-being in the workplace is the actions employers take to support employee well-being. According to Gallup, well-being can be divided into 5 distinctive categories: Career, Social, Financial, Community, and Physical. Today, well-being is not just about salary or 401k offerings. Employees expect their employers to provide programs to support every aspect of their well-being.

According to McGrath, well-being from an employer’s perspective is how the company cultivates a positive company culture. It is how the employers treat their employees. Well-being is a holistic view, while wellness involves the steps taken to offer different programs and support employee well-being.

In order for an organization to thrive and grow, organizations need to consider both well-being and wellness as a part of their business planning.

Virtual is Here to Stay

Regardless of whether your employees work remotely or in person, the virtual world is here to stay. Just because your employees work in person does not mean they want to interact with in person services. In many cases, employees want telehealth or online well-being programs. Because of this employer need to consider how the employee would like to interact with these services and make it accessible to them on their own time.

Strategy vs. Tactic

Next, employers must consider their strategy and the tactics they will need to implement these programs. In the strategy phase, employers must brainstorm what they will need to offer well-being programs. How much time can be spent on this process? Do we need the support of upper-level management? What is our starting point?

Once these questions are answered, the employer can determine what tactics are necessary. What programs should we offer? Is there an outside vendor who can help us roll out these programs?

McGrath recommends considering preventative health benefits when planning well-being programs in your organization. See if your organization can leverage the programs your benefits broker and insurance providers offer.

Top 3 Well-Being Trends to Consider for Employee Health

1. Mental Health

McGrath explains that studies show that we have thousands upon thousands of thoughts a day. We have to make decisions in so many areas of our lives: career decisions, social decisions, family decisions, etc.

What Your Organization Can Provide:

  • 1-1 Therapy Support
  • Stress Management
  • Mindfulness Practices

2. Nutrition

While there are thousands of decisions we make in a day, studies show that the average American makes over 200 decisions per day on what we eat and drink. Because of this, McGrath placed this trend second on the list.

What Your Organization Can Provide:

  • 1-1 Meetings with Dietitians
  • Telehealth Access for Employees

3. Physical Health & Fitness

In many cases, we only have to make one fitness choice per day. Am I going to go for a walk outside? Spend 30 minutes on the bike? Follow a core workout video?

What Your Organization Can Provide:

  • Discounted Gym Membership
  • Virtual Training and Classes
  • Health Insurance Offering
  • Rewards + Incentive Programs

If you are interested in learning if nutrition counseling is covered for your employees under your health insurance plan, reach out to CHARGE here.

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