Five Tips for Small California Companies that Want to Set Up an Employee Wellness Program

April 16, 2019

Employee wellness programs are all the rage for 2019. And for good reason, as a long time California small business health insurance broker we know that healthy employees are happier and more productive.

Here are 5 tips for designing an employee wellness program that California employees will actually follow.

Benefits of Setting Up Your Own Small Business Employee Wellness Plan

According to research, illness-related loss productivity cost US employers a whopping $530 billion in 2018 alone. While 45% of the population has a chronic disease such as diabetes, obesity, asthma, heart disease, or cancer, it only makes sense to invest in an employee wellness program.

This will not only improve the health of the staff of your small California business, but it could also prevent your business from being affected because of their illness. For every dollar spent on a well-designed employee wellness program, there is a total of $3.27 fewer healthcare costs needed.

So if employee wellness is so important, how do you design a program that your team will actually follow, so you know that you are not wasting your money?

Keep on reading for tips on how to design the ultimate employee wellness program that will boost productivity and increase the wellbeing of your small business workplace.

1. Offer Discounts for Fitness Memberships

Gym memberships are expensive these days, so most people opt out of buying one. This leads to a multitude of health problems due to inactivity, which in turn, will affect your workplace productivity.

Approach multiple gyms near your office with the intention of a mass discount for all of your staff. Most gyms are very active with the community and would love the addition of your staff as new members.

2. Start a “Team” Bootcamp Fitness Class

A boot camp fitness class that is exclusive for your business employees and their family will not only boost health and productivity, but it will also build team spirit and camaraderie within the workplace.

Many California working in 2019 need a reliability partner to workout with in order to stick to their program. The boot camp is a perfect way to encourage co-workers to keep each other accountable for becoming healthier.

Shameless plug warning – Make sure you have a great California group health insurance program before starting the boot camp classes, in the very rare but possible scenario that someone could get hurt.

3. Start Health Education Seminars

Hire a health and wellness professional to come to your business office for an educational seminar to each of your California employees about how to live a healthier lifestyle. This could include food prep and healthy cooking idea, nutritional information, stretching in the office, and the importance of meditation and self-care.

4. Create Friendly Employee Wellness Competitions

Create an employee wellness program that is social. Set up a workplace health competition where every member has to record the amount of time each of them meditated or exercised in that week.

The member with the highest score can receive a gift such as a healthy supplement, free Whole Foods coupon, discount on childcare, or free parking.

5. Have Healthy Food Potlucks

Make your employee wellness program fun. Select one Friday either bi-weekly or monthly for everyone to bring in their favorite healthy dish that they have been cooking. Each employee has to share their recipe with their co-workers and then make a new choice for the following potluck.

Summary: Employee Wellness Programs Help Your Bottom Line

The bottom-line is the health of your employees affects the health of your California small business. Each of these ideas helps to improve the health of your employees, increase their quality of life inside and outside the workplace. An employee wellness program will also establish workplace relationships, where employees now have people that they can rely on to help each other become their healthiest.

Need Help with Small Business Health Insurance?

Preferred Insurance of California is an independent group health insurance broker that specializes in small business health insurance for companies in San Diego County. We service what we sell, which means we are personally there to help your employees with their health insurance needs.

Call to speak with a Preferred Insurance California licensed small business health insurance broker.

Call (760) 385-8239