Why Pilates in the meeting room doesn’t cut it?

We all know employee health and wellness is crucial, not just for the health of the individuals, but the business as well. Extensive studies have proven that holistic wellness programs, which address both physical and mental health, can significantly reduce absenteeism and staff turnover, while boosting overall productivity. The key to their success lies in their comprehensive approach to employee well-being.

What’s the standard wellness offering?

Standard wellness programs often include group physical exercise classes, funded by the company. These classes, led by a fitness instructor who visits the office once or twice a week, are open to all employees. However, research has shown that these programs typically only attract a 20% participation rate. This raises the question: why are these programs not as effective as they could be? Is lunchtime Pilates in the meeting room not what employees want?

What makes a wellness program more successful?

Researchers have looked extensively into large businesses that offer successful wellness programs. Think companies like Google, Microsoft and Johnson and Johnson attract up to 80% of their staff to these offerings. There are several factors that stood out and encouraged higher participation rates and investment from employees into their health and wellbeing.

• There is an element of education, that’s tailored to the needs of the employees.
  While the general benefits of exercise are widely known, the specific benefits for each individual can vary. For instance, if a significant portion of your workforce is women aged 25-40, it’s important to provide pregnancy-focused and tailored information. Similarly, if many employees are aged 50+, education on the benefits of exercise for heart health could be more relevant. This tailored approach can significantly increase the interest and participation in wellness programs.

• There’s a feeling of community and inclusion.
  We all feel more motivated and engaged when we do something with others. Running a successful wellness program is no different. Often, casual fitness classes don’t have the same instructor each week. Engaging with the same instructors who display genuine care and empathy, including following up each week with participants, will lead to increased interest and retention in wellness offerings.

• The services are tailored to meet the needs of the employees.
  Staff feeling stressed? Yoga might be the answer. Staff feeling tight and sore from sitting at their desk? Perhaps strength training is the key. Knowing what your staff need allows for an individualised offering that is tailored specifically to them. This validates your employees and shows you, as a company, are actively listening to their concerns.
  Knowing what your staff need is up to you. Ensuring that it’s tailored correctly to their needs is on us

• Tailored needs are proactive, rather than reactive.
  Studies have shown that businesses that proactively recognise the needs of their staff have more successful wellness offerings. For example, a staff member who takes frequent and extended leave due to lower back pain may require a tailored wellness offering from their company, which includes physiotherapy.

• There is friendly competition
  Wellness offerings that include ‘friendly competition’ or sporadic challenges have been shown to attract higher retention rates than casual offerings. Think a 6-week spring challenge or starting up a running club to train for an event. We all feel more motivated when there’s an end goal in sight.

• There are the right facilities and resources
  While top-of-the-line equipment and fit-outs are not always cost-effective, small, simple changes can be made to elevate your wellness offering. For example, perhaps your company offers meditation sessions, but the only room available has limited ventilation or privacy with sound that travels from other rooms. Employees may have difficulty relaxing in a loud space or feel uncomfortable exercising when others walking past can see in. Knowing what equipment or facilities you need comes down to the needs of your employees.

What’s the benefit of getting staff engaged with workplace wellness?

Many companies don’t see the value in allocating the time, money, or resources to workplace wellness. Understandable, particularly knowing it’s not as easy as offering healthy snacks or a few fitness classes. But just in case you’re not completely sold on the idea of investing in workplace wellness, here are the top reasons it’s worth it.

• Healthier and happier staff are more productive and take fewer sick days.
  Studies have found that effective wellness programs reduce absenteeism rates by an average of 28%. More than that, productivity rates were found to increase as the need for modified work duties decreased by as much as 68%. Given that nearly half of Aussies have a chronic physical or mental health illness, promoting wellness in the workforce has become more relevant than ever.

• Because of this, many businesses that engage their staff in workplace wellness receive returns as high as $2.71.
  Workplace wellness doesn’t have to be an empty investment. Many businesses find a healthy return on investment through factors like reduced compensation claims and decreased staff turnover. One company we found boasts a turnover rate of less than 4%, thanks to its successful wellness offering.  

So, what can you do to get your staff interested in your wellness programs? Engage with a business that takes the time to understand your business and your staff's unique needs and has the resources to tailor its offering. FORMA HQ offers a wide variety of fitness, wellness, and educational services that can cater to any business.

Don’t believe us? Check out our references.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2023). Chronic Conditions and Multimorbidity. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/chronic-conditions-and-multimorbidity

Harvard Business Review. (2010). What’s the hard return on Employee Wellness Programs? https://hbr.org/2010/12/whats-the-hard-return-on-employee-wellness-programs

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. (2016). Physical activity in the workplace: a guide for employers. https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/institute-for-health-and-productivity-studies/_docs/archived-projects/WHRN_PA.pdf

Mattke, S. (2014). Workplace wellness programs : services offered, participation, and incentives.

National Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2016). Ten Strategies to Improve Employee Health and Wellbeing. https://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/initiatives/resource-center/pdf/whrc_small_business_report_508.pdf

Yehia, K.,, Hembree, T., & Brooks, S. (2013). Employee Wellness Programming Using SAS Enterprise Guide. https://support.sas.com/resources/papers/proceedings13/175-2013.pdf. Norton Healthcare.