It is often said that the key to success lies within you. What remains unsaid is that- what lies inside us is not a key but a mind which is fueled by peace and well-being. Living in a world which operates at a pace faster than ever calls for high maintenance of physical and mental health among both employees and people in general. This is where the concept of corporate wellness stems from.
Any organizational activity or event conducted in the pursuit of health and well-being of members of a work-place can be categorized as corporate wellness. Furthermore, these are programs specifically designed to inspire, motivate and encourage employees through fun and engaging tasks and challenges. These challenges are put together bearing in mind the idea of improving physical fitness, mental well-being and repressing unhealthy regimes present in the routines of members of the workforce.
Adoption of healthy practices by people at workplace can make the environment healthier; resulting in reduced number of sick days and significant downturn in the healthcare cost. Employees keeping well can easily maintain consistency and continuum of the pace at which they work; yielding better outputs for any organization. Moreover, inclusion of corporate wellness programs in the corporate culture can create a nurturing and engaging space for the employees to derive inspiration from. The presence of a space which makes the employees feel valued and cared for can encourage them to perform better and hence increase productivity.
Statistics reveal that 90% of business leaders believe in the direct co-relation of health and productivity. Employers witnessed approximately 50% reduction in the productivity of employees who did not exercise regularly in comparison to those who did. 77% of productivity loss could be attributed to health-related concerns. 54% of people believe that workplace stress not only hampers with their capacity to perform but also impacts their lives outside of the corporate. These numbers clearly indicate the importance of mental and physical well-being at workplace.
Workplace stress can lead employees to increased levels of fatigue, irritation, lack of proper sleep, loss of appetite, headaches, body pains, overthinking and paranoia. These can further make an employee disinterested and cause resentment in him/her against the organization. These factors can impact and obstruct the efficiency of an individual. This also creates a psychological impact which refrains employees from taking initiatives for the betterment of the entity they work for.
Lack of proper channels of communication, inadequate interaction, scarcity of diversity, lack of inclusion, improper employee engagement, no emphasis on work-life balance, no breaks and channels for employees to relax are some factors that contribute to dissatisfaction among employees which further translates to decrease in output and productivity. This is where the role of corporate wellness programs comes in.
These programs aim to take into consideration the activities that can make the environment at work healthier and engaging. A team of people often communicates with the members of an organization to know their requirements and how the organization can make employees feel better to enhance their productivity. These activities can further take the shape of availability of counselling for employees, organization of corporate lunches, provision of health insurance, exercising workshops, field trips, and increased interaction of peers to reduce workplace stress, curb monotony in the work environment and improve employee retention.
A research project by University of California suggests that any organization practicing the aforementioned rituals of corporate wellness programs witnessed a hike in the productivity of its employees. The presence of corporate wellness itself showcases to the employees that they are being taken care of. Corporate wellness tries to make employees happier at workplace. A happy employee is known to be much more productive than an average employee. Any emphasis laid on taking care of people at workplace can make them feel satisfied and wanted.
Health and wellness of an employee is a mutual benefit to both the organization and the individual. A person in a corporate environment seeks validation and appreciation which is what is provided through such programs. The presence of wellness programs portrays itself as a gesture undertaken to keep employees happy. An environment that takes into account the comfort and health of its employees is always desired by an individual. The provision of such environment through corporate wellness induces satisfaction which further converts to motivation to perform and improves the productivity of such organizations.
By- Mahek Rijhwani