Company Health and Wellness : Company Health Promotion Programs: Small vs. Big Employer Options

Can a small employer support workplace wellness? Absolutely! In fact, in some ways it is easier to establish a healthy workplace in a small employer than in a big employer.

Limited resources, especially in small organizations, can prevent a corporation from setting up a Worksite Health Promotion Program. Reasons can include:

• lack of fiscal resources;
• lack of employee;
• lack of senior-level backing;
• minimal knowledge of the wellness concept and;
• issue about making wellness available to all workers.

According to the Wellness Councils of America, some small corporation owners may have the wrong idea of what is involved in running a Worksite Wellness Program. Some employers aren’t convinced that a program would really work and others feel that trying to change personal lifestyle behaviours is intruding and “none of their business”.  Maybe they don’t be aware of that it doesn’t need to be costly and that they don’t need special employee. They may not realize that some employee would like to see some healthy changes and would help make things happen in their workplace.

It Can Be Done

Many small businesses have found ways to have a Workplace Health Promotion Program that works for them. They keep the expense and effort to a minimum and still have results that are beneficial for everyone. In 2006, Graham Lowe wrote a report on the best places to work in Calgary. He said that healthy workplaces frequently have a “positive workplace culture”.  In a workplace with a beneficial culture, people feel appreciated, valued, and trusted.

Dr. Lowe says it is easier for a small workplace to have a positive workplace culture than for a sizable workplace. Many staff members prefer to work for a small corporation, he says, because it provides more opportunities to work closely with others and cultivate a sense of community.

In his report, Dr. Lowe says the most thriving organizations with fewer than 100 employees have:

• great employee benefits;
• policies that promote a balance between work and personal life;
• flexible schedules;
• competitive salaries;
• excellent leadership with an emphasis on teamwork;
• environmentally responsible employer policies;
• procedures for seeking employee input; and
• a focus on placing employees’ personal wellness ahead of the personal gain of Senior Management.

All or most of these elements are also pieces of a good Worksite Health Promotion Program.

Tips and Ideas

There are multiple ways to include health & wellness in a small organization. You may not necessarily need a wellness consultant or a fancy gym. What you do need is backing from senior staff and a Employee Health Promotion Program Committee of a few committed people. Below are some ideas that your workplace can consider.

Communications and Promotion

• Send out a regular “wellness” newsletter in hard copy or web-based. Or send out a brief message such as the weekly Healthy U Hot Tip.
• Use promotions that are already designed, such as Healthy Workplace Week.

Active Living and Healthy Eating

• Encourage employee to sign up for the Stairway to Health stair climbing contest.
• Get pedometers for workers and track their steps.
• Rent a nearby school or area gym and offer exercise classes.
• Bring in a local fitness instructor to give classes or lead stretch breaks. Expenditures can be shared with employees.
• Install secure bicycle parking.
• Offer healthy alternatives at company meetings and lunches.

Policy and Corporation Programs

• Hire an ergonomics specialist to assess workstations.
• Foster policies to support work-life balance (for example, mandatory vacations, flextime, limits to work and e-mail on personal time).
• Give a wellness subsidy for a variety of health and leadership activities and courses.
• Provide financial rewards and incentives to be healthy.
• Give wellness rewards and incentives as rewards and recognition for a job well done.
• Conduct an business health audit.
• Become a partner with the neighborhood (for example, daycare, gyms, festivals, parks, restaurants).
• Distribute the workload. Establish a Employee Health Promotion Program Committee.

Small employers may not have a lot of time, money, or human resources(HR) available for a Employee Health Promotion Program. But they often have a huge advantage over sizable companies-a beneficial workplace culture. That is a great foundation for a Employee Health Promotion Program. When staff members are satisfied, enjoy their work environment, they are more beneficial, and tend to be healthier.  With a little creativity and passion, small employers can develop thriving Employee Health Promotion Programs. Get reinforcement from senior staff, form a Employee Health Promotion Program Committee of two or more and discover the possibilities!