Building a comprehensive employee wellness program

If you operate a typical 9-5 job, your employees are at work for 2 to 3 of their daily meals. That means the food options you provide or promote in the workplace can significantly affect their overall health, energy levels, and productivity throughout the day.

The first step is to offer a break room with access to healthy snacks. Consider adding items like fresh fruits, vegetables, low-sugar yogurts, nuts, protein bars, water, and other low-calorie beverages.

But people can’t maintain their health through their snack choices alone. They also need access to balanced meals. So allow your employees enough time to find and consume healthy meals. An added perk is to offer meal delivery vouchers from platforms like Uber for Business.

Meal delivery services let employees pick healthy and culturally appropriate breakfast, lunch, or dinner options. The best part? Using the Uber Eats app, the meal will be delivered right to the office, making it more convenient for your team.

Not all workers have access to a motorized vehicle or a driver’s license. This means they may have to rely on public transportation or friends and family to get to work every day. If you’ve personally been without transportation for even a short amount of time, you know how stress-inducing this can be.

A great way to show your employees that you care is to take this stressor off the table entirely. Consider offering transportation options like ridesharing through Uber for Business as a benefit. Uber for Business is a practical way to manage transportation for employees. You can offer ride vouchers and set spending limits to cover transportation for employees who need assistance getting to work. Then employees can book their rides through the Uber app while you maintain control over costs and policies. It’s a win for everyone!

Start caring for your employees’ mental health by offering access to counseling services. This can include an on-site therapist, insurance benefits that cover mental health costs, or a stipend for mental health services. It’s also possible to partner with digital therapy tools like BetterHelp or Talkspace, where employees can access licensed therapists by video, phone, or text.

Some companies take it a step further and offer mental health days as part of their paid time off policy. This way, employees can recharge when they need it and don’t have to stress about work if they or a loved one experiences a crisis.

You could also create designated quiet rooms in the office where employees can take a break from their desks, meditate, or relax during stressful moments. Additionally, offering free subscriptions to mindfulness apps like Headspace or Calm can help employees develop new stress-reducing habits.

If you don’t have the resources for mental health stipends for therapists and apps, it’s OK to start slow. Consider hosting monthly workshops on mindfulness, stress management, or work-life balance as a start.

A happy work environment is one where people have friends, trusted mentors, and time to socialize. But it’s challenging for your employees to build relationships if they never have time away from their desks or opportunities to chat casually with others.

You can change this. Organize team-building events like casual lunches, after-work happy hours, or volunteer days where employees can connect outside their typical work roles.

You could also host regular team activities such as trivia contests, game nights, or wellness challenges to encourage collaboration and camaraderie.

Another idea is to create designated social spaces in the office, like a lounge or break room, where employees can relax and chat during their downtime.

Did you know that 40% of employees say they have trouble paying their bills? And 45% of employees with low mental health cite financial stress as a significant cause.

Financial stress is real, and sometimes people can’t see the other end of the tunnel. Thankfully, there are many ways you can help your employees with this concern.

Start by offering education on budgeting, saving, and managing debt. You can also partner with financial advisers who provide one-on-one consultations to help employees create personalized financial plans.

Some organizations include student loan repayment services as a benefit, and many include 401(k) programs that will match a percentage of the employees’ investment. These ideas are great ways to help your employees pay off debt and build wealth.

When working a 9-to-5, it can be as difficult to break away for a fitness class as it is to leave for a full meal. But that doesn’t mean your employees shouldn’t get to exercise. Instead of relying on outside gyms and classes to get exercise, you can bring fitness opportunities to the office.

Here are some things you can provide to make on-site fitness a reality:

• An on-site gym
• Group fitness classes
• Walking meetings
• Stretching breaks
• Standing desks
• Bikes available on campus
• Outdoor fitness equipment
• Walking trails around campus
• Weekly fitness challenges
• Wellness apps with activity tracking
• On-site personal trainers

When you make fitness accessible, it’s easier for employees to remain active.