What are the benefits of creating a culture of health in the workplace? No two companies are the same, but employees who work for businesses that value a culture of health are more engaged and productive, happier, and less likely to jump ship. So, what’s involved in going beyond employee health and wellness programs to build that culture of health?
Why fostering company culture matters
Culture is the “tacit social order of an organization” – unspoken but definitely felt. It shapes words, attitudes, and deeds in profound and enduring ways. Those tacit cultural patterns define what an organization encourages, discourages, accepts, or rejects. A well-adjusted company culture aligns with personal motivations and values. It can generate a massive surge toward shared aspirations and goals and create a thriving organization. Employees at companies with positive cultures are more likely to:
- Say their managers treat them with kindness and respect.
- Feel pumped up by the company’s mission.
- Suffer less stress and experience more engagement.
- Take fewer sick days.
- Embrace their authentic selves.
- Remain loyal to their company.
In short, a well-adjusted company culture helps people to show up and perform, ultimately impacting profits and growth. As Peter Drucker once famously quipped, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”
Moving beyond employee health and wellness programs
Companies have lots of ways to foster a culture of health. Using leadership to your full advantage is an effective one. But the lion’s share of what makes a positive workplace culture is the way a company cares about and supports the holistic well-being of its people. When employees are treated well consistently across the full spectrum of health – social, mental, physical, financial, and clinical – they’ll be able to thrive and contribute positively to the organization. But a healthy workforce won’t magically appear, you’ll need to thoughtfully cultivate one. Here are some key elements to foster a healthy corporate culture:
Go over your company values with a fine-tooth comb
The first step is to diligently reflect on your company’s values. A healthy corporate culture is strongly tied to its core principles and beliefs – and it applies from the corporate office on down. Success means employees being able to connect to these values, or else your efforts to build a workplace well-being culture will fail without a doubt.
Ask employees what they need and want
Use surveys and focus groups to learn what employees expect. Take care to include a representative sample of your people across generational, racial, gender, and sexual orientation lines to gauge a realistic idea of what wellness represents to the whole organization. After you’ve carefully listened, communicate the things you learned to your employees and the steps you intend to take to begin creating a culture of health in the workplace.
Prioritize employee’s mental health
Today’s employees consider mental health to be equally important as physical health. And although the stigma associated with admitting to mental health issues is beginning to wane, it’s still awkward for an employee to ask a manager for a mental health day. Putting a focus consistently on the importance of mental health will speak volumes to employees, as well as let them know frequently what resources are available to them. Begin by calling attention to your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and its employee support system. Then, if you haven’t already, consider wellness programs your company could offer to reduce stress, encourage mindfulness, or foster resilience.
Make programs visible
There’s no point in having employee health and wellness programs if your employees aren’t aware of them, so for success visibility is key. When you’re launching programs, ask your leadership to throw a kick-off celebration to inform and inspire employees.
Establish a communication strategy to outline your wellness services – calling attention to topics that appeal to your employees, including weight loss, nutrition, physical activity, mental and financial health, stress reduction, smoking cessation, and work-life balance. Take generational communication preferences into account as you develop your collection of communication materials.
Think about channels that go beyond posters in the hallways. Leverage every channel your multi-generational employees communicate with, whether that’s email, text, Facebook, LinkedIn, and print notifications – whatever will encourage and motivate your people.
Model wholesome habits
A robust culture of health begins at the top. Yes, it’s vital to walk the talk. Employees need to see senior leaders and managers focusing on their own health habits. That way, your people will be more motivated to devote attention to their own wellness habits. It will signal to your workforce that well-being is a vital part of the culture – not just a nice-to-have, but a need-to-have.
Here are a few ideas to consider implementing:
- Address health and wellness in town hall meetings.
- Ask managers to schedule time in their calendars for fitness or meditation sessions or participate in company fitness groups.
- Encourage managers to take time off for self-care and to share their plans with their teams.
- Devote a few minutes during weekly team meetings: promote current and upcoming fitness and mindfulness activities, encourage extra steps (think taking the stairs!) or stretch during the day, and call attention to EAP resources.
Support employees’ passions outside of work
The pandemic gave people the opportunity to reflect on what really mattered in life. Often that meant devoting more quality time to family, pursuing personal interests, or volunteering in the community. Now they’re asking employers to give them the flexibility to fit these significant activities in.
Here are two ways to begin:
- Create opportunities for employees to share about their families, volunteer work, or interests.
- Gauge employee interest in forming employee resource groups that can bolster coworker bonds and provide an opportunity to build high-trust relationships and a sense of belonging.
Champion community service
Research shows that employees who participate in volunteer activities are more likely to be engaged at work. Of the 51% of cross-industry companies that Boston College surveyed that measure the connection between community service and engagement, 96% reported a positive correlation. If you don’t currently offer paid time off for volunteer work, considering the return, you may want to implement it. You may also want to integrate volunteer opportunities that align with your organization’s mission and partner with a local non-profit. And today, there are plenty of ways for employees to get involved with virtual community service.
Optimize your work environment for healthier habits
Did you know that employees who have high well-being incur 41% fewer health-related costs than their lower well-being counterparts and a 35% lower turnover rate? It’s hard to achieve employee well-being if you don’t support it in the physical workplace. Is your organization sending employees mixed messages? Think doughnuts at meetings or ergonomically compromised workspaces – at work or in a virtual office. Here are some ideas:
- Offer nutritious options in the cafeteria and vending machines.
- Provide healthy meal kit delivery for remote employees.
- Start a smoking cessation program.
- Put a sign that says “Use THESE” next to the stairs,
- Scatter fruit baskets around the office.
- Bring healthy cooking demos in.
- Get a baseball team going.
- Hold morning yoga or tai-chi classes outside.
- Engage a health and wellness coach.
The options for signaling your company is committed to wellness are truly endless.
Provide a variety of opportunities to boost physical activity each day
Targeted movement throughout the day can help improve mood, increase focus, and reduce stress. But employees are looking for your permission to leave their desks and move about. Here are some ways to encourage this:
- End meetings 10 minutes early.
- Block calendars for a noontime walk.
- Have walking or standing meetings.
- Start a movement challenge.
- Put posters on elevators with a calorie-burning count for stair climbing.
- Hand out resistance and booty bands.
- Install some standing desks.
Really, the sky’s the limit. But remember that your leaders should set the tone with their own healthy behaviors.
Since covid began, people are more aware that movement needn’t mean a one-hour boot camp. And employees shouldn’t have to devote gym time before the workday begins or after it ends. Forward-thinking employers who have developed a culture of health understand that providing time for exercise each day can boost mood and productivity.
Recruit wellbeing champions
To really instill a well-being culture, it pays to recruit ambassadors. Scout out your workforce health advocates and ask them to serve as champions. Social pressure can act as a positive force for beginning or developing healthy habits. Ask your champions to actively participate in well-being pursuits and share on your company’s social media channels. You can also encourage champions to organize special events and promote them to your workforce. Here are some event examples your ambassadors could initiate:
- Start a fitness challenge.
- Host a health screening fair.
- Schedule breathing or mindfulness workshops.
- Invite a wellness coach to lead an exercise program or demonstrate how to work out using home equipment.
- Celebrate World Fitness Day.
- Create a smoothie bar in the cafeteria once a week.
- Invite a registered chef and dietician to lead a hands-on cooking class.
You get the picture.
Final Thoughts
I’d like to tell you that transforming company culture can happen overnight, but that’s just wishful thinking. It will require extensive thought, planning, and time to integrate all the elements. Instilling a culture of health also requires continuous monitoring of the pulse of your employees and tweaking wellness initiatives to confirm and solidify your commitment to workforce wellbeing and ensure you maximize investment and outcomes. But as your workforce starts to engage regularly with your health-focused programs, they will experience improvements in their daily lives. And a healthy employee means a healthier bottom line, as employees incur fewer medical costs, become more productive, reduce absenteeism rates, and stay with the company. It doesn’t get better than that. Ready to get started building your culture of health?
