Employee wellness initiatives have taken many forms over the last 5-10 years. They have ranged from biometric screenings to company exercise groups to discounts on health insurance. Each company does it differently, depending on what is most effective for their specific organization. But according to this Washington Post article, employee wellness is taking a new turn and it's compelling for both employers and employees. Employee wellness is becoming part of company culture. With a growing millennial component to the American workforce, employers are focusing on enticing younger employees with perks and attractive cultural components in the work environment. Wellness programs are shifting to be a component of these types of company culture and positioning efforts. So what does it mean for employers? How can they measure ROI when they take tangible metrics and transition them into the "intangible benefits" so important to difficult-to-please millennial? Here are a few ways:
- Maintaining a healthy workforce- Active meetings, walk breaks, lunch workouts and organized company sports are great ways to keep your staff healthy without telling them to lose 10 pounds or lower their cholesterol by 20 points.
- Maintaining a happy workforce- When millennial find what they are looking for in an employer they tend to be very loyal and more likely to really invest themselves in their workplace. Give the people what they want and you will see ROI, reduced turnover and motivated people.
- Less invasion of privacy- Traditional employee wellness initiatives have raised concerns over employee privacy. By providing optional but enticing wellness options you can avoid getting too involved in employees' medical records and biometric measurements.
So maybe employees wellness remains an initiative, but is presented as a perk, rather than a measurement that an employees' benefits depend on.
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