GiftCard Partners Blog

June is National Employee Wellness Month and in honor of this month we’re celebrating ‘Employee Wellness Monday.’ Today we sit down with two employees from GiftCard Partners to talk about their daily routines and learn what they do in order to stay on the right track when it comes to their health and wellness.
What steps do you take during your workday to ensure that you’re staying healthy, energized and alert?
Deb: I start my day, every day, by going to the gym at 5:30AM for 60-90 minutes. The workout contains 30-60 minutes of cardio, and 25-30 minutes of weights. Weather permitting- I will bike 15-20 miles on the weekend. I have started writing down what I eat as well through
myfitnesspal.com.
Melina: Since I’ve taken the big step (for me at least) to try my first triathlon, I’ve begun a new routine this month. By the way, this “iron girl” triathlon is a beginner one (Thank God) which consists of a half mile swim, 12 mile bike ride and wraps up with a 3 mile run.  I’ve started running up to 3 miles 3-4 times a week. I try to do it in the morning or early evening to avoid the heat of mid-day. I also ride my bike on weekends with my fellow triathloners to get used to the hilly terrain. As for the swim, well we just hit over 80 degrees this week so I’ll be starting 50 laps in the pool tonight!! PS I drink LOTS of water all day long at my desk to stay well hydrated.
What happens when you don’t stick to this routine?
Deb: I stick to this routine, because if I don’t I feel grouchy and tired and my family and coworkers don’t like me. The only time I don’t exercise is when I can’t logistically because of travel or my asthma has kicked up to the extent I just can’t do anything.
Melina: I’ll probably come in last! Not to mention the possibility of not being able to finish it. Truth be told, I just feel better and more productive with work and around my family when I’ve had some form of exercise each day.
What advice would you give someone who is looking to get healthier during their 9-5 work week?
Deb: Keep a schedule- and do it early in the day as life usually does get in the way.  Then you stay energized the whole day!
Melina: Find the time to get that body moving regardless of the type or intensity of the exercise. It really helps to re-energize so you can be more productive throughout the day.
Rewarding Your Employees for Their Healthy Choices
Want to reward or recognize your workforce this month for putting in the extra effort to stay healthy? Our gift card clients make it easy to reward your workforce for their healthy behavior with convenient and flexible volume discounts on bulk orders.

Employers are increasingly adding health and wellness programs to employee benefits packages to both help control organizational costs of providing healthcare benefits and to keep employees healthy and productive at work. However, it is not enough to just have the program available- you have to educate your employees about it so they know it is there and all of the ways it can help them set and reach their health and wellness goals.To say it another way- most of us have seen the movie Field of Dreams, it happens to be one of my personal favorites- health and wellness programs cannot be dependent on Ray Kinsella's "If you build it, they will come" mentality. These programs take more work to train employees on the benefits and ensure that your workforce is aware of all that their employers is making available. According to a recent whitepaper from Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company 52% of employees at organizations where health and wellness programs are being offered either don't know they exist at all or are unaware of what they encompass. Making short education sessions available or required can change that statistic easily. To ensure your organization maximizes the investment in their employees health and wellness program providing small incentives to employees who enroll in the program is a great motivator. Small denomination gift cards to health and wellness retailers like GNC, CVS/Pharmacy, or Nutrisystem can help kick start any employee's work towards a health and wellness goal, and reminds them that their employer will be there to help and support them every step of the way. That kind of lasting impact will make for a happier, enduring, and more productive workforce throughout the life of the program and beyond.

GiftCard Partners and CVS/pharmacy recently co-sponsored a webinar called Healthcare Reform’s Impact on Wellness - How to Incentivize Employees to Engage in Healthy Behavior. Speakers included Jonathan Edelheit, Editor in Chief of Benefits Live Magazine, Vanessa Cullerton, Senior Manager of Employee Wellness for the Hillshire Brands Company, Stacey Nelson, Manager of Health and Welfare for Sprint; and our own Edward Shulkin, President of GiftCard Partners.

Employee retention can be difficult in today's job market. There is no such thing as a "company man or woman" any longer, and employees tend to switch jobs for one reason or another more frequently than we have seen in the past. Making employee retention a priority for your organization helps maintain continuity in the workforce, which makes the whole organization more productive, happier, and more motivated to succeed within the organization, not outside of it. Check out 3 common mistakes that can drive top talent out, and how you can make employee retention a priority in your organization.

The level of engagement within your workforce will affect your bottom line whether you know it or not. Engaged employees come to work energize and motivated to do the best, and most, they can for their organization each and every day. Engaged employees are willing to use their expendable energy, the extra energy they reserve for themselves, on their jobs when they are fully engaged at work. Employee engagement begins with the employer- ensuring your whole workforce is fully engaged in their positions takes investment from the organization to energize employees. Here are a few proven ways to ensure your workforce is engaged, and as productive as they can be: