What are corporate wellness programs?

An employee is an invaluable asset to any company. Happy & healthy employees bring in a range of benefits to the company they work for including increased productivity and thus more business. It is rightly said that “A healthy environment makes a healthy YOU”. Corporate wellness programs or employee wellness programs embody this sentiment and focus on educating the employees about the significance of nutrition, fitness and stress management to cope with their day to day work-life hectic schedule. An employee spends a major part of his / her day at the workplace. Most jobs involve sitting at the desk for long hours which have detrimental effects on their health. A very large part of the employees do not get optimum nutrition and exercise, making corporate wellness programs a pressing priority to encourage employees to adopt healthier lifestyle habits. As technology and health science has evolved over the years, companies have found newer and better ways to encourage employees to get healthy. Moreover, nutrition which was the ignored segment in the early years has gained major importance in recent years. We now have corporate wellness programs focused more on nutrition and good food choices made available within the company, which is slowly but surely creating healthier employees. Healthy-eating vending machines and cafeterias offering nutritious lunches and snacking options have made it easier for employees to eat healthy food throughout the day. In addition to providing healthy food options, most innovative wellness programs offer on-site fitness programs such as yoga classes, zumba dancing classes and also have an in-house sports room where an employee can un-wind with a game of carom or table tennis. Along with this, companies offer wellness challenges and also arrange for activities like trekking, hiking, camping which helps build inter personal relationships between co-workers as well as improves mental and physical well-being. Wellness programs also undertake activities for stress management. Health screening and individual consultations along with meditation programs help employees cope with work pressures. Therefore, making an effort to make a healthy work atmosphere will not only provide healthier lifestyle but also will impact the growth and progress of the company. A good corporate company with the help of employee health and wellness programs can impact the employees’ lives by showing that they are valued and appreciated.