10 commandments of wellness practitioners
Workplace wellness is a great industry to be in and allows vendors and practitioners the opportunity to directly affect the total well-being of employees everywhere.
When employees are healthier, they are happier and when they’re happier, they’re more engaged and productive in their roles.
However, this unregulated field is full of all types of practitioners from the top-notch, industry experts to the least-experienced, unqualified providers who are just looking to get a small market share of this industry.
There was no set of guidelines to follow…until now!
Regardless of where you fall on this scale, your business depends on you to deliver results in a professional, timely, and systematic fashion.
Before you speak to your clients and prospects, familiarize yourself the 10 Commandments of Workplace Wellness Practitioners and make sure you are willing to comply to it.
1. Thou Shalt Do No Harm.
The purpose of any workplace wellness program is to support employee well-being and the morale of the company. Interventions should not cause bad health outcomes.
2. Thou Shalt Seek Input and Feedback From All Levels Of The Organization.
Forget the idea that corporate wellness programs need to be designed using a top-down approach. In order for the program/intervention to be successful, you need to also work with all employees so they can be a part of the planning process. Allowing employees to have a voice in the organization will increase engagement and ensure that the program elements are relevant to the company’s goals.
3. Thou Shalt Measure Success.
You can’t manage what you don’t measure! In order to keep track of the program results, implement some measurement tools. Consider tracking employee participation, productivity, sick days, paid-leave, turnover, employee health, and company profitability. Also, be sure to speak directly to the program participants to receive stories and testimonials.
4. Thou Shalt Not Only Focus On Physical Health.
Wellness is not only about a number on a scale or how fast you can run a 5K. The National Wellness Institute implemented the 6 Dimensions of Wellness model which encompasses all aspects of well-being including: physical, social, intellectual, emotional, and occupational. Using this multi-dimensional approach addresses the whole person and results in a greater sense of well-being.
5. Thou Shalt Commit To Being Transparent In All Contractual Language And Communications.
All pricing ( fees, rewards/incentives, payment structure) and program features ( methods, implementation, services, outcomes) need to be fully disclosed and readily available.
6. Thou Shalt Make Wellness Friendly
Studies show that people are more likely to participate and stay engaged in a program when part of a group. Leverage technology or even social media to deliver content, share successes, offer support, and create group challenges.
7. Thou Shalt Keep Employee-identifiable Data Private.
One of the biggest reasons why employees hate wellness programs is because they are skeptical of where they’re information is stored and who has access to it; this can lead to animosity towards the management. Information should be only shared with employee permission and practitioners/vendors must adhere to HIPAA regulations as well as other applicable laws regarding wellness programs. Reports can be aggregated using anonymous data, showing the scope of an organization as a whole
8. Thou Shalt Make It Fun For Everyone.
Wellness is not one-size-fits-all! Each employee has different motivations and is on a different path to optimal well-being. While the needs to be program designed for the company, still use surveys to ask employees what they would like to do. Allow them to “customize” a plan by choosing services that are aligned with their personal goals and offering a multitude of services.
9. Thou Shalt Start With What’s Right.
Wellness should not be used to scare employees with statistics and facts about the dangers of a poor lifestyle; it should be used to empower them to improve their lives. Everyone has one or more areas in their life that they are practicing wellness, you should help them to identify their strengths and coach them to improve their weaknesses.
10. Thou Shalt Build A Positive Culture And Communicate Effectively
The wellness program must be engrained in the organization’s values and mission. This includes the way employees interact with each other and managers as well as how the physical location ( desks, chairs, paintings, facilities, cafeteria) is designed. Also a wellness program is only good if people know about it. Create engaging & empowering emails, newsletters, flyers, etc. to promote the new culture and lifestyle and make sure everyone knows about the available resources.
