Win with wellness
Some employees at ChromaScape in Twinsburg, Ohio, have made life-changing decisions thanks to the company’s creative spin on a wellness program.
After starting a wellness program a few years ago that recently included a “March Wellness” challenge—combined with wellness program giveaways—the company has seen an uptick in staff members’ healthy habits.
“We definitely had some success stories,” Employment and Benefits Manager Amanda Hatfield said.
“People who lost weight and kept it off, people who continue to lose weight, even people who are still making sure they’re drinking enough water in a day.”
Wellness gets high scores
Over the past 15 years, wellness programs have become increasingly popular. Today, 80% of businesses offer programs that encompass everything from health fairs to healthy giveaways. And the popularity of these programs is on the rise, thanks to benefits like:
- A return of $1.40 to $4.60 in employee medical costs and productivity losses for every dollar spent
- A company return of over $350 in productivity for every employee
- Improved recruiting and retention—87% of employees consider health and wellness benefits when deciding whether to take a job
Getting employees on the way to wellness
Although there are numerous program benefits for employees and employers, companies may struggle with staff participation. ChromaScape has used several methods and healthy giveaways to encourage employees to get on the path to wellness.
Spread awareness
Only 60% of employees are aware that their company has a wellness program. Make sure to talk about your program and the pieces of it that may have broad appeal—from free flu shots to an indoor walking group. A few things to consider:
- Sharing updates, incentives and wellness challenges in a monthly newsletter
- Setting up a wellness portal that lets employees track their progress
- Bringing in guest speakers to offer wellness tips or explain the benefits of your wellness program
ChromaScape played off the basketball season to create a “March Wellness” challenge. They paired a Basketball Stress Reliever wellness program giveaway and a themed wellness contest to boost interest.
“All our associates got a ball, and it helped to create buzz around the office,” Hatfield said. “Plus, it was a fun way to reduce stress in meetings.”
“We make a bracket, with the goal to pick one habit and stick to it for five weeks.” Hatfield explained.
For other wellness challenges, staff received twice-a-week reminders of the benefits of sticking with the program.
Set personalized attainable goals
Whether it’s walking three nights a week or quitting smoking, let employees choose their wellness goals. Then provide tools for monitoring their progress to help them be more successful.
In the March Wellness challenge, the first “bracket” encourages everyone to choose an activity, from trying a new vegetable to reading a book or magazine for fun. Letting team members select what they wanted to do helped ensure they stuck with their plan.
Find ways to make wellness more fun
Getting healthier takes effort. Find ways to encourage competition or make the process more enjoyable:
- See who can walk the most steps in a day, week or month.
- Compete to see who can create (and eat) the healthiest lunch.
- Get employees together for a weight loss challenge.
- Create a healthy recipe exchange group.
Spread out incentives over time
Offering a single incentive for achieving a goal is helpful, but not as helpful as offering a variety of incentives over time. A single incentive encourages them to do something for a few weeks to win a prize. By encouraging employees to keep building a habit, you’ll help them make healthy choices that turn into life changes.
With multiple challenges and prize-winning opportunities per year, ChromaScape gives staff members several chances to maintain healthy habits—and build new ones.
A win for wellness
ChromaScape’s use of health challenges and wellness program giveaways has resulted in healthier staff members who are having a lot of fun. And with future challenges already in the works, their employees are sure to experience future wellness wins.
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