One thing that isn't always at the top of everyone's list around the holidays is staying healthy. We are more focused on getting ready for the holidays and enjoying all the good cooking (myself included).
Is your practice encouraging employees to strive for healthy living instead of having that extra helping of mashed potatoes and gravy? Let's look at some easy ways to do just that along with numerous benefits that may surprise you.
Study, after study, and even more studies all show pretty conclusively that healthier employees translates not just to improved morale at your optical and increased customer satisfaction, but also more sales. Of course, we all know the old adage about leading a horse to water, but with the right incentives you may be surprised how involved your employees get.
What's more surprising is how employees feel about companies that put their health as a priority. One survey shows that 84% of employees believe that workplace wellness programs show that an employer cares and 73% felt that these programs help increase their productivity. The same survey found that 82% of employees think such programs would encourage them to stay longer at a company.
Along with increased productivity and reduced turnover, a company wellness program was shown to be 92% effective in helping employees maintain a healthy lifestyle. A company is nothing without its people. You trust your employees to care for your business and your employees, in turn, should be able to trust you to care for them.
Here at IcareLabs, we've done a company-wide Biggest Loser competition a couple of times a year for several years now. We do a weekly weigh-in and report on the progress we've collectively made at our weekly meeting. Company participation is extremely high with coworkers cheering each others progress on. Last year, we lost 198.8 lbs!
We offer a 1st+2nd+3rd place for men and women with a grand prize bonus of $250 for both winners on top of the payout for weight loss which caps out at $200 for any employee that loses more than 8.1% body weight. We've also been known to offer a "double down" reward for anyone that keeps the weight off through the end of the year to further encourage those healthy habits to become a routine.
What has been amazing is the life changes that have come from this. I, for instance, lost over 40 lbs three years ago and have kept it off. Working out and eating better has become part of my life and I owe it all to working for a company that cares for me. We have seen many life changes as a result of this simple yet effective program. We've also seen example after example of team members regaining control of their lives by learning to take better care of themselves.
We've seen increased productivity while helping to create happier and healthier employees. These competitions also bring our team together as they fight for a common goal of health. The small investment we make into these programs pales when compared to the many daily benefits we see in our employees from increased productivity, reduced stress, and overall lowered long-term healthcare costs (some small businesses may even be eligible for tax benefits in certain states).
Many employer healthcare packages offer various programs that could already be included with your current healthcare services. It never hurts to ask and see what you're able to take advantage of.
Even if your optical shop consistent of just you, you can see numerous benefits with even a modest amount of exercise that will carry into your business every single day!
