Did you hear about the big meeting to kick off your Employee Wellness Campaign?

They're serving hot chocolate and Boston cream donuts to encourage attendance.

Workplace wellness programs increase productivity and have the potential to save money by solving small problems right away, before they become major issues.

However, it isn’t always easy to tell if the money you’re investing on this benefit is worthwhile.

When you prioritize employee wellness, you are choosing to be proactive versus reactive:

• Preventing and managing health issues and chronic illnesses
• Lowering financial burden
• Improving employee morale
• Enhancing the quality of life of your employees

A strategic plan of smart training, mindful nutrition, deep sleep, and stress management is a proven approach to increase mood, motivation, and focus at work.

5 Ways to Measure the Success of Your Employee Wellness Program

The purpose of an employee wellness program is to improve the health and wellbeing of your workforce.

Use the following five metrics to measure if your workplace wellness program is making an impact.

1. Work output

There are two ways that employee wellness programs can improve productivity and overall work output.

To begin with, these programs help employees feel valued and enthusiastic about the company culture, resulting in higher engagement at work.

According to the Workplace Research Foundation, employees who are highly engaged are 38% more likely to have above-average productivity.

On top of that, successful employee wellness programs play an important role in helping employees live healthier and happier lives.

It’s no secret that people who eat a healthy diet, do resistance training, and sleep deeply have more energy and enthusiasm, making it easier for them to be productive and get more done in less time.

You may even notice some people staying in the office a little longer to complete their assignments, or finishing ahead of schedule, which is something you wouldn’t see if they’re struggling to stay awake past lunchtime.

To calculate whether you can see higher ROI yet, look at the revenue increase resulting from work outputs since the start of the program.

Then divide that number by the cost of the program and you have your answer.

2. Employee turnover

Another benefit of workplace wellness programs is that they show employees they are appreciated and valued.

Employees who feel appreciated have higher job satisfaction. After all, who wouldn’t want to work for a company that not only invests in them professionally but personally as well?

If the wellness program you’ve implemented is one that your employees truly love, it may improve retention rates.

This is even more likely when wellness programs become part of a company culture that is positive and caring.

On the other hand, lack of appreciation is a top reason why almost 80% of employees leave their jobs, which means comprehensive employee wellness programs can make a big difference.

You also need to keep in mind that high turnover rates can cost your company a lot of money.

If an employee leaves the company, you have to spend time and money looking for, hiring, and training a new one. Aside from costing you money, it reduces productivity as well.

Your best bet is to keep your best employees by offering workplace wellness programs that are specific to their needs.

3. Sick leave

Since employee wellness programs are focused on wellness, it makes sense that your employees’ health should improve once these programs are implemented.

That means you will probably see fewer workforce sick days; however, sick leave can be complicated.

For instance, employees with chronic conditions are probably still going to need all of their sick days.

Generally healthy employees, on the other hand, may not need them as much as in the past.

They’ll usually still use their vacation and personal days, but unplanned sick leave will most likely decrease.

When it comes to health, even the smallest changes can go a long way.

Someone who is exercising more will boost their immune system and will be less likely to become ill.

The employee wellness program perks that can be most helpful in reducing overall sick leave usage include preventative healthcare, like an annual physical, and health coaching.

4. Employee participation

Workplace wellness programs are typically optional, even if employees are offered an incentive to take part.

Consequently, a significant increase in employee participation is a good sign.

Some companies have 50% or more of their entire workforce engaged in wellness programs, which shows that they are seen as valuable.

It’s easy to track this metric as well since most programs allow you to track participation.

You can measure the number of people who register for the program or certain initiatives within the program.

If you keep score of participation, gradual signs of engagement will prove that the program is having an impact.

A proven program will encourage your employees to show up and do the work.

5. Behavior

Some employee wellness programs teach employees about how to live a healthy life and provide solutions for ways to make it a reality.

One clear indicator that your employee wellness program is paying off is if you start to see healthier behaviors at work.

Some changes may be less obvious, especially when they focus on preventative measures like early-morning exercise.

Similarly, some signs may be so small you barely notice them so keep an eye out.

For example, you might begin to notice that the people who are usually stressed out and used to staying late are leaving work at reasonable times.

Plus, they come back to the office looking refreshed and ready for the new day instead of looking sad and frazzled.

Likewise, if your program involves walking, you might start to see people walking around during their phone calls, going for a walk during their break, and even sporting fitness-tracking devices.

These changes are often subtle; however, they can still be used to evaluate the impact of your corporate wellness program since it’s the smallest habit changes that lead to a healthier way of life.

Employee wellness programs are growing in popularity.

As an employer, now is the time to implement a comprehensive wellness program whether your workplace is in-person, virtual, or a hybrid.

Not ready to invest in the wellbeing of your employees?

There are no-cost ways you can still make your employees feel valued, which are way better than dipping chocolate-frosted-and-custard-filled donuts into hot cocoa at the next Employee Wellness Campaign meeting.

To create a culture of health from the top down, senior leadership should lead by example and prioritize exercise.

Whether you’re looking to implement a comprehensive employee wellness program or make changes to your existing one, we are here to help.

If you would like to help your employees get healthier and more productive, let's start with you.

Share your personal goal here and schedule a call.

To your success,

Coach Joe

P.S. The proper way to use a stress ball is not to throw it at the person who upset you.

Joseph Arangio helps 40+ men and women lose weight, gain strength, and slow aging. He's delivered over 100,000 transformation programs to satisfied clients around the globe. If you want to increase longevity with the best online age-management program, or you want to visit the best age-management program in the Lehigh Valley, you can take a free 14-day trial.