Employee Wellness : Employee Wellness Programs: Small vs. Big Company Options

Can a small company support workplace wellness? You bet! In fact, in some ways it is easier to establish a healthy workplace in a small company than in a big company.

Limited resources, especially in small businesses, can prevent a business from setting up a Corporate Wellness Program. Reasons can include:

• lack of fiscal resources;
• lack of employee;
• lack of senior-level backing;
• sparse knowledge of the wellness concept and;
• concern about making wellness available to all staff members.

According to the Wellness Councils of America, some small corporation owners may have the wrong idea of what is involved in running a Corporate Wellness Program. Some employers aren’t sure a program would truly work and others feel that trying to change personal lifestyle behaviours is intruding and “none of their business”.  Maybe they don’t know that it need not be costly and that they don’t need special employee. They may not realize that some employee would like to see some healthy changes and would help make things happen in their workplace.

It Can Be Done

Many small companies have found ways to have a Workplace Health Promotion Program that works for them. They keep the expense and effort to a minimum and still have results that are positive for everyone. In 2006, Graham Lowe wrote a report on the best places to work in Calgary. He said that healthy workplaces often have a “positive workplace culture”.  In a workplace with a positive culture, individuals feel appreciated, valued, and trusted.

Dr. Lowe says it is easier for a small workplace to have a beneficial workplace culture than for a sizable workplace. Many staff members prefer to work for a small employer, he says, because it supplies more opportunities to work closely with others and foster a sense of community.

In his report, Dr. Lowe says the most thriving companies with fewer than 100 workers have:

• excellent employee benefits;
• policies that reward a balance between work and personal life;
• flexible schedules;
• competitive salaries;
• great leadership with an emphasis on teamwork;
• environmentally responsible organization policies;
• procedures for seeking employee input; and
• a focus on placing employees’ personal wellness ahead of the personal gain of Senior Leadership.

All or most of these elements are also pieces of a good Corporate Wellness Program.

Tips and Ideas

There are many ways to include health and wellness in a small company. You do not necessarily need a wellness consultant or a fancy gym. What you do need is reinforcement from management and a Workplace Wellness Program Committee of a few committed people. Below are some ideas that your workplace can consider.

Communications and Promotion

• Send out a regular “wellness” newsletter on paper or online. Or send out a brief message such as the weekly Healthy U Hot Tip.
• Use promotions that are already designed, such as Healthy Workplace Week.

Active Living and Healthy Eating

• Urge employee to sign up for the Stairway to Health stair climbing contest.
• Get pedometers for staff members and count their steps.
• Rent a nearby school or area gym and offer physical activity classes.
• Bring in a local fitness instructor to teach classes or lead stretch breaks. Costs can be shared with workers.
• Install secure bike parking.
• Offer healthy alternatives at employer gatherings and lunches.

Policy and Organization Programs

• Enlist an ergonomics specialist to evaluate workstations.
• Create policies to support work-life balance (for example, mandatory vacations, flextime, limits to work and e-mail on personal time).
• Give a wellness subsidy for a variety of health and leadership activities and courses.
• Give monetary rewards and incentives to be healthy.
• Offer wellness incentives and rewards as rewards and recognition for a job well done.
• Conduct an corporation health audit.
• Become a partner with the area (for example, daycare, gyms, festivals, parks, restaurants).
• Distribute the workload. Establish a Workplace Health Promotion Program Committee.

Small organizations may not have much time, money, or human resources(HR) available for a Worksite Health Promotion Program. But they often have a big advantage over big companies-a positive workplace culture. That is a good foundation for a Worksite Health Promotion Program. When workers are satisfied, enjoy their work environment, they are more advantageous, and tend to be healthier.  With a bit of creativity and passion, small organizations can foster efficacious Worksite Health Promotion Programs. Obtain support from upper management, form a Worksite Health Promotion Program Committee of two or more and discover the possibilities!