The increasingly intense combination of social, economic, and political aspects as a challenge to business strategies, articulated with cognitive technologies, automation, emotional intelligence, and dizzying changes that force people to adapt and reinvent themselves daily, puts the work experience at the center of analysis from a more human perspective: How does this context impact people in the workplace? To what extent do they manage to discern in their daily routine what favors their personal and professional development versus what threatens their being as a whole?
Health is not solely being free from illness. Well-being is also an emotional matter, and it is from this place that we find ourselves immersed in a scenario of high levels of work-related stress: competitiveness, pressure, challenges, 24/7 connectivity through technology, media overexposure, and an imbalance between personal and professional life. Stress is the tip of the iceberg of workplace absenteeism, manifesting in multiple physical and psychological ways.
It is then that, based on the foregoing, companies become concerned about implementing and fostering healthy lifestyle habits in their teams through Corporate Wellness programs.
The term “Wellness” means “Bienestar” in Spanish, and the main objective of a Corporate Wellness Program is to implement actions and provide tools that lead employees to incorporate healthy lifestyle habits both inside and outside the workplace. This results in improved levels of productivity, motivation, and creativity, as well as a decrease in turnover and sick leave. Indirectly, it generates a sense of belonging towards the organization due to the benefits these programs bring to employees as individuals.
Work-related stress levels decrease, contributing to an improved work environment, enhancing the company's corporate image as an organization that cares about the well-being of its people. Brand positioning through emotion management towards a healthy life.
A Corporate Wellness Program also introduces the development of practices that encompass health as a whole, seeking the integral well-being of collaborators through concepts like “well-being,” integrating techniques from mindfulness, emotional self-awareness, and emotional regulation. These three tools are also currently used to enhance leadership, as they collaborate and generate a level of learning focused on the here and now, integrated into decision-making, team management, and self-motivation.
How to Implement a Corporate Wellness Program:
1- DIAGNOSIS
First, a study is conducted regarding the specific needs of employees in terms of workplace well-being: people's daily life habits within the company and how they connect with practices outside of work hours. This diagnosis is translated into a survey similar to those implemented for analyzing work climate, with the specific characteristics of Wellness.
2- CUSTOMIZED WELLNESS PROGRAM DESIGN
It includes the definition of the program's objectives, who it will be aimed at, the list of actions to be implemented, their duration, and their extension over time; and the measurement of results.
3- COMMUNICATION AND DISSEMINATION
For everyone involved in the program to understand it and its scope, it is necessary to clearly and promptly communicate its dissemination. This allows for a degree of commitment that is essential for its successful development and eventual success.
4- IMPLEMENTATION
The program begins to be developed according to the scope stipulated in its definition and objective.
5. PROGRAM SATISFACTION EVALUATION ACCORDING TO THE FOREGOING
A periodic evaluation will be carried out to verify the benefits that the practice provides and that it is functioning in line with the required needs, with the aim of modifying and/or perfecting it in a dynamic and timely manner.
Investing in these types of practices defines the cost-benefit relationship of human capital in any company, leading to sustainable, long-term improvements. It creates a new work philosophy and generates a culture based on self-care and collaboration with others.
Corporate Wellness should be considered part of business strategy. Innovative organizations are already implementing it. It's here to stay, to be reinvented as many times as necessary, and to be a daily part of a workforce of healthy and satisfied employees.
by Laura Di Carlo | Associate Consultant at Advice
