Because healthy employees make for stronger businesses, it’s essential for employers to commit to supporting a healthier workforce with wellness opportunities. A comprehensive approach to employee well-being requires awareness and engagement, which includes educational and activity-based elements. These offerings must also be relevant to the employee population to influence lasting behavior change.

One way Strive makes corporate wellness programs not only engaging for employees but more administratively simplified, is to plan them annually with defined themes (physical well-being, emotional well-being, sleep quality, etc.) for each month or quarter. An employee needs and interests survey is deployed to guide the framework of the program, and Strive works collaboratively with the organization’s internal team to identify health talks, instructor-led classes, and wellness events best suited for them.

Let’s take a closer look at these three wellness initiatives to support a healthy workforce.

Prioritize Employee Wellness with these 3 Effective Workplace Initiatives

In this post:

1. Educational Health Talks

2. Instructor-Led Classes

a. Stress Management Classes

a. Fitness Classes

a. MSK Classes

3. Wellness Events

a. Healthy Cooking Demo

a. Onsite Chair Massage

a. Health Fair

4. Strive Wellness Programs

Educational Health Talks

Since most workforces consist of a wide range of demographics, health talks are foundational to an effective wellness program. Typically based on the cadence of an organization’s chosen themes, health talks can take place on a weekly, monthly, or quarterly basis. Rather than a one-off event, recurring health education helps cultivate a culture of health.

Educational health talks are hosted by professionals such as dieticians, therapists, or mental health clinicians to provide valuable insights and help employees develop strategies for improving their lifestyle. Example of popular topics include:

• Gut Health & Detox
• Eating to Reduce Cardiovascular Risk
• Integrating Mind and Body Techniques for Total Wellness and Stress Reduction
• How to Construct a Workout Plan for Different Goals and Schedules
• Improving Sleep for a More Energetic Life

Strive’s specialists curate the content specifically for each client and their requests. Following the pandemic, most clients prefer to host health talks in a virtual setting as the recording included in the service offers long-term value for future employees.

Instructor-Led Classes

The next layer of health and wellness initiatives in the workplace is instructor-led classes. Providing employees with opportunities to focus on fitness and stress management helps create a holistic approach to employee well-being. Strive’s instructor-led classes are weekly recurring for the following reasons:

• High impact on company culture and environment
• Consistency for healthy habit-building
• Increases visibility for a culture of health

Instructor-led classes can take place onsite or virtually, are live and interactive, and screened for quality and engagement. Classes are exclusive to each client to give the employees space to form connections outside of their usual workplace interactions.

While on-demand classes have a convenience factor, they eliminate opportunities for employees to connect and aren’t as impactful as a live, instructor-led class.

Stress Management Classes

Instructor-led classes that focus on stress management are effective for all types of workforces, but can be especially impactful in high stress environments or functions. Because stress is often a root cause of physical and mental illnesses, organizations are increasingly understanding their role in helping employees recognize and manage stress.

Providing access to stress management strategies and resources fosters a workplace culture where mental well-being is prioritized and de-stigmatized. Examples of instructor-led stress management classes include:

• Stretch and Destress
• Fun Flow Yoga
• Mindfulness Meditation
• Tai Chi
• Breathwork

Fitness Classes

Fitness classes are a key component of wellness program initiatives. In addition to the advantages of consistent movement and physiological benefits of exercise, corporate fitness classes build camaraderie and create an atmosphere of support amongst colleagues. The social bonds formed in team-building activities are carried into the workplace for a more positive, collaborative environment.

The possibilities for fitness class offerings are vast, but some popular examples are:

• Strength & Conditioning
• Pilates
• Zumba
• Fun Bootcamp
• Cardio Hip Hop

MSK Classes

Integral for high labor and injury-risk workforces, these instructor-led classes aim to enhance the strength, flexibility, and proper alignment of the musculoskeletal (MSK) system, which comprises the complex interplay of our muscles, bones, ligaments, tendons, and joints. MSK classes address the often debilitating effects of repetitive strain injuries and lower back pain that are detrimental to an individual’s well-being and ability to perform. Some examples of MSK-focused classes include:

• Active Stretching
• Deep Stretching
• Power Stretching
• Stretch Break in Your Chair
• Strengthen & Lengthen

Implementing MSK classes results in reduced absenteeism, increased productivity, and improved morale, which all contribute to the long-term success of both the employees and the organizations they serve.

Learn more about how to stop rising ER and worker’s comp claims with MSK classes.

Wellness Events

To round out the other wellness initiatives in the workplace, organizations can punctuate them with wellness events. Wellness events occur on a weekly, monthly, or quarterly basis and aim to convey appreciation for employees, improve their well-being, and break up the work day with some fun.

Healthy Cooking Demos

A highly popular offering, healthy cooking demos are helmed by professional chefs or nutritionists and provide a hands-on approach to the importance of proper nutrition. This wellness event promotes social connectedness and cultivates long-lasting lifestyle skills while mitigating chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular illnesses.

Most clients gravitate towards a virtual cooking demo for its cost-effectiveness and ability to reach geographically-dispersed or remote/hybrid workforces. The organization selects a cuisine, seasonality, theme, or recipe (or Strive can select one for you), employees receive a shopping list from us, and everyone cooks along with the healthy chef in their own kitchens.

Massage Events

Onsite chair massage provides a therapeutic experience employees love. They facilitate the release of endorphins, alleviating the physical discomfort associated with long hours of sedentary work. Incorporating massage therapy into workplace wellness initiatives results in decreased absenteeism, lowered instances of workplace injuries, and heightened overall job satisfaction.

An onsite massage event is great for Employee Appreciation Day, conferences or retreats, or as a weekly staple for employees to recharge.

Health Fairs

Health fairs foster a proactive approach to preventative care by connecting employees with the information and resources they need to prioritize their well-being. Employees are given access to healthcare professionals, products, and services they can use to put a renewed emphasis on cultivating a healthy lifestyle.

Clients interested in onsite health fairs can lean on Strive to bolster engagement with instructor-led classes and wellness events, or with event coordination. Additionally, Strive provides a technology platform to host and organize virtual health fairs for up to ten vendors of the organization’s choice. Our team facilitates the technology and administration for live sessions, reports on engagement data, and supplements the event with our classes and events.

Learn all about How to Plan a Health Fair.

Strive Corporate Wellness Programs

Strive corporate wellness programs are designed for employee engagement and administrative relief. Programming is custom to each client and our wraparound delivery model makes wellness easy for all involved — especially employees.

From our complimentary employee needs and interests survey to our proprietary technology platform for registration and liability waivers, Strive works alongside clients to plan a program best suited for their unique workforce. Each client is assigned a program manager for monthly participation data and programmatic recommendations.

Book a discovery call to explore customized solutions that can leave a lasting impact on the well-being of your workforce.