Incorporate Summer into Your Employee Wellness Program

Summer is one of the best times of the year. Thanks to the brightness and heat, it’s the most exciting time to be outside. Except if you work at a desk and you’re forced to sit in an office all day. But there is a solution to the 9 to 5 blues. If you’ve already started implementing an employee wellness program into your corporate structure, here are some easy ways to encourage wellness while bringing a little summer sunshine into your employees’ lives.

30-Day Challenges

Getting a group of people excited to meet their goals is easy with a 30-Day Challenge. You pick the challenge and the prize and your employees compete to win. The initial incentive will be the prize of your choosing—such as a cash bonus, gift certificates, or an extra vacation day—but eventually, the real prize will be that you helped your employees achieve their goals. Common 30 Day Challenges are quitting smoking, weight loss, exercise goals, etc.

Market-Fresh Produce

One of the biggest facets of corporate wellness is getting employees to eat better. Many companies have recognized the importance of healthy eating and have undermined the fast-food race by hiring chefs to whip up yummy and nutritious lunches. This summer, why not bring your employees fresh, seasonal favourites that they can enjoy outside. Bring blankets and baskets for daily picnics on the lawn or at a park. Bringing in a fresh produce vendor that sells ready-made salads and sandwiches is both healthy and delicious.

Take Your Meetings Outside

Remember when you were in school and you just couldn’t wait until the end of the year when teachers held classes outside on the bleachers? People simply want to be outside. So instead of holding your daily meetings in the conference room, lace up your sneakers and walk to your meeting. Set up your meeting somewhere outside the office and allow your employees 30 minutes of fresh air before getting back to work.

Lunchtime Fitness

Lunchtime fitness activities are a perfect way to squeeze in a workout if you know you’re going to be too busy to exercise after work. Many companies hire fitness instructors to set up a makeshift workout studio in a conference room (some companies even build their own fitness centres). The only obvious flaw to lunchtime fitness activities is that employees won’t likely participate if they can’t shower afterward. Unless you have showers in your office, there are some easy ways to leap over this hurdle, such as providing toilettes, towels, and deodorant or setting up a fitness program that isn’t so intense, such as yoga or pilates.

These tips for incorporating summer into your employee wellness program may sound counterproductive. After all, a lot of these ideas require taking your employees away from their desk. But studies have shown that companies actually benefit from implementing a corporate wellness program that demonstrates how much they care about their employees’ mental and physical health and wellness. If you would like to learn more about Corporate Wellness, contact Closing the Gap today.