Profits and Corporate Consciousness
Today rising health care costs present a challenge for both employees and corporations. Here is an opportunity where corporations can take a lead in providing employee wellness program that not only helps employees to be productive, live healthier & better quality of life, but also put a dent in the corporate health care premiums. Frankly for a corporation to pickup this challenge is a display of consciousness that goes beyond measuring just tangible profits.

A good corporate consciousness strikes a balance between tangible and intangible profits. Having gone through a decades of measuring and improving quality, growth, and productivity, corporations must also pay keen attention to an employee “wellness & happiness index” along with customer satisfaction index.

Key Factors in Successful Implementation of an excellent Employee Wellness Program
The following factors are common and critical to all corporations for a successful implementation:

1. Even if corporation with good conscious takes a lead on providing an employee wellness program, the difficulty is to first have employees voluntarily participate in the program and then apply it in their lives. The old habits and attitudes take some incentive and time to change. However, if employees see their top management participating and serious about investing in everyone’s well being, there is increased probability of employees engaging and shifting their health attitudes. And shifting health attitudes is the key to the success of the employee wellness program.
2. Another key to success is to choose a wellness program that generates buzz, excitement, and engages employees. It offers more individual based recommendations as oppose to one-size-fit-all. Employees need to know how this program works and why it will work for them. The studies, statistics, and other numbers are boring and not very engaging.
3. Lastly, the employee wellness program should include follow on “refreshers”. The refresher gives an opportunity to employees to refresh the concepts learnt in the initial meeting, take away some new ideas, and ask follow on questions on their individual plans. This reinforces and encourages employees to stay with the plan.
4. (Other factors like number of employees, multiple locations, and multiple shifts which are unique to a corporation and must be considered separately in each situation)

I agree this is not a short term plan. But profits in the long run are multifold. Corporate consciousness invokes the employees’ consciousness creating a different employer-employee relationship where one values the association with the other for more than just a profit number or a paycheck. Such corporations (with consciousness) cultivate both employee and customer loyalty.

Aside from savings in health care premiums, I know these intangible profits are difficult to measure. What value would you place on retaining talent in the company longer with lower employee turnover? What value would you place on positive image of the company in social media? Especially today in a fast developing social media, a picture of corporate consciousness, good or bad, goes viral online in a matter of minutes, hours, or just a few days. You decide.

Supporting Services/products from True Wellness Group:
Rakesh Sethi recently published “Health + Happiness = Wellness” book to revolutionize how one should approach disease prevention.  Invite Speaker Rakesh Sethi on company events to inspire employees to participate in their wellness. Wellness workshops or breakout sessions offer individualized approach to employees to develop their unique path to wellness.