Increasingly, companies in Tanzania are recognizing the need for Employee Wellness Programs by providing gym membership and some are monitoring gym attendance and subsidizing membership dues as a wellness initiative. This is a positive step indeed – however gym workout is only a small component of a wellness program when you consider the numerous health risks that a typical employee population encounters. There s not a standard program, as each will vary based on organizational needs and resources. It is important to include a variety of components that target behaviors, needs and interests of employees.
Preventive health and wellness programs are designed to help maintain or improve employees’ behavior to achieve better health and to reduce health risks. By warding off health problems or lowering their incidence among employees, organizations hope to improve productivity, enhance employee morale and save on long-term health costs. By offering access to well designed wellness programs, employers can empower their employees to take charge of their health and reduce their need for medical treatment and medications.
Some Wellness programs help employees deal with preventable and chronic conditions such as obesity, high glucose and elevated cholesterol. Other initiatives are to conduct annual health risk assessments, tobacco cessation, stress reduction or weight loss programs. Often employers also offer preventive health and wellness information through varied channels, such as wellness publications, health fairs, Wellness Seminars, to help make employees aware of wellness issues and provide them with tools to live a healthy lifestyle.
There is mounting evidence that healthier lifestyles amongst employees is a plus for employers since:
- Employees who pursue healthful behaviors have fewer illnesses and injuries than other workers, and they recover from illnesses and injuries faster.
- Employees who participate in regular physical activity have increased cardiovascular endurance
- Employees are more alert, more positive in their outlook and are better able to deal effectively with the stresses and rapid changes of today’s globalized world.
Before implementing a particular wellness program or initiative, an organization should carefully consider the possible costs, advantages, levels of employee participation and potential legal concerns. Some popular wellness activities include:
- Vaccination Clinics
- Nutrition education
- Exercise programs and activities
- Gym centers and gym memberships
- Health screenings
- Health Risk Assessments
- Weight loss programs
- Tobaccos cessation programs
- Stress reduction Programs
- Healthy lifestyle during pregnancy
- Lifestyle management of chronic conditions such as Diabetes, Hypertension, Arthritis, Asthma
Companies should take the following steps when designing programs tailored to their organizations
- Set the program goals
- Decide the organization’s culture and level of involvement
- Establish the budget and expected Return on Investment
- Write and communicate the Organization’s Wellness Policy
- Formulate well designed communication strategies
- Institute strategies for maximizing employee participation and engagement
- Ensure required components are in place for success
- Ensure monitoring and evaluation mechanism is in place.