Workplace Wellness Challenges are activities that engage people in becoming happier, healthier and more energetic at work. Building a culture of wellness in the workplace takes time, but fun challenges can help engage employees and bring them together toward the common goal of increased physical activity, healthy eating, manage stress and overall better health. The purpose of such challenges is to encourage healthier lifestyle behavior to help reduce absenteeism, tardiness, health care costs and workers’ compensation claims and improve morale, productivity and public relations. Consider the following components when planning your wellness challenge.
- Set wellness goals for the company, including long-term initiatives. Use the challenge as a kickoff campaign. As you set the goals, define the benefits of improving employee wellness so that you create benchmarks and later measure the results of your challenge – such as improved attendance, improved presenteeism, fewer insurance claims, reduced premiums, reduced injuries, reduced health care costs.
- Create specific challenges for your contest such as weight loss, reduced fat percentage, improved fitness levels, healthy eating. Set specific measurements – for example rather than using kilos lost in a weight-loss challenge, use percentage decrease in body weight to make the contest fair to all employees. Create a fitness test that measure starting stamina and endurance, to be retested after a minimum of 30 days. Test before and after cardio stamina and muscular endurance by number of repetitions of various exercises. Offer before and after screenings for parameters such as body fat per cent, BMI, etc.
- Design challenge parameters and rules. Include specific start and end dates, the rules and measurements for each challenge, and a final measurement system.
- Determine what prizes to offer. Consider cash, gift cards, sessions with a dietician or personal trainer, fitness equipment, gym memberships and paid time off. Award individual and team prizes to increase motivation. Offer teams the chance to compete for a donation to the charity of their choice.
- Divide your employees into teams to create team spirit and improve motivation. Assign each team member a partner or buddy who learns the others goals and gets weekly updates to provide motivation and encouragement.
- Communicate the challenge to employees. Have group meetings to explain the contest and solicit feedback and questions. Offer educational materials, counseling, ideas for resources and other support. Provide ongoing promotion of the challenge to keep employees motivated. Announce the challenge to the media and on your social media to inspire others and generate good publicity.
The wellness challenge should be a “win-win” for both the employer and employees and should aim at encouraging long lasting healthier lifestyle behaviors. Challenges are successful when a supportive, positive climate of fun and team spirit that helps people adopt or maintain a healthy way of living. The net result is a highly engaged and productive workforce that performs at a higher level – everyone wins.