How To Launch Your In-house Corporate Wellness Program?

Published on 8 October 2024

There are many companies that have conducted corporate wellness programs for their employees because they understand the importance of taking care of their employees’ health. However, organizing a suitable corporate wellness program is a challenging task, especially when you need to develop a proper activity plan and budget that your bosses approve and that is ready for execution.

If you are looking for steps to launch an in-house corporate wellness program, you are in the right place. We will help you from scratch in planning a corporate wellness program that suits your company’s needs. Since participation levels are always a concern in any program, we hope that your program is successful. Based on our experience as a corporate wellness provider, here are the steps you must follow to launch your in-house wellness program:

STEP 1: Identify employees' problems in the workplace
The first step is crucial, and employers often miss it when conducting a wellness program in the workplace. A company should create a program that addresses the current problem and at the same time creates a memento for each employee so they feel appreciated by the company. If you are a beginner, here is the best parameter to conduct a simple corporate wellness program in your workplace:

  • Stress level: Conduct a survey using the DASS (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale) test to determine your employees' stress levels; or
  • Height and weight: Measuring body mass index is the easiest parameter to determine health risk status for employees if you don’t have advanced measuring tools such as body composition analysis machines.

Once you determine the main problem, you will be able to develop the objectives of the program. For example:

  • Problem: High levels of stress among employees, with about 73% of employees recording moderate to high perceived stress.
    Objective: To decrease the stress level of employees to 50%.
  • Problem: A high percentage of employees (87%) are overweight.
    Objective: To lower the percentage of overweight employees to 50%.

STEP 2: Identify activities related to problems and objectives

Based on the problem statement above, the company needs activities for employees to reduce their stress levels and also to reduce weight in order to reach a normal body weight. Some activities that can be suggested are:

  • Problem: High levels of stress among employees, with about 73% of employees recording moderate to high perceived stress.
    Suggested activities: Workshops and hands-on activities to reduce stress during working hours. For example, batik painting, terrarium building, or tufting in the workplace. These may seem like short 1- or 2-hour activities, but the impact is greater than expected.

  • Problem: A high percentage of employees (87%) are overweight.
    Suggested activities: The first step is to raise awareness, or you can jump straight into activities related to health and weight management. For example, webinars on nutrition and healthy eating or hands-on healthy food preparation. These activities expose employees to healthy eating habits in daily life.

STEP 3: Conduct a survey and make a decision
Creating a good program that nobody joins is the worst nightmare of any HR professional. Thus, conducting a survey to ensure that the participation level is as expected is crucial. Companies must briefly explain the ideas behind the program, the benefits, and the advantages of joining. After that, companies can use Google Forms to gather the outcome of the survey. We want a program that is acceptable to all employees, as it was created for them in the first place, right?

STEP 4: Determine the budget for your program
In any program, budgeting is a difficult decision. When it’s an in-house program, proper budget planning is crucial. Some companies want to maximize the budget by cramming all activities into the allocated budget, but in reality, that doesn’t work. The more budget you invest in your program, the higher the quality will be. However, the hard part is obtaining quotations and prices from different vendors for various activities, as they offer different price ranges and service packages. Finding the right vendor is also challenging because they might not understand or meet the company’s expectations.

STEP 5: Create your committee!
Believe it or not, when it comes to running a program, at least five committee members are needed to ensure things go smoothly. It’s essential to create a team that is collaborative, creative, and open to any circumstances. It’s recommended that the committee consist of people from diverse backgrounds, as conducting an event is similar to running a business—everyone plays a vital role in ensuring the success of the program.

STEP 6: Set your calendar and start!
Once you have all the information on budgeting, activities, and vendors, all you need to do is set a calendar and book time for your employees to participate in the program. Wellness calendars can take various forms: it could be a one-hour event every week for a month, a one-day program, or even a three-month corporate wellness program focused on weight loss. Once your calendar is ready, you can start your program.

STEP 8: Document the results
The last step, which everyone hates, is analysis and documentation. We believe that providing evidence or analysis is essential at the end of any program. This is important because it could serve as a good report for your management team on how successful the program was or what could be improved. From the examples mentioned earlier, you can conduct a post-program DASS test or post-program weight measurements to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. The outcome should address the objectives discussed in STEP 2.

            Now you know all the steps to create your in-house corporate wellness program. Just believe that every step taken is a step towards your success in running the program. Some companies prefer to hire a provider to help them conduct the program.

There are several providers in the market, and all you need to do is search for them! If you are looking for one, we are one of them! Drop a call to +0189593957 or email us at info@vealthme.com! Just let us know your desired program and expectations, and we will come up with a free proposal tailored to your team. Remember, a successful program requires proper planning, and it can be done if you start now!

Good luck!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *