How Can BerniePortal Help You Get Started on a Wellness Program?
Managing new programs can seem like a daunting task and you may be asking yourself “where do I even begin?” BerniePortal can help your organization gauge employee interest before implementing your new wellness initiative.
- Surveys. The first step to implementing a wellness program is to ask your employees what type of program would be the most beneficial to them. BerniePortal’s Survey Feature allows HR teams to send out company-wide surveys to solicit feedback. This is a great opportunity to ask your employees how they would like to see wellness promoted within your organization. A wellness program can be a time investment, as well as a financial one, so it’s important to take stock of what your employees want.
- 1:1 meetings. Having one on one time with employees on your team is another valuable opportunity to gain employee feedback. If you are in the early stages of implementing a program, we suggest asking your employees individually what they would like to see. If you have already implemented a program, following up on feedback can be a great indicator of how the program is paying off. Use BerniePortal’s 1:1 feature under the Performance Management tab to spark these conversations.
As always, when a new organization-wide program is implemented, it’s important to stay compliant every step of the way. This may require updating a company culture guide or creating a separate document that includes the logistics of your wellness program. BerniePortal’s Compliance Feature can help you tackle these tasks.
3 Tips for Implementing a Wellness Program
- Develop the program and incentives. There are many different employee wellness strategies you can implement at your workplace. One of the most effective ways of promoting wellness accountability is by helping employees better understand their health plan, especially if it includes benefits such as diet counseling or wellness coaching. Having a health plan representative speak to employees virtually or by phone can be extremely beneficial. Tobacco-use cessation programs are another common wellness initiative many employers have adopted. These programs can be structured in a few ways, but many employers offer flat premium discounts for non-users, creating a financial incentive to quit.
- Implement the wellness strategy. Once a plan has been developed, its success hinges on how well the program is marketed to employees. If employees were involved in the development process, they shouldn’t be surprised when the efforts officially launch. Even so, you will want to communicate your goals and address any misconceptions that may linger. In announcing the program, communicate that the organization’s goal is to improve the culture of health at the office and ensure employees that the efforts are not mandatory. It’s important to emphasize that participation in wellness programs is not required and that the company is always open to suggestions. Ideally, the efforts you’ve chosen will be easy for employees to participate in. They should not extend the workday, but rather be integrated effectively throughout.
- Measure and adjust the program. The evaluation process is key to program success, so you might want to plan for a detailed evaluation that includes multiple assessments.
- Program Assessment: Consider issuing another survey after six to eight weeks of implementing your program to learn if the program needs immediate adjustments.
- Biometric Screening: Six months to one year after implementation could be an appropriate amount of time to complete a biometric screening.
- Cost-Savings Evaluation: After one year, and annually moving forward, evaluate claims data to see if you are moving the needle on insurance costs.
- Engagement Survey: Cost reductions are not the only metrics worth tracking. Six months to one year after implementation, consider issuing an engagement survey to track improvements in employee participation, workplace loyalty, and job satisfaction.
Additional Resources
You can stay informed, educated, and up-to-date with important HR topics using BerniePortal’s comprehensive resources:
- BerniePortal Blog—a one-stop-shop for HR industry news
- HR Glossary—featuring the most common HR terms, acronyms, and compliance
- HR Guides—essential pillars, covering an extensive list of comprehensive HR topics
- BernieU—free online HR courses, approved for SHRM and HRCI recertification credit
- HR Party of One—our popular YouTube series and podcast, covering emerging HR trends and enduring HR topics