5 min
As more and more of the workforce transitions to online or remote work, employers have begun to grapple with the challenges of keeping their remote workers engaged, productive, and happy.
Wellness in the corporate arena has been a hot topic for some time now, as we know that a positive workplace culture that stresses the overall health and wellbeing of their employees translates to productive team members.
With so many corporate wellness programs having been implemented with on-site workers in mind, the remote workforce is coming up short when they are unable to access these benefits. The true challenge is how to transition these programs with the remote worker in mind.
Providing a healthy workplace environment now means stepping into the home of your remote workforce and educating them on remote working best practices . It is the responsibility of the employers to make sure your team members are finding a good work-life balance and not overworking themselves in an attempt to simply get more done, as this increases the risk of burnout and is probably going to do more harm than good for your company in the long run.
A focus on fitness is a great way to keep your employees healthy both physically and mentally – and, ultimately, engaged . Corporate wellness and fitness practice initiatives for the remote worker should be a priority as it leads to a happier overall workforce and it can keep health-related absences to a minimum. Luckily, there are a few great strategies to truly inspire your employees who are working from home to focus on their own health and wellbeing.
Promote Nutrition
Simple daily healthy routines are one of the easiest ways to put a focus on the health of your remote workers. Help them set aside time in the workday to eat whole, healthful meals- preferably away from the computer or their workspace if possible.
Encourage them to stay hydrated and always have their water bottle on hand and filled to make sure they’re getting enough each day.
Motivate your team to give meal prepping a try and have them share their meal prep options with one another. Send out a list of healthy pantry staples or easy healthy snack options and ask your remote workers to add their favorites to the list as well.
You might also think about hosting a webinar with a dietician or a virtual cooking demonstration. Incorporating good nutrition into the workday can help keep your remote workers energized and mentally focused.
Read more: 5 Ways Technology Makes Nutrition Coaching Easier
Encourage Movement
Motivate your remote employees to get moving! We all know how easy it can be to sit down at the computer and not get up for hours. This is your chance to remind your remote workers that it is okay not to always be at their workspace! Send out tips for staying active during the workday – setting an alarm for every 20-30 minutes to get up and walk around or stretch, making time in the morning or during their lunch hour for a gym session, or just taking some time each day to go outside.
Fitness is also an area where you can encourage some extra camaraderie between your remote workers that will help bring them together and keep them engaged. Set aside time in the workday to complete a virtual workout together – anything from a HIIT session to yoga, meditation, or something else entirely. Another effective strategy for bumping up remote employee interaction and team bonding is a challenge!
You can foster a bit of healthy competition with a company-wide or a small team challenge. The options are endless- a step challenge, distance covered challenge, meal prep challenge, weight loss challenge (only if this makes sense for your employees), and so on.
Make the focus on fitness something interesting and entertaining and you can easily build up a health-focused culture among your remote workers.
Give Options for Stress Relief
Maintaining mental and emotional wellness is just as important as physical exercise. Your remote employees need to be able to cope with and handle the stressors of the job while working from home.
To help your employees with stress-relief you can motivate them to take the time to socialize with one another, either over Zoom calls or virtual coffee or lunch dates.
Yoga and meditation are both excellent stress relievers as well, and you can encourage your employees to take time alone for these practices or schedule time into the workday where everyone collectively practices. Not only will your employees be more equipped to handle the stress of the workday, but they’ll return from their yoga or meditation session with a clear head and better focus that will enable better time management amongst your workforce .
Corporate Wellness Gifts
This is where you can really get creative, plus everyone likes free swag! Build up a culture of health and wellness by handing out corporate gifts with those ideals in mind.
A company-branded water bottle, yoga mat, candles and incense, jump rope, meal prep containers, mini exercise bands, sweat towel, or even wrist or ankle weights all make great wellness gifts.
You get the double bonus of adding to your company branding while also meeting the goal of engaging and encouraging employees to stay active.
Corporate Health Program Software
Last but not least an all-in-one corporate health software gives you all the tools you need to foster a healthy lifestyle among your remote workers. Research shows that corporate wellness programs can reduce healthcare costs by as much as 16% over 5 years. With an online coaching tool, you can easily motivate employees and monitor results in real-time.
Your corporate health system can also be a great added value to your existing health plan. A survey by The Harvard Business Review revealed that employers who invested in health and wellness strategies for their employees saw a nearly 6-to-1 ROI.
As more and more of the workforce transitions to remote work, employee health and wellness are more important than ever, and the tried and true on-site wellness initiatives aren’t cutting it anymore.
Employers now need to prioritize remote employee fitness and healthy lifestyles to keep these team members healthy, engaged, productive, and happy.
