Employee Wellness Programs: Everything You Need To Know

Happy and healthy employees are the backbone of a thriving business.

June 28, 2022
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Happy and healthy employees are the backbone of a thriving business. As some business owners would put it, investing in your employees’ wellness is just as important as financing any other asset for your company. 

But don’t just expect that you’ll have a team of happy and healthy employees without putting in the work. Your team may start off happy and healthy, at the beginning. However, down the line, problems will start to arise. That’s where employee wellness programs come in.

What is an Employee Wellness Program?

An employee wellness program is any activity hosted by the company to support employee health. These programs are designed to create, cultivate, and sustain a happy and healthy team

These activities can be medical screenings, fitness programs, mental health support, and social activities. These and other similar projects cater to the care of the different facets of an employee’s life, even that outside of the workplace. 

This means all aspects of an employee’s well-being are being addressed, like their physical, financial, mental, and social health. After all, they are humans first and foremost. How they are outside of their work affects how they perform in their jobs.

The goal is to create structures and inculcate systems that bolster up a holistically healthy employee. In turn, this creates a healthy work environment. 

The Different Types of Employee Wellness

To create an effective and diversified workplace wellness program, you first have to identify the different facets of wellness in your employees’ life. All these different facets are interconnected and make up the overall well-being of a person. 

Physical Wellness 

Physical wellness is the facet of one’s life that is the most visible on the outside. Whether you’re in a labor-intensive industry or a corporate setup, ensure that the physical health of your employees is taken care of. 

There are a ton of reasons why you should support your employees’ physical health. Having healthy employees is one of the ways you can ensure a smooth-running business. And should employees find themselves in a bind with their physical health, they know they will be supported by the company. This fosters a strong relationship between the employee and the employer. 

Mental Wellness 

The impact of one’s mental health in their day to day life is unquestionable. It not only impacts the person inward, but it can reflect outward as well. This can then affect other areas of their lives for better or for worse.

A less mentally healthy employee may not be able to show up as efficiently as a member of the team. They may not be able to think clearly or make good decisions. They may even have difficulty coping with stress. In some severe cases, this may lead them to a decline that may overturn their entire lives. 

Creating a safe space for employees to feel supported with their mental health will establish a healthier and kinder workspace. This in turn uplifts a more positive environment where employees can thrive. 

Emotional Wellness 

Emotional well-being is closely tied to mental health. Emotional health deals with just that, emotions. How does one cope and manage these emotions? It also deals with how an individual establishes and sustains relationships, we will discuss more on that in a bit. 

Just like mental wellness, it is important to create a company culture that values the mental and emotional well-being of its employees. The support from the workplace can do wonders to boost an employee’s morale and esteem. 

Being able to show your employees how you value their emotional and mental well-being would also help them seek support and help earlier. This prevents burnout and breakdowns which can be detrimental. 

Social Wellness 

How your team interacts socially is also important. This is basically the foundation of your workplace culture. 

Your employees should be in an environment that allows them to enjoy social cohesion. They spend a significant portion of their day with their coworkers, after all. This means having a workplace that makes them feel safe to positively interact with everyone in the team. 

Financial Wellness

Financial stability is crucial for an individual to feel secure as they go about their day-to-day life. A person who has to constantly worry about bills is a person constantly under stress. 

This stress can carry over to the workplace and negatively affect how they perform. An employee who has a more secure financial well-being, on the other hand, is found to be more productive, engaging, and efficient. 

Why Your Business Needs an Employee Wellness Program

A good employee wellness program is beneficial to both the employer and the employee. By showing how much you care for your employees, they become even more valuable members of your team. 

An employee with healthy well-being will be an employee that is motivated, loyal, productive, and efficient. They will uphold the values of the company and support the business’s growth. 

Companies with a solid wellness program have higher employee satisfaction and employee retention. This means more resources are then focused on bettering the team you already have as opposed to using those funds to replace the employees who have left. 

How to Create an Employee Wellness Program

An employee wellness program done right will yield the company with overall healthy employees. It also results in a positive workplace culture that supports the well-being of the employees. This then becomes a cycle wherein your team thrives and your business grows. 

Your program doesn’t have to be a series of grand activities, one after the other. Some can be small changes in your workplace that support healthier choices, while others are more long-term and sustained channels of support.

What is important is you identify your current employees’ health status and needs. You then find the best solutions to address those needs and sustain them for the long term. 

When focusing on physical wellness, the first is to make sure your team has health insurance. Next is to incentivize healthy habits and behaviors be it through gym memberships, yearly health check-ups, or company fun runs. You can also consider having healthy food available in the office so your employees have access to healthier options for their snacks and meals.

Work on your company culture to ensure that it is socially healthy and values work-life balance. Have programs that educate your team about mental health. Provide channels for your employees to seek mental health support through therapy and counseling.

Have social activities for your team to bond. Celebrate birthdays and company milestones. Develop employee incentive programs. Your workplace culture should also have zero tolerance for bullying, sexual harassment, and discrimination. 

You should also promote financial literacy within your team by hosting talks about financial health. Have insurance and retirement plans for your employees and offer employee assistance programs. 

Reaping the Benefits

Your team is essential to your business. Investing in their health will result in more engaged team members, productive contributors, and efficient workers. All of which make up a strong team that can propel your business forward. After all, you reap what you sow.

If you want to support your team even further, book a quick chat with Assembly. 

Browse our Free Employee Recognition Guide

Get the foundational knowledge on creating an employee recognition program that boosts employee engagement and helps them feel valued.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Assembly SOC 2 compliant?

Yes, at Assembly, security is a top priority. Each quarter, we have ongoing security work that is everyone’s responsibility. While we maintain a strong security posture, it was important for us to prove to our customers that we do everything we claim to do. This led us to pursue a SOC 2 Type II report that would provide evidence of our compliance with industry gold-standard security practice.

What's the ROI for employee recognition?

There is study after study showing that employee recognition leads to increased engagement. This in return creates an environment where employees are happier and more motivated which increase productivity and reduces voluntary turnover significantly. In order to filled critical roles, companies tend to spend nearly twice the value of an annual salary. Assembly is an investment in your employees that supports your bottom line.

Does Assembly offer longer-term contracts?

Yes, we will offer contracts for companies with longer-term agreements to help larger customers have more certainty around future costs.

The minimum agreement term is a 12-month subscription.

Does Assembly offer onboarding support?

We do and for FREE! Any new customer needing further support to get started with Assembly to ensure you're set up for success can request custom onboarding support. Improving your employee experience is about much more than just using our amazing software; it’s about transforming your business to create a workplace that people love. That’s much easier to do with the personal support and advice from our passionate people experts.

Is there a free version of Assembly?

Yes. We offer a completely free plan for up to 50 team members. This plan is intended for teams or organizations that are looking to get started with an employee engagement tool. Keep in mind, this plan is limited in features.

All customers can open an Assembly account for free and get started without a credit card. Then you can change plans as necessary.

How much do rewards cost?

At the time of redemption (when your employees exchange their points for a paid reward) you'll pay face value. If a reward is a $10 Amazon gift card, your cost will be $10. All paid rewards are billed for on a monthly basis.

The good news is that you don't have to pay for rewards upfront because we only charge you when points are redeemed, not when they're earned.

Does Assembly offer discounts?

We offer discounts or educational or charitable organizations. In order to secure a discount, you'll first need to book a demo with a customer support specialist.

For all other organizations, we are willing to consider longer-term agreements in exchange for discounts. To set up annual plans or longer, you will need to book a demo with a customer support specialist.

How do I cancel my plan if needed?

If you're on a month to month plan, you can go here and cancel anytime. If you're having concerns or need help setting up your account for success, you can always book a demo with a customer support specialist.

If you're on a longer-term custom plan, you'll need to reach out to your customer support specialist to cancel your account or email us at support@joinassembly.com.

What customizations are available?

Great question! You can customize your core values to match your organization's to boost and track alignment. You can change your currency from the 🏆 emoji (our default) to any emoji of your choice. You can swap our logo for your own. You can also set up company culture rewards such as, "Lunch with the CEO," "Buy a book on us," and so much more!

Who can give or receive recognition?

While we recommend a peer to peer set up where anyone in your organization can give or receive recognition, you can set up Assembly however you want. If you need to limit the people who can give or receive recognition, that's perfectly fine and can be done from your Admin, here.

What integrations are available?

Assembly connects to the tools your employees use every day to offer an easy, seamless experience with minimal change management.  

Assembly has integrations with HCM/HRIS systems like ADP, Google, Office 365, and Slack. We also integrate with communication tools like Slack and Teams so you and your employees can access Assembly wherever they work now.

What's your average adoption rate?

That depends on the company's permissions set up. That said, over 90% of the employees on Assembly's platform are recognized on a monthly basis. That means nearly every employee across all of our customers are receiving regular recognition from their peers, managers, or leadership. We're extremely proud of this.

Must rewards be set up to use Assembly?

They are not required. You can use Assembly without having rewards set up. However, we don't recommend it if you intend to have a high adoption and usage rate. You can always keep the costs down by offering internal culture rewards that are fulfilled by you internally.

Are points required to use Assembly?

No, you can remove allowances from anyone or everyone. It's up to you but we do recommend using points whether they're worth a real dollar value or not. Companies that use points have a much higher engagement rate even if those points don't exchange for real dollars.

Could find the answer you are looking for?

Please schedule time with an expert and we will help you to get all your questions answered