Why is Employee Wellness Important & How to Promote It Effectively

Monday morning, and your employees are filing into the office. No one is talking. They all look tired and grumpy as they shuffle their way to their desks. Sound familiar? You might even be able to guess what they'll do next. They'll sit down and get to work, but not before booting up their computers and checking their notifications. Instead of chatting about their weekends, they'll likely click on emails to see what they missed over the weekend, and they'll get to work. No one will be happy about it. This is a typical start to the workweek. Employees are far more engaged and productive if they are healthy and happy. That’s why for you, it’s crucial to understand why is employee wellness important. This article will shed light on the significance of employee wellness for productivity and engagement and give you practical strategies to enhance your employee wellness program with seated stretches and excercises.

One valuable tool to help you achieve your objectives is Pliability's mobility app. Pliability’s solution targets the most common aches and pains associated with sitting too much and helps your employees improve their overall health and wellness. 

What is Employee Wellness and Its 9 Dimensions

Employee wellness is a comprehensive approach to improving the overall well-being of workers. It focuses on:
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• Physical
• Mental
• Emotional health
  ‍

Helping employees thrive in and outside of the workplace. Employee wellness programs encompass initiatives that promote a healthy work-life balance, stress management, fitness, and overall satisfaction.

What is the Difference Between Health and Wellness? 

While related, health and wellness are not the same. Health is generally limited to an individual's physical and mental health. The concept of wellness goes beyond these two dimensions and covers more areas of life. It is a state of optimal well-being, thriving to succeed and lead a happier life.

What Is An Employee Wellness Program? 

An employee wellness program is an organized plan implemented by an organization to promote healthful habits among its workforce. The primary objective of these programs is to enhance employees' physical, mental, emotional, and financial well-being. 

The Nine Dimensions of Wellness: What are They? 

The concept of wellness is not closed but holistic. Although there are different beliefs and multiple dimensions, some common factors contribute to wellness. The understanding of wellness has shifted from programs and practices that help alleviate illness and diseases to quality of life and satisfaction.

Most of the dimensions of wellness now go beyond just your physical, emotional, and mental health. They cover other areas of life, such as:
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• Spiritual
• Financial
• Occupational
• Even social wellness
  ‍

One component of wellness is believed to positively affect the other dimension of wellness in your life. So here are the nine dimensions of wellness:

1. Physical Wellness 

When you think about physical wellness, it is not just limited to having a body without any infirmity or exercising daily. But it is more than just having a fit body. It also encompasses other aspects of a healthy lifestyle, including:
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• Following a healthy diet
• Proper sleep hygiene
• Strength
• Flexibility
• Cardiovascular health
  ‍

Nutrition is important in your physical wellness, as most of your health is determined by your food. It is essential to learn and be aware of what you are eating and what is causing you problems. Again maintaining an exercise regimen is also important as it helps to regulate your mood and contributes a lot to maintaining your emotional wellness. Again, do activities that will help you improve your physical health and observe the stressors that might contribute to your health problems. Restricting yourself from involving in unhealthy habits and practices like:
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• Drinking alcohol
• Smoking
• Eating junk food 
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Is also an essential factor when you talk about physical wellness. 

2. Mental Wellness 

Post-pandemic, mental wellness has become one of the most important dimensions of wellness. In the wake of the lockdown and COVID, rebuilding your life and making the drastic transition has taken a toll on almost everyone's mental health. In light of this, it became apparent that the disease affects not only your physical health but also your mental health. 

What is Mental Wellness? 

Mental wellness is a positive state of mental health. It is more than the absence of mental illness; it means that your mind is in order and functioning in your best interest. Mental wellness means being more in control of your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors to handle challenges more positively and enjoy life to the fullest. Mental wellness consists of the following:
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• Being able to cope with adversity with a positive approach 
• Engaging in productive work 
• Being able to pay attention to your own needs 
• Learning to be at peace with oneself
• Maintaining a work-life balance 
• Setting SMART goals and working towards achieving those without burnout 
• Spending quality time with your close ones and maintaining healthy relationships 
• Engaging yourself in work that provides a sense of satisfaction 

3. Emotional Wellness 

Emotional wellness, or the lack of it, affects many areas of your life. Emotional health or wellness is associated with attitudes about self and life. Your ability to manage, handle and understand your emotions impacts your life. The National Center for Emotional Wellness defines emotional wellness as “the state of awareness, understanding, and acceptance of your feelings and ability to manage effectively through challenges and changes.” 

Emotional wellness means having the necessary emotional skills like:
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• Positive thinking
• Resiliency
• Better coping with stress
• Managing emotions
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To live happier lives. When you are not feeling good, your other aspects or dimensions of wellness will be affected negatively. It can be challenging to have a fulfilling life if you've not grown emotionally along with the other dimensions of your life. October is dedicated to emotional wellness around the globe and is known as Emotional Wellness Month. 

4. Occupational Wellness 

One of the most overlooked yet important dimensions of wellness is occupational wellness. You can achieve a balance between work and leisure without overlapping. When discussing wellness, especially occupational wellness, it concerns achieving personal satisfaction from paid and non-paid jobs. It also encompasses your ability to handle multiple jobs or tasks and attend community or personal meetings. 

When you feel purposeful about your work or are appreciated and recognized, you will find more meaning and satisfaction with what you do. Occupational wellness aims to reduce, if not prevent, burnout and job turnover. Your occupational wellness will be protected in a comfortable and healthy workspace. 

Here's how you can improve or achieve occupational wellness:
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• Refrain from overworking yourself. It can often lead to burnout and frustration with your job.
• Balance your work and personal lives so that you have a positive outlook on your job and life. 
• Avoid settling down for the bare minimum. 
• Try to push yourself to strive for a goal at work or complete a project. 
• Staying engaged and excited about your work plays a big role in achieving occupational wellness. 

5. Spiritual Wellness 

Many behaviors associated with overall wellness are key components of spiritual wellness. Spiritual wellness is about finding meaning and purpose in your life, including your morals, outlook, and ethics. It is a major component of overall wellness since it involves synchronizing your mind, body, and soul. 

Since finding your purpose and meaning in life is a never-ending quest, spiritual wellness is about finding the right way to achieve those. It is about finding harmony with your surroundings and balancing your personal needs with the needs of others as well. 

‍Here are a few benefits of achieving spiritual wellness:
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• Achieve a greater sense of calmness and peace of mind 
• Being able to think positively and engage in more positive emotions 
• Finding purpose and meaning in life 
• Being more accountable for your actions and decisions 
• Prioritizing mindfulness 
  ‍

According to a recent study, there was a significant upsurge in feeling disconnected from reality and among co-workers, leading to excessive smoking and alcohol consumption. And by practicing spiritual wellness, one can reconnect with oneself and gain more power to be resilient. 

6. Financial Wellness 

Although it is a common misconception that money doesn't buy happiness, your finances significantly contribute to your overall wellness and happiness index. Financial wellness is one of the most crucial yet overlooked dimensions of wellness. It is thus important to be more aware of your finances and expenses and learn how to use money strategically to enhance your wellness. 

Financial wellness is how you can manage your bills and still plan for long-term goals. It is an important aspect of life as it helps you learn the necessary knowledge and skills to manage your finances effectively. 

‍Here are a few reasons why you should prioritize financial wellness in your wellness programs:
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• It helps to reduce financial stress and become more financially stable. 
• Enhances productivity and employee satisfaction. 
• It minimizes turnover and maximizes employee retention. 
• As a major part of the stress comes from financial expenses, it will improve your mental and physical health. 

7. Intellectual Wellness 

"Intellectual wellness is the wellness of the mind," Michael Ebinger's Intellectual wellness refers:
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• To your cognitive
• Knowledge acquisition
• Thinking ability
  ‍

It is all about learning and growing. It is about being eager to learn, being creative, and being curious to gain more experience that can further fuel your overall wellness. 

Intellectual wellness goes beyond academia and has nothing to do with your IQ score. It is more about learning things for the sake of learning. It is an important part of your wellness as it helps you to learn and share your knowledge to achieve a more balanced life. It further helps you become more aware of your surroundings and become well-rounded. Keeping your intellectual health is just as important as keeping your physical health. A healthy mind can stimulate new ideas and lead a much more fulfilling life. 

‍Here are a few ways you can achieve or improve your intellectual wellness:
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• Play brain games or practice brain exercises. 
• Make reading part of your daily routine 
• Attend different classes of various courses 
• Try to talk with other people or engage more in social interactions 
• Try to keep a journal 

8. Environmental Wellness 

Environmental wellness refers to your sense of safety, comfort, and connection with your physical surroundings. It is about living in a caring and healthy environment and being aware and respectful about it simultaneously. 

Your surroundings significantly influence you and how you feel, too. They affect your physical and mental health, one reason environmental wellness is essential. Your everyday behavior will affect your environment once you become more environmentally aware and conscious. Improving this wellness aspect will lead you to a more balanced life. 

‍Here are a few more reasons why it is important: 
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• When your surroundings are taken care of, you feel a greater sense of calmness and less anxiety 
• Engage yourself more with nature and harmony with nature 
• Improves your mood and overall mental health 
• It enhances the quality and length of your life 
• Reduces the risk of diseases and healthcare costs 

9. Social Wellness 

Social wellness refers to nurturing yourself, others, and your relationships. It is about your dynamic with your friends, family, colleagues, and community. It consists of balancing your mental and physical health and actively participating as an interdependent member of humankind. 

Communicating your needs, feelings, and thoughts and actively listening with empathy are part of this process. It's a two-way street. It also involves maintaining meaningful friendships and relationships on and off the job and engaging in positive thinking and interactions in both work and leisure. 

Take these steps to cultivate social wellness habits: 
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• Practice basic self-care like getting enough sleep, eating healthy, and exercising 
• Avoid negative coping mechanisms like smoking or drinking alcohol 
• Try to create healthy boundaries in all of your relationships 
• Rekindle with your friends, family, and colleagues and nurture a more positive and healthy relationship with them 
• Try to empathize and listen to others with a more open mindset and patience

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Why is Employee Wellness Important for a Business?

Employee wellness is crucial. In today's high-pressure work culture, it's easy to burn out without proper support for mental, physical, and emotional health. Optimizing employee well-being through comprehensive workplace wellness programs pays dividends for workers and companies. 

These programs boost productivity, innovation, and purpose while reducing turnover and healthcare costs by supporting work-life balance. Simply put, healthy employees are better equipped to perform at their peak. When companies invest in the whole person, not just the worker, they tap into discretionary effort and creativity. Employees feel energized and engaged when wellness initiatives make workplace well-being a priority.   

Boosting Brainpower and Innovation  

• Ever felt like you hit a wall at 3 pm and can't get those creative juices flowing? 
• Or stared blankly at a problem you knew you could solve if you weren't so drained? 
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We've all been there. There are ways to boost our brainpower and unlock our inner innovator through comprehensive employee wellness programs to reduce stress and support physical health. Our minds thrive when we're relaxed and energized. Without the fog of burnout, we're primed for those "Aha!" lightbulb moments and breakthrough ideas. It's like clearing clutter from your desk. You have space to spread out and get creative. 

One study by the American Psychological Association even found that walking boosts creative output in 81% of individuals. Now you feel like going for a walk. Employee wellness initiatives like:
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• Standing desks
• Walking meetings
• Vouchers for the best wellness apps
• Mental health days give our minds room to breathe and body to recharge
• Improving the employee experience
  ‍

Beyond individual creativity, employee wellness is linked to better collaboration, communication, and problem-solving across teams, as research by Kathryn M. Page & Dianne A. Vella-Brodrick shows. 

Why Employee Wellness is the Key to Unlocking Creativity

Think of your last brainstorming session after a restful weekend rather than late Friday afternoon. When we take time to recharge, we’re more patient, engaged, and motivated to work together. Bringing the freshest ingredients together maximizes the result, like baking the perfect cake. 

While it may seem counterintuitive to “slow down to speed up,” science shows that nurturing employee wellness lays the foundation for innovation. A relaxed mind is a creative mind. With sturdy mental, physical, and emotional health, your team can dream big, think outside the box, and produce their best work. A workplace wellness program lets brilliant minds shine at their brightest.   

Igniting Passion and Purpose  

We’ve all experienced those days when we’re just clocking in and out when work feels like a chore rather than a calling. Employees who find true meaning in their roles are more productive, creative, and committed. 

The good news? 

Employee wellness initiatives can reignite that spark while improving employee retention and productivity by supporting healthy behaviors. How so? Wellness programs that support mental health and foster social connections deepen our engagement and sense of purpose. 

‍One study by Said Business School at Oxford University found that employees who feel their wellbeing is supported are twice as likely to thrive at work. Perks like volunteering days, mentorship programs, and mindfulness seminars remind us why we do what we do. Beyond purpose, employee wellness boosts day-to-day motivation.

How Workplace Wellness Programs Foster Passion and Purpose

Wellness programs like:
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• Yoga
• Team sports
• Walking clubs
  ‍

Reveal our inherent drive for self-care and social bonds. Exercise and sunlight quite literally give us energy. Shared activities build camaraderie. What keeps us working late better than teammates who feel like family? 

Igniting passion and purpose is about nurturing the whole employee. 
‍

• Mental
• Physical
• Social
• Emotional health
  ‍

When we support one area, the rest thrive too. When wellness is a priority, work feels less like a chore and more like a calling. 

The Benefits? 

Higher effort, creativity, and commitment from a team driven by passion. A workplace wellness program doesn’t just make us healthier it makes work matter again.   

Strengthening Resilience and Readiness  

Change is inevitable, and even the most loyal employee can feel shaken when new technology overhauls their role or a restructuring upends their team. Comprehensive employee wellness programs help workers skillfully manage disruptions while maintaining their morale and supporting their social wellness. 

Wellness initiatives build physical, mental, and emotional reserves to handle adversity. With solid health as their foundation, employees have the energy and focus to learn new skills and tackle shifting priorities. 

Building Resilience Through Workplace Wellness Initiatives

Employees in an office exercise with dumbbells. Fitness incentives and nutrition seminars maintain strength and stamina amidst long hours of mastering new systems. Mindfulness programs build the capacity to handle uncertainty without panic or despair. 

Resilient workers don’t just survive organizational shakeups; they bounce back stronger. Imagine an athlete training for a marathon. They steadily increase endurance so that race day feels like another long run. 

How Wellness Programs Foster Agility and Resilience

Living well day-to-day strengthens us for whatever corporate marathon awaits. A healthy mindset and lifestyle give us the reserves to support colleagues through rapid change. In today’s business environment, agility is essential. 

But crisis readiness isn’t just about weathering external disruption; it’s about supporting one another when the going gets tough. Comprehensive wellness programs build individual and collective resilience, a workplace where we can count on each other during storms and thrive together in clearer skies.   

Building Community and Connection  

In the hustle of the workday, it’s easy to become siloed into our projects and interactions. Employee wellness initiatives like corporate wellness programs offer opportunities to unite with colleagues and forge meaningful bonds while supporting employee health. Shared wellness activities remind us that we all care about each other, not just coworkers chasing deliverables. Volunteering as a team to clean up a local park, sweating through an afternoon yoga class, or training for a 5K brings out our spirit of service and community. 

We carry that energy back to the office. Group fitness challenges or cooking classes foster lighthearted connections, too. Laughing together as you learn to pickle vegetables helps you see the everyday person behind the suit and tie. Friendly competition, pushing each other to hit step goals, unites you in striving toward shared health. 

Building Trust and Community Through Employee Wellness Program

Employee wellness is about hearts and souls, not just productivity. Keeping the body healthy nourishes the human spirit. Trust flourishes when companies show they genuinely care about employees’ well-being through corporate wellness. People extend more patience, empathy, and inclusion to each other. By investing in the whole person, wellness initiatives build a workplace community that enriches work and life.   

Aligning Values and Impacts  

Beneath the bottom line, every company has a set of values and aspirations about the impact it wants to make. Prioritizing employee wellness through comprehensive programs reflects these deeper motivations and galvanizes workers around a shared higher purpose. 

A commitment to total worker health demonstrates a focus on the greater good, not just profits. Perks like onsite gyms and counseling show the company cares about employee fulfillment beyond job performance initiatives like paid time off to volunteer to give back to the community. 

Aligning Company Values with Employee Wellness for Greater Purpose and Success

Actions speak louder than words. While mission statements sit on posters, wellness programs live out intentions through real investment in employees as whole people. Workers feel pride in their company’s principles and become highly motivated to embody them. 

Optimizing success means more than quarterly earnings. It means developing passionate teams who align around contributing value to society. Employee wellness programs shine a spotlight on this bigger-picture vision. When companies prioritize wellbeing, they send a clear message success and purpose are intertwined.

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How to Promote Employee Wellness and Tips to Get Started

1. Get Moving: Strategies to Promote Physical Activity in the Workplace

Sitting all day is bad for your health, as is sitting too much, even if you exercise regularly. Research shows that prolonged sitting increases the risk of early death and several chronic health conditions, including:
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• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• Some cancers
  ‍

Sitting for long periods can negate the positive effects of exercise. A recent study found that people who sat for long periods had the same risk of heart disease regardless of how much they exercised. Another study discovered that breaking up sitting time with short bouts of walking improved cardiovascular health.

You can encourage employees to move more to combat the dangers of prolonged sitting. Start by reducing the time your team spends sitting during the workday. You can limit how long meetings can last and encourage employees to hold walking meetings instead. You can also create a culture that promotes movement breaks. For example, signs should be placed around the office encouraging employees to take a short walk or stretch before returning to their desks. Consider implementing a wellness program that focuses on reducing sitting time and breaking up prolonged periods of sitting.

2. Healthy Eating: Provide Nutritional Food Options in the Workplace

The food we eat affects our bodies and minds. Unhealthy foods can increase stress levels and exacerbate anxiety and depression. Nutritious foods can boost mood, improve brain function, and reduce stress. Not surprisingly, studies show that employee productivity and performance improve when they access healthy food options at work. 

You can improve your employees’ health and productivity by providing healthy food options and reducing their reliance on junk food. Start by surveying employees to determine their preferences, then stock the office kitchen with these nutritional snacks. If your office has a cafeteria, consider overhauling the menu to include healthier options. You can also provide employees access to nutritionists and establish programs to educate staff on healthy eating.

3. Create a Relaxed Workplace: Encourage Relaxation and Stress Relief

Stress is one of the top health hazards facing employees today. Not only can stress make your team unhappy, but it can also decrease productivity and increase absenteeism. Encouraging relaxation and stress relief in the workplace is crucial to combating these issues. 

You can promote relaxation in several ways, such as providing access to quiet rooms, creating a company culture that allows flexibility and breaks, and offering stress management training. It’s also beneficial to provide employees with access to on-site or virtual counseling services to help them cope with stress.

4. Support Employee Mental Health

Mental health is just as important as physical health. It’s crucial to support employee mental health, especially post-COVID-19. Research shows that nearly 42% of employees reported a decline in mental health since the onset of the pandemic.  

You can support employee mental health by providing access to counseling services and virtual therapy.  Hosting educational seminars on mental health and creating an employee assistance program that provides confidential help for employees struggling with mental health issues is also beneficial. Most importantly, work to create a workplace culture that is open and accepting of mental health issues.

5. Foster Camaraderie and Social Connections

Humans are social creatures, and we thrive on social connections. Research shows that healthy relationships at work can improve employee performance, boost job satisfaction, and help people better cope with stress. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted many social connections, as employees were forced to work in isolation or in smaller teams. As a result, it’s crucial to foster camaraderie in the workplace to help employees re-establish these vital relationships. 

You can enhance employees’ social health and feelings of belonging while strengthening the bonds between team members and improving team cohesion. Start by establishing employee resource groups that connect like-minded employees with common interests. Next, engage in team building. Finally, host social activities, like group lunches or happy hours.

Promote Psychological Safety in the Workplace

It’s imperative to each employee’s mental health that they feel included and as though they belong. They should be competent to carry out their job responsibilities. They should be comfortable using their voice to ask questions, share ideas, disagree, or offer concerns. They should be confident enough to be their authentic self at work. 

Secure enough to sometimes take certain risks in their work to accomplish lofty goals- even though taking risks means sometimes they will get it wrong. Employees should be able to perform their work and speak up without intimidation from their manager or peers or fear of retaliation or humiliation.

How managers can promote psychological safety in the workplace:
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• Communicate clearly around scope of responsibilities and performance expectations. 
• Encourage a speak-up, listen-up culture. 
• Promote healthy debate. 
• Practice inclusivity. 
• Reframe mistakes not as failures but as opportunities for growth and development.
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There are many ways to promote employee wellness, but these are just a few of the most effective methods. By promoting employee wellness, you can create a happy and healthy workforce that is more productive and efficient. And that’s good for business.

Tips on Implementing Employee Wellness

There are many tips for implementing employee wellness programs, but it depends on what works for your organization. Every company is different, so there is no one-size-fits-all solution. However, here are a few tips to get you started:

Identify Health Risks 

You should always assess the health risks associated with your industry and company. This will help you design a program that meets your employees' needs. 

For example, you should focus on injury prevention if you have many manual labor jobs. Many online tools and assessments can help with this process.

Communicate the Benefits 

Ensure your employees know all the benefits of participating in the wellness program. These may include lower health insurance premiums, access to on-site fitness facilities, or camaraderie. If employees see how the program will improve their lives, they will be more likely to participate.

Get Input from Employees 

When designing the program, get input from employees to find out what they would like to see included. They will be the ones participating. You can survey employees or hold focus groups to get ideas. Appoint a wellness committee of employees who can help with planning and implementation.

Set Goals 

Once you have all the information you need, it’s time to set some goals.
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• What do you hope to achieve with the wellness program? 
• Do you want to improve employee health, reduce absenteeism, or increase productivity? 
  ‍

Once you know your goals, you can design a program to help you achieve them.

Start Small 

Don’t try to do too much at once! It’s important to start small and gradually build up the program as employees get more comfortable with it. They may feel overwhelmed and be less likely to participate. You can always add new features later.

Evaluate Progress 

Don’t forget to evaluate the progress of your wellness program. This will help you determine what’s working and what needs to change. You can survey employees, track health metrics, or compare insurance claims data before and after implementing the program. Regular evaluation will ensure that your program is as effective as possible.

Get Management Onboard 

Your management team needs to support your employee wellness program. They must understand the program's goals and be committed to helping employees achieve them. Otherwise, getting employees to buy in and participate in the program will be difficult.

Develop Plan 

Developing a plan is critical to the success of any employee wellness program. By doing this upfront, you can create a program that meets your organization's and employees' specific needs. Many resources are also available to help with this process, so don’t hesitate to ask for help if you need it.

By following these tips, you can develop an employee wellness program that works for your organization. Remember to tailor the program to meet the needs of your employees and always evaluate progress to ensure that it is effective. With a little planning and effort, you can create a wellness program that benefits your employees and your company.

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