The What's and Why's of Workplace Wellness

It has become a common term, but perhaps not one common enough: “workplace wellness.” According to Gallup,

“…simply offering a wellness program — no matter how well-intentioned — provides no guarantee of improving employees’ well-being. Workers must be aware the program exists and be persuaded to use it — and that’s where things get tricky. Though more than 85% of large employers offer a wellness program, Gallup research shows that only 60% of U.S. employees are aware that their company offers a wellness program — and only 40% of those who are aware of the program say they actually participate in it. The upshot is that at companies that offer wellness programs, only 24% of employees are participating.”

Clearly, the message is not getting out that there is value to a workplace wellness program, in part because employers do not understand what makes up a good program.

A true workplace wellness program should provide more than just health screenings, kitchens, a few healthy options in vending machines, etc. It should provide ongoing support by a nutritionist who specializes in workplace wellness. And the program should be designed to lead to a true lifestyle change. To alter this trend, innovative companies such as DetoxForHealth™ are offering a results-oriented, holistic approach.

A DetoxForHealth™ nutritionist will coach employees to eat for nourishment, avoid toxins, detox previously stored toxins from their body and strategically use natural supplements to properly fuel the body, all according to individual needs. The goal is to maintain or restore good general health and ensure mental clarity, focus and energy for employees to perform at an optimal level throughout the whole day. The DetoxForHealth™ coach will:

• understand who employees are;
• understand employees’ current habits and disharmonies related to diet and general health;
• consider employees’ quality of life outside the workplace, such as family situation, budget, schedule constraints, etc.;
• provide a personalized diet plan that includes stress relief and energy boosting recommendations;
• help employees define their individual objectives (i.e. reduce body fat, BMI, high cholesterol, hypertension, etc.) and help them work towards achieving those objectives;
• educate and empower lifestyle change that will lead to lasting results and slower aging;
• help employers to implement a strategy to ensure employees understand the value of the program and encourage participation;
• help employers establish a baseline, measure progress and realize Value On Investment.

According to certified holistic nutritionist Marijana Barr who founded DetoxForHealth™ and specializes in workplace wellness,

“Workplace wellness brings a wellness program to the workplace, but it shouldn’t stop there. You see, an employee is a person that lives outside of his or her workplace, too. Therefore, the wellness plan they adopt needs to extend to the rest of their life. On the other hand, employees should not be expected to do all workplace wellness related activities on their own time. A busy workload does get in the way of wellness, but employers must keep in mind that employees who are well are more productive and cheaper to insure, and wellness activities simply need to be scheduled and not compromised when work or budget constraints get in the way.”

The rising cost of healthcare is one of the top concerns for businesses. Related costs of poor health — absenteeism, turnover, lack of focus and financial as well as emotional stress — add up, creating a work environment in which employers and employees feel isolated, overworked, stressed and unvalued.

Barr says she is not surprised that a majority of employees don’t see value in workplace wellness programs. She says she was one of those corporate employees for fifteen years and totally relates. That’s why she took a different approach when creating the DetoxForHealth™ program, she says. Her intention is to bring true value to both employers and employees. Barr says,

“A holistic nutrition program recognizes that employees have a lot on their plate and that their choice of food is not the main issue. Most wellness programs focus on weight loss and exercise at best. Those are mostly short-term goals with short-term results. However, if one learns to eat for nourishment, to use food-based supplements strategically to support their body’s nutrition and metabolic needs, learn to detox effectively and choose exercise that works for their level of energy and body type — that is a true lifestyle change. This change requires a strategic approach, education, commitment and time, but not necessarily any more money than a conventional wellness program.”

As a step one, Barr recommends an educational seminar in wellness. Because employee wellness directly impacts performance of the business and its bottom line, she believes the wellness training should be a mandatory part of the workplace training and development curriculum.

“Just like any other product, service or initiative that generates us revenue or saves us cost, workplace wellness needs to be invested in, carefully planned out and seen through,” says Barr. “Only then, it will produce desired results.”

Marijana Barr can be reached through her website at www.detoxforhealth.com.