During a time when so many are still working from home, your employees mental, physical and emotional wellness is so important. With everyone doing their best to practice social distancing, the lack of daily socialization can really take a toll on people. Fortunately, 2020 is behind us and with 2021 comes the hope of returning to some type of normalcy. During this period of uncertainty in what the new year will bring, here are three ways you can re-vamp your employee wellness program in 2021.

Get Active Together

For many, the beginning of a new year comes with resolutions of getting in shape. Instead of doing your workouts alone, have colleagues hold each other accountable with a weekly virtual exercise class! A different employee can host a 30-minute virtual exercise class each week to help promote physical wellness while providing the socialization that so many are missing these days.

Be Mindful of Mental Health

This pandemic has taken a toll on everyone, in ways that no one could have ever imagined. “In a KFF Tracking Poll conducted in mid-July, 53% of adults in the United States reported that their mental health has been negatively impacted due to worry and stress over the coronavirus” (2). With so many people still working remotely, it can be nearly impossible to know how your employees are handling the pandemic. Consider integrating mental health offerings as part of your employee wellness programs so they have access to help if they need it. Offering tele-behavioral services such as counseling and Employee Assistant Programs can help your employees know that they are not alone and that you care about how they’re doing during these challenging times.

Hold a Wellness Challenge

Instead of just encouraging healthy habits from your employees during the pandemic, try adding a little competition and prizes to really make things interesting! Healthy eating and weight loss challenges are a great way to help your employees stay accountable with their new year’s resolutions while also providing an opportunity for them to socialize outside of everyday work conversations. Going out of your way to offer fun opportunities like these, will help bring your employees closer together and set your business apart from the competition.

Although these are unprecedent times, there is a finish line in the distance! By implementing even just one of these trends in the new year, you can reshape the physical and mental wellness of your employees for years to come.

Sources:
2021 Employee Wellness Trends You Need | WEX Inc.
The Implications of COVID-19 for Mental Health and Substance Use | KFF