How can you make your wellness program more inclusive?

Evaluating the accessibility and availability of wellness resources, such as fitness facilities or healthy food options, can help identify any barriers that might prevent certain individuals from fully participating in the program. Regularly reviewing and updating the program based on ongoing feedback and assessments will ensure that it remains inclusive and benefits a wider range of employees.

What is the purpose of wellness and wellbeing programs and initiatives? How is the impact on employees being measured or is that even considered as a priority in the first place? Just a couple of questions to reflect on for companies as many view this as perks and benefits to attract new employees. For such programs to be successful, inclusion needs to be a key priority and DEI needs to be seen as a business need and considered long term instead of viewing it from short-term perspective.

Envolve employees in the decision-making process, such as through wellness committees or advisory boards, to provide them with a sense of ownership and to leverage their expertise in shaping the program. And also offer a diverse range of wellness activities, workshops, and resources that appeal to different genders, ages, abilities, and backgrounds. And by provide flexibility and accommodate individual needs by offering various wellness options, time slots, and formats to ensure maximum participation and accessibility for all employees.

I will say more than involve employees, go a step further and make them responsible, well-being cannot be for you, by anyone, but only by you! So people must be trusted and given not prescriptive generic instructions but a range of information to chose from and support them to apply that information in their life and work! That is sustainable learning and actionable well-being ! It works ! Well-being for all!

Wellness programs must be holistic and offer a 360 degrees view, customised to what really means well-being. It’s more a mindset, a habit, a muscle, it’s a skill! A meta skill that enables flourishing and performance to shift better and happier in uncertain VUCA BANI times ! That is the first step!

Offer Diverse Wellness Activities: Provide a wide range of wellness activities that cater to different interests, abilities, and preferences. This may include yoga, meditation, fitness classes, nutrition workshops, stress management, and more. Flexible Scheduling: Accommodate various work schedules, including shift work, remote work, and part-time employees. Ensure that wellness activities are offered at different times and days to make them accessible to as many employees as possible. Mental Health and Well-being: Place a strong emphasis on mental health in your wellness program. Feedback and Evaluation: Continuously seek to make necessary adjustments to the program to better meet the needs of employees.

To make a wellness program better for everyone, it's important to do a few things. We need to think about what different people need in the program like their age, gender, have any special needs or where they come from. Offer different things to help people like exercises, mindfulness sessions & how to handle stress. Share stories about different people who did well in the program so they know they can do it too. People should be able to choose when they want to take part & talk about how they feel, problems they have so we can help each other. Regular check if the program is helping people... if they like it is vital.