How can you overcome resistance to wellness programs in the workplace?

With our Employee Wellness Programs, we often see these 3 barriers: 1) The employees have tried it all and nothing works for them 2) The employees are worried they will have to give up what they love and do what they hate 3) The employees feel like they don't have the time or motivation

Addressing employee resistance to wellness programs can be effectively managed by directly involving skeptics in the planning process. I've seen clients successfully nominate resistant employees to the wellness committee. This inclusion provides valuable insights into their concerns and transforms critics into active participants. As these individuals contribute to shaping the program, their perspective often shifts, leading them to become advocates for the initiatives. This approach not only addresses resistance but also enhances the program's relevance and effectiveness.

Communicating the benefits of wellness programs is critical—it can make or break their success. You could have the best program out there, but if no one knows about it, it's pointless. Effective communication is not just a one-time event. It's an ongoing process. From day one, during the onboarding of new employees, introduce them to these programs. This sets the stage for ongoing engagement. Regularly update and remind employees about these programs. Share success stories to maintain momentum. In my experience, companies that consistently communicate wellness benefits, integrate them into onboarding, and maintain ongoing dialogue see the best results compared to the ones that just "check the box" on wellness.

What we have found helpful is breaking down the numbers and costs of how much is saved by keeping yourself well and preventing disease vs being reactionary and seeking medical care. These extra costs are shared by the employee and the employer and the healthier the workforce is, the less each stakeholder has to dedicate to healthcare costs and more those funds can be allocated to something "fun" like compensation or bonuses from the employer side and increaased personal funds for the employee side.

Fostering awareness and successful participation in an employee wellness program involves a combination of strategic communication, incentives, and supportive culture. Effective Communication is critical. Start with a strong launch campaign to introduce the wellness program with regular updates. Provide ongoing communication through emails, newsletters, or company intranet. Ensure all communications clearly outline the benefits and how to participate in the program with story telling and leadership endorsement. Management Support is a big part to role model active participation from top management and share their experiences with the program.

In my experience, this is everything! Leadership taking genuine interest in these programs and/or taking part in them goes a long ways towards setting the culture of health and wellness. Everyone knows a strong leader has great influence and that influence can be the catalyst for change and growth. Leadership buying in and leading the charge lends credibility to the cause and can lead to some incentives being tied to engagement in the wellness program.

This ties back into the communication section, but it's crucial for the top executives, including the CEO, to visibly endorse these initiatives. I will ask each CEO to personally create a video message. This video, showcasing their support and explaining the program's benefits, it's then shared across the entire company. - Ok, ok I don't ask the CEO directly, usually someone in HR does, but you get the point. In addition, involving CEOs in activities like walking challenges has been a hit. Employees find it motivating to see their leaders participating, even if they aren't topping the leaderboards.

What we have found is offering topics employees care about and are relevant to them increases engagement. The selection process for choosing programs and topics has to include what is meaningful to the employee as ultimately that is where the accountability lies in completing the program. Also offering programs that are the right length for habit formation but not excessive where employees run out of steam and give up is important. Ideally we want to keep challenges and programs to about 6 weeks in length.

Incentives and recognition go a long way to overcoming resistance. Incentives such as bonuses, insurance premium reductions, event tickets, gift cards and the like can give employees that extra push to follow through with the wellness program to it's conclusion. Making the programs socially interactive gets the whole team involved and fosters a culture of peer accountability.

Providing thoughtful gestures of appreciation or public acknowledgment significantly encourages participation and fosters a positive workplace culture. It's also important to focus on recognizing not just performance but effort as well, showing employees that their attempts are valued just as much as their achievements.

Evaluating and improving workplace wellness programs is essential for their success. In my approach, regular assessments are key to understanding what's working and what isn't. This involves gathering employee feedback, analyzing participation data, and measuring outcomes against set goals. Based on these insights, making adjustments and improvements becomes an ongoing process. It's not just about checking off boxes, but actively seeking ways to enhance the program's effectiveness and relevance. This continuous improvement cycle ensures that the wellness initiatives remain aligned with employee needs and the evolving dynamics of the workplace.