Workplace Wellness Programmes Must be Fun Say the Experts!
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Dr Kathryn Owler
May 12, 2013, 2:36:03 AM5/12/13
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Article Title: Workplace Wellness Programmes Must be Fun Say the Experts!
Author: Dr Kathryn Owler
Word Count: 719
Article URL: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=1838887&ca=Business+Management
Format: 64cpl
Contact The Author: http://www.isnare.com/eta.php?aid=1838887
Easy Publish Tool: http://www.isnare.com/html.php?aid=1838887
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One of the most important aspects of a successful wellness programme is to maximise employee participation. And, one of the most crucial ways to maximise employee participation is to ensure that the program is fun! However, recent research shows that companies often overlook the need for fun.
Recent research examines fun at work in global company wellness initiatives
Changing health behaviours for the long-term is critical to reducing the developed world�s soaring obesity rates, incidence of chronic disease and their fiscal and cultural impact to organisations. A recent research report by GCC published in 2013 provides insight into how organisations are approaching long-term health behaviour change and highlights the key successes and challenges 378 organisations face in the workplace today. It examines company priorities and where programme design is letting them down.
Fun is essential to maximising participation in workplace wellness programmes
Arguably, the most important aspect of a successful wellness programme, is engaging staff in the process. Maximising employee engagement and participation is crucial. Without this engagement, there is little point in running a programme. And, leading workplace wellness providers have found that employees are more likely to want to join an initiative that is fun.
It takes time to change lifestyle behaviours for the long term; therefore enjoyment goes a long way towards supporting strong completion rates. This is why some experts argue that a key performance indicator for wellness initiative success, in enjoyment. However, �fun� is not always what happens.
Employers understand the need for corporate wellness fun
In general, companies do seem to understand the need for corporate wellness fun. The GCC study found that 99% of organisations rate the importance of having fun at medium or higher in regards to their wellness initiatives. However, whilst 37% of organisations report having fun as a very high importance for wellness initiatives, only 10% actually report their initiatives achieving very high levels of fun.
How to make sure your wellness initiative is fun!
Wellness initiatives can often be perceived as dull - and many inherently are. The ability to create an initiative that is viewed as fun is critical increasing participation rates and, ensuring good completion rates - both prerequisites for achieving long term behavioural change amongst employees.
Here are some ideas to ensure maximum fun and participation in your wellness programme:
- Ensure careful planning and informed design � start by asking, �how can we make this programme fun for our staff?� Be aware of the workplace demographic, ask staff what they want, what would motivate them and involve staff in design
- Commitment from senior leadership � commitment to a �fun� focus needs to be fully embraced by senior leadership
- Create a good champion structure � ensure a strong champion structure, which is adequately resourced (including being given adequate time)
- Provide enough time - 86% of respondents in the GCC study reported lack of time being the main reason employees did not take part in wellness initiatives. Creating a strategy that breaks down this barrier (or �excuse� as some may say) is critical to ensuring high uptake of wellness initiatives.
- Regular review � review the programme regularly to ensure that it is still relevant and fun
- Communications � organisations should communicate their programmes and the reasons for them thoroughly and regularly. Employees need to know that the programme will be fun in order for them to want to be involved!
- Incentives � Participation in programmes with explicit incentives can attract 85% participation or better. Incentives can include both financial and non-cash rewards i.e. gift cards, merchandise, travel, time off and praise. Fun is a big player here too!
Conclusion: Never forget the need for fun at work for maximum corporate wellness!
The GCC report reminds us of the need to be vigilant and enthusiastic when it comes to promoting employee wellness initiatives that are fun, fun, fun at work! Make fun your starting point, rather than an afterthought, in order to ensure maximum employee participation in your wellness programme.
About The Author: Dr Kathryn Owler is the Director of The http://Joyworkz.com Center for Fun and Wellness at Work. She is also an Associate Researcher at AUT University, Business School, where she researches and publishes on workplace wellness and fun at work. See http://www.joyworkz.com
Please use the HTML version of this article at:
http://www.isnare.com/html.php?aid=1838887
*********************** ARTICLE END ***********************
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Message delivered directly to members of the group:
publish-the...@googlegroups.com
*****************************************************************
Please consider this free-reprint article written by:
Dr Kathryn Owler
*****************************
IMPORTANT - Publication/Reprint Terms
- You have permission to publish this article electronically in free-only publications such as a website or an ezine as long as the bylines are included.
- You are not allowed to use this article for commercial purposes. The article should only be reprinted in a publicly accessible website and not in a members-only commercial site.
- You are not allowed to post/reprint this article in any sites/publications that contains or supports hate, violence, porn and warez or any indecent and illegal sites/publications.
- You are not allowed to use this article in UCE (Unsolicited Commercial Email) or SPAM. This article MUST be distributed in an opt-in email list only.
- If you distribute this article in an ezine or newsletter, we ask that you send a copy of the newsletter or ezine that contains the article to http://www.isnare.com/eta.php?aid=1838887
- If you post this article in a website/forum/blog, ALL links MUST be set to hyperlinks and we ask that you send a copy of the URL where the article is posted to http://www.isnare.com/eta.php?aid=1838887
- We request that you ask permission from the author if you want to publish this article in print.
The role of iSnare.com is only to distribute this article as part of its Article Distribution feature ( http://www.isnare.com/distribution.php ). iSnare.com does NOT own this article, please respect the author's copyright and this publication/reprint terms. If you do not agree to any of these terms, please do not reprint or publish this article.
*****************************
Article Title: Workplace Wellness Programmes Must be Fun Say the Experts!
Author: Dr Kathryn Owler
Word Count: 719
Article URL: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=1838887&ca=Business+Management
Format: 64cpl
Contact The Author: http://www.isnare.com/eta.php?aid=1838887
Easy Publish Tool: http://www.isnare.com/html.php?aid=1838887
*********************** ARTICLE START ***********************
One of the most important aspects of a successful wellness programme is to maximise employee participation. And, one of the most crucial ways to maximise employee participation is to ensure that the program is fun! However, recent research shows that companies often overlook the need for fun.
Recent research examines fun at work in global company wellness initiatives
Changing health behaviours for the long-term is critical to reducing the developed world�s soaring obesity rates, incidence of chronic disease and their fiscal and cultural impact to organisations. A recent research report by GCC published in 2013 provides insight into how organisations are approaching long-term health behaviour change and highlights the key successes and challenges 378 organisations face in the workplace today. It examines company priorities and where programme design is letting them down.
Fun is essential to maximising participation in workplace wellness programmes
Arguably, the most important aspect of a successful wellness programme, is engaging staff in the process. Maximising employee engagement and participation is crucial. Without this engagement, there is little point in running a programme. And, leading workplace wellness providers have found that employees are more likely to want to join an initiative that is fun.
It takes time to change lifestyle behaviours for the long term; therefore enjoyment goes a long way towards supporting strong completion rates. This is why some experts argue that a key performance indicator for wellness initiative success, in enjoyment. However, �fun� is not always what happens.
Employers understand the need for corporate wellness fun
In general, companies do seem to understand the need for corporate wellness fun. The GCC study found that 99% of organisations rate the importance of having fun at medium or higher in regards to their wellness initiatives. However, whilst 37% of organisations report having fun as a very high importance for wellness initiatives, only 10% actually report their initiatives achieving very high levels of fun.
How to make sure your wellness initiative is fun!
Wellness initiatives can often be perceived as dull - and many inherently are. The ability to create an initiative that is viewed as fun is critical increasing participation rates and, ensuring good completion rates - both prerequisites for achieving long term behavioural change amongst employees.
Here are some ideas to ensure maximum fun and participation in your wellness programme:
- Ensure careful planning and informed design � start by asking, �how can we make this programme fun for our staff?� Be aware of the workplace demographic, ask staff what they want, what would motivate them and involve staff in design
- Commitment from senior leadership � commitment to a �fun� focus needs to be fully embraced by senior leadership
- Create a good champion structure � ensure a strong champion structure, which is adequately resourced (including being given adequate time)
- Provide enough time - 86% of respondents in the GCC study reported lack of time being the main reason employees did not take part in wellness initiatives. Creating a strategy that breaks down this barrier (or �excuse� as some may say) is critical to ensuring high uptake of wellness initiatives.
- Regular review � review the programme regularly to ensure that it is still relevant and fun
- Communications � organisations should communicate their programmes and the reasons for them thoroughly and regularly. Employees need to know that the programme will be fun in order for them to want to be involved!
- Incentives � Participation in programmes with explicit incentives can attract 85% participation or better. Incentives can include both financial and non-cash rewards i.e. gift cards, merchandise, travel, time off and praise. Fun is a big player here too!
Conclusion: Never forget the need for fun at work for maximum corporate wellness!
The GCC report reminds us of the need to be vigilant and enthusiastic when it comes to promoting employee wellness initiatives that are fun, fun, fun at work! Make fun your starting point, rather than an afterthought, in order to ensure maximum employee participation in your wellness programme.
About The Author: Dr Kathryn Owler is the Director of The http://Joyworkz.com Center for Fun and Wellness at Work. She is also an Associate Researcher at AUT University, Business School, where she researches and publishes on workplace wellness and fun at work. See http://www.joyworkz.com
Please use the HTML version of this article at:
http://www.isnare.com/html.php?aid=1838887
*********************** ARTICLE END ***********************
- To distribute your articles go to http://www.isnare.com/distribution.php
- For more free-reprint articles go to http://www.isnare.com
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