7 unique ways to improve workplace wellness
Published December 13, 2013 1:55 PM
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Updated January 27, 2014 9:43 AM
1 Min Read
BIG steps
One employer revamped its stairwell next to an escalator. It made the stairs musical, based on the famous scene with Tom Hanks dancing on a floor piano in the movie Big. After the company made the steps light up and play musical notes, people ran up and down the stairs. And the escalators next to the stairs? Those were unused and empty.
Cardboard cut-outs
One employer made cardboard cut-outs of its chief medical officer holding a dry-erase board and placed 50 of these cut-outs around high-traffic areas of the large campus, such as security guard desks or elevator banks. Wellness champions for each unit wrote different wellness messages on the boards for their colleagues. With the targeted and highly visible messaging, the employer increased participation at the local level and successfully got the word out about upcoming wellness initiatives.
Elevator music tuned to wellness
Anyone who has joined a conference call before the host dials in has heard the soft elevator music as they wait on hold. At one organization, instead of smooth jazz, employees heard messaging such as, Come get a biometric screening today in conference room B! The employer could change out the message depending on its current campaign or initiative and, whats more, it knows its delivering the message to a targeted audience who is stuck listening until the call starts.
Screen savers
Similarly, another employer replaced the screen savers on company computers and laptops with wellness messages so that healthy initiatives would appear once the screen went idle. After six months of using this strategy, the company had a 30% increase in the use of preventive care benefits. When the employer asked where workers found out about the benefit, employees pointed to the screen savers. And the outreach only required a simple conversation with IT to set up.
No flu for you
Banner Health launched the No Flu for You campaign at their workplace, which gave employees and medical staff a choice. Either they got a flu immunization or they had to wear a medical mask for the entire influenza season.
Labeling in vending machines
Even if your vending machine vendor doesnt allow its products to be substituted for healthy alternatives, managers can flip the bags of potato chips or candy bars so the consumer sees the nutrition label on the back before they buy the unhealthy snack.
Get marketing involved
One employer makes internal wellness outreach a core job responsibility for its marketing team. Part of the marketing departments performance review depends on how well it internally markets wellness programs to employees.
