Article courtesy of Payne Financial Benefits Bulletin newsletter, January 2012 issue.

Are you sold on the benefits of wellness, but having trouble fitting it into your budget? There are plenty of low-cost wellness strategies and ideas that can help improve the health of your workforce.

Nutrition

• - Provide healthy eating reminders and education using posters, email, payroll stuffers, etc.
• - Offer healthy food and beverages in vending machines, office meetings and parties, cafeteria, etc.
• - Make kitchen equipment available to employees.
• - Provide an on-site garden, if possible.

Physical Activity

• - Host walk-and-talk meetings.
• - Offer flexible work hours to allow for exercise during the day.
• - Offer on-site fitness opportunities, such as classes, walking trails, exercise equipment, etc. Provide changing and showering facilities, if possible.
• - Provide motivational and educational signs, newsletters, flyers and emails.
• - Start employee walking clubs, fitness challenges, sports teams or other groups.
• - Offer safely and conveniently located bicycle racks.

General Health

• - Develop policies that support wellness initiatives, such as prohibiting tobacco use on company property.
• - Promote and encourage employee participation in wellness activities.
• - Host an annual health fair.
• - Provide regular health and wellness education for employees, in the form of flyers, emails, posters, presentations, seminars, etc.
• - Make your health plan more wellness-oriented, such as providing weight management counseling, tobacco cessation treatment and other wellness services at no cost.
• - Encourage employees to get recommended preventive screenings and immunizations, and emphasize that they are cost-free under your plan.