5 Steps to Creating a Corporate Wellness Program

If your company wants to help its employees have happy, healthy and well-balanced lives, consider launching a wellness program.

Janis Kushimi, VP of human resources at First Insurance Co. of Hawaii, offers these five steps based on her company’s program, which has earned gold level recognition by the American Heart Association two years in a row.

1. Have Clear Goals

Think carefully about your objectives for the program and find the right fit with your company’s culture. If you have the resources, offer a wide range of activities: exercise options can include lunchtime walks, and seminars and lunch-and-learns can cover healthy eating and financial planning.

2. Consider an Interactive Element

We use an interactive platform that allows employees to track their progress (for instance how many steps they took in a day) and compare it to their co-workers’ progress. It builds engagement and camaraderie, promotes healthy competition among participants, and is especially popular with our Millennial employees.

3. Cultivate Leadership Support

Support from the head of your company is key in having a successful wellness program. President and CEO Jeff Shonka has supported FICOH’s wellness program, often participates in our activities and shared details about what motivated him to change his routine.

4. Offer Rewards

Sometimes we need an extra push to reach our health and fitness goals. Prizes, gift cards and cash rewards are great motivators for employees and encourage those on the fence to buy in and commit to the program.

5. Form a Committee

A wellness committee led by committed employees keeps your wellness program fresh, drives participation and helps it grow. Committee members get to build relationships with colleagues in other departments while having fun and making a positive impact on everyone’s well-being.