Promoting Corporate Wellness During a Pandemic

Updated: February 17, 2023

This pandemic has changed everything from the way we live to the way we work, including the kind of support employees need. As the world adapts to a new way of working, employee wellness should still remain a priority now more than ever

Your staff are always important and should be respected, however now more than ever, the wellness of your employees is critical. The current pandemic has caused a lot of changes to many industries, and it’s essential that we band together to keep each other happy and healthy. Not only will this benefit your business, but also assist you with your stress management.

If you aren’t sure about what ‘wellness’ means, let’s talk about a definition first. Anything that involves practicing healthy habits is a form of wellness. This doesn’t mean just physically, but also mentally as well. For instance, there is spiritual wellness, emotional wellness, and social wellness. All of these are vital in the workplace in order for your workers to feel valued.

In this article, we’ll discuss some ways that you can promote corporate wellness in your business during a pandemic. Interested? Then let’s get started.

1. Allow mindful breaks

With so much on everyone’s minds, mindful breaks at work allow your employees to recharge themselves so that they continue to be productive. These mindful breaks could be an activity that you have organized, a group project, or even just an extension on their regular lunch breaks.

If your office is still operating, set up areas that promote social distancing, while still allowing an individual to relax, eat, or simply unwind. It could be some extra benches out in the sunshine, or a comfy lounge or Puzzle is perfect for de-stressing. Even just 10 minutes can significantly improve workplace efficiency and make sure everyone can get back on track.

2. Be flexible

The pandemic has affected many people in different ways, so to ensure everyone is happy and healthy, try and be as flexible as possible. While you obviously can’t just allow everyone to stop working, there are a few ways that you can make things easier.

For example, you might start allowing some staff to work from home, take shorter days, or even just rotate their shifts with other employees. With children out of school and errands to run for the elderly, it really can make a significant impact on your employees. At the end of the day, as long as enough work is getting done, you should still be able to operate effectively.

3. Provide healthy snacks

Eating correctly is another essential part of maintaining a good wellbeing, so if you find that your employees are lacking in that department, why not try providing healthy snacks in the break room. It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money, and even something as simple as free fruit, allergy-friendly sea salt popcorn or bottled water can make a huge difference.

Another idea could be to have a nutritionist come in and council your employees. By providing goals for your staff, like daily water intake and sleep amounts, your employees can monitor their health effectively with a coach. There are even some applications on the phone that can do it all for you!

4. Promote exercise

Exercise is an essential part of keeping healthy and is a great way to boost productivity in the workplace. It can allow us to think more clearly, get rid of harboring stress, and, of course, increases your endorphins, dopamine, and adrenaline.

By offering gym memberships, allowing workout breaks, and team exercises, you are ensuring everyone is getting enough physical activity, regardless of the current circumstances. Someone from Wellable put a great advice on promoting wellness during covid-19 outbreak

5. Connect and communicate

If you do have individuals that are working from home or that live by themselves, a wise idea is to promote as much communication as possible. Loneliness is one of the most common risks of the current pandemic, and can really affect one’s mental health, leading to anxiety and depression.

Try and organize video chat programs, frequently send emails, and use other platforms such as Slack or Google Hangouts. Not only will it improve communication, but it can certainly improve the mental health of your staff. You might even get a little creative and host a games night or trivia via Skype! (A little fun never hurt anybody!)

6. Offer health incentives

Offering health incentives is another excellent way to promote staff wellness and can undoubtedly make a significant difference. Not only is it a great incentive for your staff in the future, but you never know how much one of your workers might really need it.

Consider offering discounts to dental services, health insurance, or even just get a doctor in to talk about symptoms with your employees. Your staff will be more motivated, loyal, and grateful for it.

7. Try out monthly challenges

Everyone loves a bit of friendly competition, and by offering an incentive for your employees, like a half-day off or a cash prize, you would be amazed at how many people would be interested. It could be an exercise challenge like who can walk the furthest in a week, or who can pack the most nutritious lunch each day.

The options are endless, and you can really get creative with it. Just don’t forget to get involved yourself!

8. Provide relevant information

Lastly, since there is so much fake news spreading over social media, it’s important to keep your workers up to date with as much relevant information as possible. From COVID-19 testing stations to hotspots in your local state. This way, they know what to expect and can keep themselves at home if they start to display symptoms.

The last thing you want is an outbreak that shuts your business down for a month. If you don’t know where to source information, try looking at your state or government website first. Facebook is the last place you want to go.

And that’s it! By reading through the above, you will be able to ensure that your employees are not only looking after themselves but supporting others around them. While it is uncertain what will happen in the future, the most we can do is continue to share knowledge and work together to stop the spread.