By Christina Lundin
Believe it or not, there are some benefits associated with stress, but too much of anything is rarely ideal. This is especially true regarding workplace-related stress for today’s deskless employees.
At its worst, stress can drain employees’ energy and motivation, derail focus, hinder creative output and ultimately tank their productivity. Employers are searching near and far for employee wellness program ideas to address and prevent these outcomes.
Of course, there isn’t a secret formula for the ideal wellness program for your workplace. But there are critical factors you’ll want to take into account — starting with employee feedback and tuning in to the full spectrum of your employees’ needs.
What are employee wellness programs?
There’s no one-size-fits-all as far as employee wellness programs go. At its core, an employee wellness program, sometimes known as a workplace wellness program, is a plan or initiative employers take to improve their employees' overall health, well-being and mental outlook.
For deskless employees and frontline workers who are on the move or constantly on their feet, however, traditional employee wellness programs aren’t as effective at addressing their needs.
Consider the particular needs of front-line workers. Generally speaking, they’re more likely to face higher stress levels due to the nature of their roles. Their employee wellness program should reflect those needs if employers want to keep their morale high and retain them. Of course, the benefits continue beyond there.
Learn More About How Employee Wellness Programs Can Maximize Workplace Happiness
Why employee wellness programs are so important
The benefits of an employee wellness program are endless, and they’ll ripple across your organization — benefiting everyone (and everything), from the employees themselves to your company’s revenues and reducing healthcare costs across the board. For deskless employees, though, a tailored wellness program can boost their job satisfaction, productivity and, of course, how they engage on the clock.
Increased employee engagement
If your deskless employees are feeling stressed and overworked, they won’t have any residual energy in their tanks, much less the bandwidth for anything besides basic, day-to-day shift survival. They can’t effectively engage if they’re in survival mode, it isn’t sustainable for them or you.
Shift’s employee engagement platform will armor your wellness program with the ability to:
- Provide all essential and need-to-know announcements, policy changes and more with your employees no matter their shift or when they see the information on your screens.
- Keep them abreast of staffing or scheduling changes.
- Notify them of any upcoming training or professional development opportunities.
- Foster friendly competition to build community (and, by default, motivate them).
Higher job satisfaction and retention
To inspire top deskless talent to remain in your business, you’ll want to offer more than a competitive salary and a personal time off (PTO) policy. That’s where developing a competitive employee wellness program can give your business a competitive edge.
The happier your employees are, the more likely they will stay with you. The last thing you want is for irreplaceable talent to jump ship and seek another employer that will invest in their well-being the way they want.
Stronger team morale and productivity
You can usually tell when employees are satisfied with their work environment without them ever saying a word. With their mental, physical, occupational and financial needs met, employees are not only more likely to feel valued but are also prone to:
- Practice open, positive communication with their teams.
- Produce creative work and find innovative solutions.
- Engage in collaborative activities.
- Exhibit confidence in their abilities and the company as a whole.
- Have lower rates of absenteeism.
Employee wellness program ideas that reach your deskless employees
After seeking your employees’ input about the type of wellness initiatives, they’d appreciate and gladly participate in, you’ll want to consider the logistics of their roles. In short, before offering several wellness initiatives, ensure they’re conducive to your deskless employees’ on-the-go work life.
Make wellness education mobile
Are you excited to give your staff access to a weekly stress management course? Eager for them to sign up for discounted gym memberships or participate in fitness challenges? Do you want to offer mental health resources?
With your deskless employees on the move, you may wonder how best to give them access to some of these necessary wellness resources. By incorporating QR codes into the content of your wellness program with Shift’s QR Code campaign creator, you’ll open up new avenues of communication with them.
Consider the message you’ll be sending them, too. By keeping access simple, all they’ll need to do is scan a QR code, which will give them access to valuable materials they can review anytime, anywhere.
Stir up some friendly competition
While resources and wellness programs may be made available to your team, sometimes it isn’t enough to encourage them to participate. That’s where rallying them together and encouraging them to motivate one another comes into play.
Say your team wants to increase their water intake or reach X number of steps each week or month. You can incentivize your wellness programs by sharing a team performance leaderboard on your screens (with each member’s consent). Employee recognition isn’t a one-size-fits-all endeavor, so consider offering individual or team/collective rewards when they hit their targets, such as the following:
- Cater a healthy lunch for all participants to show you value their participation, not just their successes.
- Create a spotlight on your screens showcasing the winning team’s achievements and testimonials about the competition/process.
- Plan a company-wide hike or other outdoor excursion.
Promote scheduled wellness breaks with scheduled content
From working graveyard shifts to pulling three, consecutive 12-hour shifts and any variation in between, your deskless employees are always moving. You may need to remind them to take a break (or two) to destress and reset.
By creating and scheduling content playlists with Shift, your screens will do the reminding for you. Your employees will see the reminders pop up alongside other vital, on-screen content.
Promote wellness for all of your staff with Shift
Setting up a customized employee wellness incentive program for your deskless employees shouldn’t be a daunting task. Asking for their feedback and ensuring your program addresses their needs is the first step toward a healthier and more engaged team.
With Shift’s employee engagement platform, you’ll meet your deskless employees where they are and wherever they go.
Sign up to try a free demo of Shift and see how you can show your deskless workers that their health and well-being are at the top of your company’s priority list.
