Small business owners and entrepreneurs who might be assessing their own physical and mental health routines during National Wellness Month in August should also take the opportunity to promote wellness for their employees.

Here are a few ideas on encouraging employees to pay more attention to self-care, managing stress, and healthy routines.

Create a Health Wellness Program

 Even if you don't have the budget to support the kind of large-scale wellness programs found at large corporations, it’s still possible for a smaller business to create a program that can impact employees’ wellbeing and health.

A wellness program doesn't have to be complex or expensive, explains Eric Brewer, a senior benefits consultant at Corporate Synergies.

To start, Brewer suggests checking with your insurance broker for ideas. “Chances are, your broker has developed wellness programs in the past and also knows the ins and outs of what your carrier offers,” he writes in an article for Corporate Wellness Magazine. 

For example, he says, most carriers offer incentives for associate wellness, such as reimbursements for gym memberships and tools built into their web portals, such as online Health Risk Assessments.

Also, be sure your business has reliable high-speed internet so that employees can easily access online and wellness-related apps that are offered and promoted.

Encourage Preventative Care

Promote the importance of preventative care routines, including annual physicals or "well visits," eye exams, and dental checkups.

Consider offering flexibility so employees can more easily fit their preventative care appointments into their schedules without taking off work with PTO. Also, look at what incentives you give employees, such as gift cards and lower insurance premiums, when they keep up with their annual checkups.

Support Work-Life Balance

 Besides getting the time to access wellness appointments, show employees you care about their stress levels by providing more flexibility and opportunities that support their mental health and life-work balance.

According to a recent SageJob survey of employees, the biggest ways businesses and organizations can aid in their struggle with stress is by encouraging a positive work-life balance (42%), giving the option for more time off (40%), and offering more flexibility (36%), says an article posted by EBN.

Almost half of the employees in the survey said their employers are not doing enough to support their mental health, compared to 20 percent who said that in 2022.

 Twenty-nine percent say that better mental health benefits would be appreciated. “Cost is the biggest factor getting in the way of employees seeking mental health care, according to the survey, and one in three wish their employer-provided access to online mental health resources so they did not have to seek it out and pay for it themselves,” writes Lee Hafner, an editor for EBN.

Engage Employees

Research indicates a strong correlation between associate well-being, productivity, and organizational performance.

A Gallup study found that employees who feel their organization cares about their well-being achieve higher customer engagement, profitability, and productivity, lower turnover, and fewer safety incidents.

Businesses and organizations wanting to actively encourage wellness can help engage employees by providing educational resources, e.g., online assessments and learning modules, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

Other ways to engage employees in a wellness program include holding workplace events, e.g., walking and nutrition, and offering programs, such as screening and health coaching.

“Beyond helping workers uphold work-life balance and improve overall health, organizations are exploring additional wellness benefits such as recognition, paid time off, leadership training, and community volunteer projects that improve both wellbeing and overall engagement in the workplace,” added the CDC post.