Smart Benefits: Serve Up Wellness for the Holidays
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Monday, November 24, 2014
Amy Gallagher, GoLocalWorcester Business/Health Expert
The holiday season may bring good cheer, but it also welcomes lots of unhealthy eating, stress and missed workouts. Instead of wellness taking a back seat over the next couple of months, there are several ways you can keep it top of mind for employees.
Kick off a new program for the New Year – Now. Don’t wait until 2015. Use this time to get employees excited about kick-starting their wellness activities again in the New Year to help them meet their resolutions. If you’re looking for new ideas, appoint a wellness ambassador if you don’t already have one. This person can champion your program by helping to develop and promote initiatives that will engage employees.
Boost Awareness, and Participation, with Holiday-Themed Communication. Over time, employees may tune out stale messages in posters or newsletters announcing your program offerings. To get their attention, tie in outreach with the season and keep it light – people want to feel good this time of year so appeal to their festive feelings by infusing some fun in your announcements.
Hold a Holiday Countdown. Announce a four- or six-week contest to see who can drop the most weight before the end of the year. Hold weekly weigh-ins and then award a prize to the employee or team who loses the highest percentage of their starting weight – cash or vacation days are always a hit this time of year.
Healthier Hors-doeuvres. If you’re holding holiday gatherings for staff, keep the celebrations healthy with low-calorie snacks and drinks, and work with any restaurant or caterer to make sure good menu choices are available.
By unwrapping some new wellness ideas now, you can increase participation in your program and help workers jump-start healthy choices in the New Year.
Amy Gallagher has over 21 years of healthcare industry experience guiding employers and employees. As Vice President at Cornerstone Group, she advises large employers on all aspects of healthcare reform, benefit solutions, cost-containment strategies and results-driven wellness programs. Amy speaks regularly on a variety of healthcare-related topics, and is often quoted by national publications on the subject matter. Locally, Amy is a member of SHRM-RI, the Rhode Island Business Group on Health, and the Rhode Island Business Healthcare Advisory Council.
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Key Program Inc.
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The Boys and Girls Club of Worcester
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Children’s Friend
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