Workplace of Choice

The sun is shining, the weather is warm and summer is a perfect time to either begin or ‘ramp up' your company's wellness plans.  There are many employee benefits to implementing a wellness program including increase in employee productivity and employee morale.  If you don't have a "Wellness Plan" yet - fear not, wellness is a very subjective term - and any activity that promotes a healthier lifestyle qualifies.  Some easy to implement ideas for you to educate your employees in order to jump start their wellness plans include:

Exercise: Grab a few colleagues and go for a walk around the block, building, campus, etc. on your lunch hour; corral your family after dinner and go for an evening stroll around the neighborhood; play with your kids – remember, a quick game of basketball in the driveway or a bike ride counts as exercise too!

Nutrition: Although it’s hard to pass up all the ice cream flavors at the neighborhood stand, or the plethora of burgers on the grill, this is also a great time to indulge in fresh fruits and vegetables. If you act in moderation, you can have your cake and eat it too… or your grilled zucchini… or strawberries with or without shortcake.

Stress: Even though summer schedules might be busier than ever (yours and your family’s) summer is also a great time to SLOW DOWN – enjoy the extra innings of the ball game, watch the sunset, listen to the gulls over high tide, or hike through an interesting local field or wooded area.

Be mindful: Ticks, mosquitoes, and too much sun are the lurking hazards of this wonderful season so be careful to avoid or address their ills timely!

As you set out to educate your employees, keep in mind of the resources available.  Use your existing benefit plans, as many offer fitness, weight control and smoking cessation benefits. You might already be paying for these peripheral benefits, so you might as well maximize them - call your plan to find out!  Many communities also offer wellness programs and can provide valuable information.

We'll be donning coats again before we know it - ENJOY the summer while it's here!