By: Jennifer C. Loftus, Astron Solutions, National Director
This guest post is contributed by Astron Solutions, HR consulting experts helping organizations improve compensation strategies and manage talent effectively.
Preface: At Podimetrics, we believe wellness doesn’t stop at the clinic door. That’s why we’re encouraged by the growing number of employers taking a more proactive role in supporting their teams’ physical and mental health. While this guest article from Astron Solutions offers general strategies for workplace wellness, its emphasis on prevention, flexibility, and inclusion resonates deeply with our own values.
We’ve seen firsthand how preventive tools—like our SmartMat™ Program, which helps detect early signs of foot complications in people with diabetes—can improve health outcomes and quality of life. As you read through the ideas below, consider how innovative wellness approaches can be tailored to meet the needs of employees managing chronic conditions.
All of your employees have their own personal concerns, and some of them, such as health concerns, may impact their performance at work. As an employer, it’s your job to support all of your employees, ensure your workplace is an environment where they feel valued, and offer the tools they need to be productive and healthy.
If your business doesn’t already have a strategy in place for supporting employee wellness, now is the time to consider taking a structured approach to implementing one. In this guide, we’ll explore how your business can be conscientious of employees’ health concerns and support their wellness journeys.
Launch an employee wellness program.
Businesses provide all manner of perks and benefits to ensure their employees feel motivated and productive. For instance, businesses looking to improve employee health often launch wellness programs.
Astron Solutions’ guide to employee compensation explains that wellness programs are a type of indirect compensation. Essentially, this means that these initiatives allow employers to give back to their employees without directly paying them. For example, a salary is direct compensation, while health insurance, paid time off, and wellness resources are indirect compensation.
This means a wellness program is a measurable perk you can provide employees as part of their compensation package. This applies to both physical and mental health wellness programs, both of which have distinct benefits for your employees.
Physical health
To help employees stay physically healthy, your organization might provide them with free programs and exercise incentives. For example, you might:
- Provide a free gym membership
- Allocate part of your annual budget for health-related products
- Launch challenges that encourage employees to get active
Or, for employees managing chronic conditions like diabetes, consider offering access to preventive tools—such as remote monitoring technology that helps detect complications early, like the Podimetrics SmartMat™ Program.
For an example of a physical health wellness program in action, Double the Donation’s overview of employee engagement companies highlights how Adobe’s wellness reimbursement program provides employees with up to $600 for expenses related to their health and well-being. This program also extends to employees’ spouses and children, providing flexibility and more impactful benefits.
Mental health
Employees’ mental health can impact their work just as much as physical health concerns. Additionally, physical health conditions can cause stress that negatively impacts employees’ mental health.
You can support employees’ mental health through a wellness program that provides:
- Mental health services. Share resources employees can leverage if they are having mental health struggles, such as contact numbers for help lines or local counseling services covered by your organization’s health insurance.
- Reimbursement for resources. Similar to a physical health program, employees may want to purchase products and services to improve their mental health. For instance, an employee might subscribe to a meditation app or attend a therapeutic art class to relax. Provide a stipend that covers the cost of these resources.
- Confidentiality of employees’ use of the program. Both physical and mental health conditions are often sensitive matters, and for employees to feel comfortable leveraging these programs, they should know that knowledge of their participation is restricted to appropriate parties, such as your HR team or medical professionals.
If you need assistance implementing a wellness program in a structured, professional manner, consider working with an HR consultant. These professionals can guide you through any legal concerns, help you present your program, and provide advice on how to fit it into your compensation package.
Be conscious of employee time off.
Some employees may need to take time off for various medical reasons. Your business should have plans in place for handling employees who need long-term medical leave, but for accommodating day-to-day health concerns, ensure you have policies for:
- Medical appointments. Be conscious of employees taking time off for medical appointments. This includes both employees who may need to take several days off to recover from major procedures and those who only need an hour or so for a telehealth appointment.
- Sick time. If employees suddenly fall ill, ensure they know what steps to take to report it so you can cover for their absence and comply with any local sick time regulations. For example, you might ask them to call in ahead of their start time, find someone to cover their shift, or ask them to alert their manager to any time-sensitive projects that might be affected.
- Flexible schedules. If you have a hybrid work environment, you might provide employees with some degree of flexibility about where and when they work. For instance, if an employee has a short medical appointment, you might give them the option of simply reallocating their time and agreeing to work later another day, rather than formally requesting time off.
The key to time off policies is to be consistent and understanding. Remember that time off qualifies as a benefit, meaning you should follow standard pay transparency practices. For example, your paid time off policies for both standard time off and sick time should be written down in your employee handbook, and any updates to these programs should be communicated to employees as soon as possible and in compliance with any local regulations.
Host inclusive activities.
Cultural events engage employees best when all employees can participate equally. When you host work events, be aware of all of your employees and how their health challenges might complicate their ability to participate. When planning events, take into account:
- Dietary restrictions. Have a full range of food options available to accommodate common dietary restrictions, such as employees who have allergies, are gluten-free, or need to limit their sugar intake.
- Mobility limitations. Not all physical disabilities are visible, and some of your employees may have mobility limitations that are not immediately apparent in an office environment. Be considerate of all employees by ensuring events have plenty of places for employees to sit, venues have ramps, and outdoor locations have adequate shade.
- Audio processing complications. For hard-of-hearing employees, provide subtitles on videos, written directions for various activities, and low-noise environments.
For some events, you might ask employees to voluntarily share any health conditions that might impact their participation ahead of time, so that the event will be as inclusive as possible. Additionally, ensure you have adequate information for every employee if something happens to them during the event. This includes an emergency contact, directions for administering any emergency medicine, such as epipens, and knowledge of any religious restrictions on medical care.
Employee wellness is a serious matter, and employers who take care of their employees are more likely to cultivate a loyal, productive, and healthy workforce. Respect employees’ privacy and unique circumstances while also empowering them to get the help they need by implementing flexible, inclusive wellness policies
Podimetrics appreciates Astron Solutions for sharing their perspective. We take pride in supporting initiatives that address the health needs of workforces, fostering empowerment and ensuring access to more connected, effective care.
Discover how we provide employers and their employees managing complex diabetes with an affordable, effective solution. Visit our Employers landing page to learn more.
