8 Simple Wellness Initiative Ideas for Smaller Companies

Many smaller companies do not have the resources to create complex wellness programs — and that’s OK. You can still make a positive difference in the lives of your employees without having a ginormous budget.

Targeting wellness is important for smaller companies because a successful wellness program can improve employee morale, increase productivity, improve well-being, reduce absenteeism, and help you retain and attract great employees.

The following are some ideas for low-cost wellness initiatives that you can put into action this week (because there’s no time like the present!):

• Ask a local hospital, nonprofit or other health care organization to provide presentations to your employees on the importance of a healthy lifestyle.
• Ask your health insurance carrier if they offer free health risk assessments.
• Create a wellness committee consisting of employees at various levels and in different departments to lead your wellness efforts. Start with simple activities, such as healthy eating days and lunchtime walks. For example, we take a wellness walk every day at 3 PM and our team really looks forward to them.

Our team taking their daily 3PM wellness walk around our building.

• Encourage employees to go outside during lunch or during their breaks for a quick run or walk. Encourage them to take the stairs instead of the elevator whenever possible.
• Offer on-site flu shots for free or at a reduced cost.
• Provide healthier vending machine choices.
• Make your workplace smoke-free. This isn’t as difficult as you might think. We hosted this webinar back in 2014 that goes into detail on the benefits of a tobacco-free workplace and how you can institute one within your company.
• Provide educational materials on the benefits of eating well, exercising, not smoking and other healthy lifestyle changes.