Global Employee Health and Fitness

The month of May is Global Employee Health and Fitness Awareness, an effort to recognize and invest in employee well-being.

May is Global Employee Health and Fitness Month (GEHFM). This month is an international effort to recognize health and fitness in the workplace. When we invest and support the health and well-being of our employees, it benefits them and the organization. Implementing an organization’s well-being program is one way to begin. A well-being program should consider the health and well-being of the whole person. A resource such as the book, Wellbeing: The Five Essential Elements, will help provide what to consider:

• Career – Purpose in work, liking what you do each day
• Financial – Managing economic life to reduce stress and increase security
• Social – Having supportive relationships
• Physical – Having good health and enough energy for daily tasks
• Community – Liking where you are, feeling safe, and having pride in your community

Workplace culture is a big part of organizational well-being. The general beliefs, behaviors, and values accepted by our organization reflect our culture. These things are also reflected in our verbal and nonverbal communication and the behaviors we accept and perhaps fail to address.

Considering your current culture and whether it is where you want it to be, whether leaders are role models of the ideal or in need of guidance, consider these:

• Is consideration for the health and safety of all employees reflected in words and deeds by leadership? By policy and procedure?
• Are there sufficient resources allocated to employee health and safety?
• What is the general morale within the organization?
• What are the relationships between leadership or management and employees like?
• Does the leadership know if employees are happy?

Having this knowledge will go far in helping to create a plan. Implementing the plan should not be the work of one or two people, as you want it to be embraced within the organization. It will not happen quickly, as the culture shift is a journey. This is also an ongoing and fluid process, shifting to meet well-being needs as they change.

Clear and consistent communication is essential to a successful well-being program. These five strategies will work toward accomplishing this:

1. A clearly explained, well-planned, long-term program.
2. Messages should be tailored to the audience they are intended for.
3. Use appropriate methods to deliver messages.
4. Ensure that the workplace wellbeing program is inclusive and communicate this clearly as well.
5. Ensure that all employees can contribute to the workplace well-being program.

In honor of Global Employee Health and Fitness Month, take some time to consider your organization’s state of well-being and health programs for employees.

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