In today’s competitive talent landscape, prospective and current employees are consistently raising expectations of workplace benefits and the value of a culture that accentuates well-being. As a focal point of this evolution, wellness programs have become differentiators and catalysts for employers to attract and retain top talent. While recent Harvard Business Review and Rand Corporation studies support the idea that well-conceived and implemented wellness programs have the potential to affect long-term organizational change, they also observed that these wellness programs require several key characteristics to be impactful. These are:
- Messaging and broad outreach from organizational leaders
- Making wellness activities convenient and accessible for all employees
- Making wellness an organizational priority among senior leaders
- Leveraging existing resources and developing relationships with health plans to expand offerings at little to no cost
- Approaching wellness with a continuous quality improvement attitude and solicit feedback from employees to improve programs
Wellness programs have indeed proven to be far more effective when rooted in the principles of organizational leadership, accessibility and seamless integration with existing health plans. As your partner in wellness, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan is here to help you navigate both the conception and implementation of wellness programs that leverage these core principles, ensuring maximum benefit to your employees and your business. One benefit of being a Blue Cross member is access to the Blue Cross mobile app. When members sign up, they are able to view their coverage information, and also access the Blue Cross® Health & Wellness website, powered by WebMD®, which will assist them in attaining their wellness goals. Among the many options available through Blue Cross, here are a few to consider when scaling and implementing a wellness plan for your organization:
- Employee lifestyle coaching: Coaching and goal setting to achieve new levels of personal wellness.
- Gym discounts: Perks and incentives to build healthy habits.
- Wellness challenges: Motivational ways to entice members to become more active and healthy.
- Reward tracking: Online tools that enable progress tracking for wellness incentive programs.
- Blue Cross Health & Wellness website: Interactive health assessment, Digital Health Assistant programs, health trackers and other online tools and resources.
Visit Blue Cross Wellness Programs to read more about our wellness programs, as well as our employer resources page. For more about keeping your employees healthy and happy at work, see these other blogs:
- The Importance of a Healthy Corporate Culture
- Give Your Employees the Power of Health
- A Good Idea: Wellness Programs That Help Employees Stress Less
Photo Credit: Free-Photos WebMD Health Services is an independent company supporting Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network by providing health and wellness services.
