If the last few years have shown us anything at all, it’s how vital people are to every single business around the globe. 

In the midst of lockdowns, illness and isolation, we discovered just how important employees are in keeping the wheels of industry turning. Without key staff in place, supply chains ground to a halt, services struggled to meet demand and businesses found themselves in dire straits.

As we work towards a new normal, the need to look after our people is paramount. With employees rating wellbeing programs as more valuable than ever, it’s time to seriously consider how introducing (or beefing up) an employee wellness program could help safeguard your business and help it grow.

What are employee wellness programs?

Employee wellness programs describe a range of initiatives offered by employers to improve the health and wellbeing of staff. They are a health benefit that complements health insurance, designed to address some of the biggest health challenges facing America.

Examples of employee wellness programs include:

• Stress management seminars
• Quit smoking programs
• Pharmacy benefit plans
• Weight loss management
• Gym membership
• Onsite health clinics
• Lunchtime fitness classes
• Healthy eating demonstrations
• Telehealth provider sessions

Ideally, employee wellness programs will target the specific health needs of your people. So, it’s a good idea to survey your staff first to understand what they need before developing a plan. Otherwise, you might find your new lunchtime onsite yoga class doesn’t get traction when introducing a free pharmacy plan for chronic medication may have been a better fit.

Why employee wellness programs are good for staff

There’s a good reason they are called employee wellness programs - these initiatives provide huge benefits for staff.

1. Improved health behaviors - with more knowledge of how to live better, your employees will demonstrate and follow better health behaviors, leading to improved health and wellbeing.
2. Reduced health risks - by eating better, exercising more and improving their lifestyle, your staff will reduce the impact of avoidable health risks, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high glucose levels.
3. Decreased health costs - health and medical-related expenses (such as treatment for type 2 diabetes) may reduce as your employees address the underlying causes of their chronic health conditions.
4. Higher engagement - feeling in control of their health and lifestyle, your employees will be more engaged at work, experience higher morale and feel valued and respected by your organization.
5. Less stress - by addressing some of their long-standing health and lifestyle issues, employees will be relieved of the stress of taking leave, managing high medical costs and trying to do their job.

How employee wellness programs benefit employers

While it’s easy to see how employee wellness programs can help employees, they offer key benefits to employers too.

1. Reduced costs - by prioritizing the health of your workforce, you could reduce healthcare costs by up to 26%, helping you increase your bottom line and secure future growth.
2. Improved productivity - by helping your staff take control of their health, they will have better physical and mental capacity to work harder, improve their performance and increase productivity.
3. Decreased absenteeism - focusing on employee health results in an estimated 28% average reduction in absenteeism, helping to limit workforce disruption and decrease administrative costs.
4. Better recruitment and retention - with 83% of large firms offering health-related programs, it’s hard to compete for the best staff (or keep them) without some kind of employee wellness program.
5. Increased loyalty and morale - 75 percent of employees agree that employee wellbeing programs are one of the reasons they stay at their job, increasing employee loyalty and morale.

How pharmacy services can boost your program

You might already be offering subsidized gym memberships or meditation classes as part of your employee wellness program but not seeing these kinds of results yet. The fact is, encouraging better behaviors can only do so much - if your people are already struggling with chronic disease, there is only so much that lifestyle changes can fix.

Adding pharmacy services to your employee wellness program can help shift the dial and unlock better health and wellbeing for your staff. If your staff has easy access to the chronic medication they need to stay on top of their condition, they are more likely to engage with your other initiatives. Meaning, you have more chances of benefitting as a business.

While the thought of adding pharmacy services to your employer wellness program might seem intimidating, it doesn’t have to be, with the expert help of a trusted pharmacy provider like HomeMed.

Partner with HomeMed to provide pharmacy services to employees 

Nationally licensed to dispense medication, HomeMed offers a unique employer-sponsored pharmacy plan that delivers cost certainty to both you and your employees. For only $10 a month, you can help an employee (plus their dependents) access their chronic medications for free, improving their health, enhancing their wellbeing and driving renewed productivity.