| Wellness in the Workplace |
11-24-2013
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Table of Contents Executive Summary 4 DEFINING WELLNESS 5 Employee wellness 5 WELLNESS IN THE WORKPLACE 6 How wellness impacts employees and employers 6 Organizations with wellness plans 7 Implementation of a wellness plan 8 Recommendations for a Marketing Agency 8 CONCLUSION 10 Works Cited 11

Executive Summary
In this report you will learn about wellness in the workplace. The Government of Canada says that Canadians are becoming less well each year, this has resulted in more missed time at work and more money being spent by employers.
This report will inform employers on the current wellness programs within other organizations, and how to implement their own wellness plan using some beginner strategies. If implemented correctly, these changes could impact the lives of their employees greatly.

The health of Canadians is deteriorating at an alarming rate. 52.5% of Canadians are considered overweight or obese, only 53.9% of Canadians consider themselves physically active. Nova Scotia is the only province that reports a higher percentage of residents with diabetes than the national average, at 8.6% (The Government of Canada, 2013). Health related diseases are on the rise, as are insurance rates to compensate. It’s not just the physical health of Canadians that is deteriorating, it’s also our mental health. The number of Canadians suffering from depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder is intensifying.
Having an employee wellness plan in place may sound expensive or difficult, but not having one in place is far more damaging. In this report, I will explain why every Canadian company should have an employee wellness program, provide examples of companies who have one in place, and how to get started.
DEFINING WELLNESS
Employee wellness
Merriam Webster defines wellness as “the quality or state of being in good health especially as an actively sought goal” (Merriam Webster, n.d.). Workplace wellness is the promotion of a healthy culture in an organization. This can come in the form of flex-time, wellness newsletters, health education, on-site exercise facilities, fresh food options on-site, etc.
Employers also need to focus on the mental and social wellness of their employees. Having poor mental and social health can lead to disease much like poor physical health.
Mental wellness is defined as “A state of emotional and psychological well-being in which an individual is able to use his or her cognitive and emotional capabilities, function in society, and meet the ordinary demands of everyday life” (The Free Dictionary, 2009). Social wellness is defined as “one's ability to interact with people around them. It involves using good communications skills, having meaningful relationships, respecting yourself and others, and creating a support system that includes family members and friends” (Canadian Mental Health Association, 2013). The two are very connected and it is important to address them in the workplace.
WELLNESS IN THE WORKPLACE
How wellness impacts employees and employers
Poor wellness impacts employees and employers equally. Employees who are physically unwell are frequently sick, resulting in more sick days used and more insurance claims filed. They can also develop chronic illnesses earlier in life, which may result in permanent leave or disability from the organization. If an employee is mentally unwell may struggle making conclusions, illustrate a reduction in productivity, be incapable of concentrating, become unreliable, display an absence of enthusiasm at work, and take an increased number of sick days. Employees with poor mental wellness may be forced to take a stress leave from work which could also lead to a permanent disability leave.
Employees who are unwell cost their employer and the economy a large amount of money. In 2011, full-time employees in Nova Scotia took an average of 10.8 sick days each. The Canadian average was 9.3 and it cost the Canadian economy 16.6 billion dollars, not accounting for replacement personnel (CBC News, 2013). It is expensive for organizations to hire new employees and train them properly. If employers develop a well-designed wellness program, they will see the difference in their employees and their bank accounts.
Organizations with wellness plans
Admiral Insurance, a UK car insurance company based in Halifax, has a wellness program in place that is working for them as well as their employees. Admiral’s atmosphere is very relaxed in that employees can wear what they like. They are of the belief that because you are seated and on the phone for the majority of the day, you should be comfortable. When an employee is hired their benefits begin at day 1, this can alleviate stress from employees who need the service. They offer an employee assistance program in which their employees have 24/7 access to mental health supports via telephone should they need it. There is always fresh fruit, milk, and hot/cold cereals available every day. Each Friday there is in office yoga for willing participants, they also offer a corporate gym rate for their employees. Admiral offers 5 weeks of paid vacation each year, 2 weeks are banked flex time that can be used at their employee’s discretion. (Admiral Insurance, 2009)
Column 5 Media located in Newport Beach California, also has a wellness program that is working for them. Column 5 is a marketing and communications company that designs advertisements, websites, logos, etc. They require employees who love their job and are always coming up with new, brilliant ideas. The company offers standing desks, fresh fruit, green tea, and in-office yoga. Every day at 3 pm, their employees head outside onto the grass to perform 20 push-ups. Their vending machines are stocked with healthy snacks such as kale chips, dried fruit and nut trail mix, and protein bars. As of September 1st, they became a coffee free office with little objection from their employees. Employees agreed to take the $5 they would spend on their luxury coffees each morning, and donate it to a different organization each month. Column 5 has roughly 30 employees in the office, so $5 per day x 30 employees x 20 working days each month = a $3,000 charitable donation each month! (Column Five, 2013)
These two companies offer different wellness programs, but each are working for them. A common aspect shared by both is that all employees are treated like family. Each office wants employees to feel as though they are part of a community. The companies hold events both in and out of office to bring employees together to socialize. They believe that if employees enjoy where they work: they will work harder, they will work smarter, and they will want to be there.
Implementation of a wellness plan
When implementing a wellness plan for the first time, it is important to take your environment into consideration. If employees are seated for 8 hours each day, get them moving. If your employees rarely leave the office and frequent a vending machine lunch, offer healthier choices inside.
Before implementing a plan, conduct some research within your organization. Once you are aware of what your employee’s wants and needs are, you can develop a plan around them that they will enjoy. If employees participate in the development of the program, they are much more likely to use and benefit from it.
A big mistake some companies make is forcing employees to participate. If employees are forced, they may begin avoiding work at certain times so they do not have to participate. Participation is key to a well-functioning plan, but employees should want to be a part of the plan.
Recommendations for a Marketing Agency
My recommendations will be for a mid-side marketing agency, as that is the field in which I am studying. To start implementing a wellness program, it’s best to start out slow and simple. Offering fresh fruit daily was popular amongst both companies for a reason, fruit is deemed expensive by the majority of the population. Most Canadians would rather spend their money on items that contain a large amount of food, rather than focusing on the nutrition aspects of their choices. Companies can work out a delivery service with a wholesaler at a very reasonable cost. If employees are on their way to the vending machine and they notice free fresh fruit, they will eat it. Fruit contains many vitamins and minerals that are essential to keeping people healthy, and can protect your body against certain illnesses.
Canadians are far too sedentary and offering some standing desks would certainly help this. Standing desks not only encourage movement, but they can also assist with the mid-day slump when folks reach for coffee or candy.
Another way to get employees moving is to start a walking/learn to run club. This would encourage employees to socialize and de-stress while getting some exercise. It’s also free for the organization!
The company could also send out a newsletter containing some health advice, statistics, information on using food to cure ailments, and how to connect with wellness supports in the area. Sometimes statistics are scary enough to evoke change in individuals and there are plenty of health statistics capable of this.
However an employer chooses to implement a wellness program, they will surely find that the benefits outweigh the cost.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, employee wellness programs have proven to be successful in multiple organizations. The start-up costs may seem daunting to an employer but in time they will see their efforts pay off. Some scary health epidemics currently face our society and because we spend the majority of our waking hours doing work related activities, why not begin to tackle them at work?

Works Cited
Admiral Insurance. (2009). Admiral Insurance. Retrieved from Benefits and Rewards: http://www.joinadmiral.ca/benefits-rewards.html
Canadian Mental Health Association. (2013). Mental Health for all. Retrieved from Depression in the Workplace: http://www.cmha.ca/mental_health/depression-in-the-workplace/#.UpJJ1-K8Rcq
CBC News. (2013, September 23). CBC News. Retrieved from Sick days cost Canadian economy $16.6B: http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/sick-days-cost-canadian-economy-16-6b-1.1864833
Column Five. (2013). Column Five. Retrieved from What we do: http://www.columnfivemedia.com/
Merriam Webster. (n.d.). Merriam Webster. Retrieved from Wellness: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wellness
The Free Dictionary. (2009). Retrieved from Mental wellness: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Mental+wellness
The Government of Canada. (2013, June 21). Statistics Canada. Retrieved from Health fact sheets: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-625-x/82-625-x2013001-eng.htm
University of California. (2012, September 27). Wellness. Retrieved from Social Wellness: http://wellness.ucr.edu/social_wellness.html