Over the last decade, employee health has been a major focus for HR professionals, with initiatives like nurse hotlines, weight loss programs, and on-site vaccinations becoming the norm. While wellness benefits have been on the rise, the types of benefits have clearly shifted to become more inclusive and less rigid. It’s important to keep adapting and give your employees what they want and need. However, to do this you have to know where to start.

Understand the difference between wellness and wellbeing

Gone are the days of focusing purely on employees’ physical health. Humans in general are changing the way we look at overall wellbeing, now extending to include physical, emotional, and social health. Your office should reflect this and it should embrace the general, all-encompassing nature of wellbeing.

Examples of benefits could be anything from in-office meditation sessions to flexible work hours. Ask yourself if your benefits program is affecting more than just physical health. If it’s adding mental clarity and emotional strength to your employees’ day-to-day tasks, it’s a good start.

Enable employees to feel better

If you recognize that it’s time to start making changes to your wellness programs, you don’t need to immediately sign up for weekly yoga classes or set up a meditation room. It’s perfectly acceptable to take the time to ease your employees into new initiatives.

For example, start by implementing a policy that lets everyone take 10-minute breaks away from their desks, or institute flexible Friday hours during the summer. Anything that gives employees a set amount of time for mental and emotional health will put your company on the right track.

Don’t make cutting costs your main goal

Most of the traditional wellness initiatives existed so employers could take preventative measures that may save them healthcare costs in the long run, but program goals should now extend far beyond that. There is business value in helping employees be happy, healthy, and successful in all areas of their lives. Focus more on aspects like morale, productivity, and—things that will surely keep a company running smoothly and keep your employees feeling valued rather than like a commodity.

Don’t underestimate the negative impacts of stress

One of the best ways to adapt to the changing face of corporate wellness is to understand how important it is to decrease stress levels within the office. Eighty percent of workers' report feeling stress on the job, and nearly half say they need help learning how to manage it.

Encourage stress-reducing activities, such as relaxing coloring books or a simple walk outside. You can also incorporate technology into daily activities and have the office participate together, using mobile solutions to analyze and manage stress levels through controlled breathing games.

It’s important to get creative in finding ways to help your employees relax. When stress levels are down, and employees know how to manage mental and emotional health when tensions are high, you’ll know your wellbeing programs are effective.