5 Ways to Celebrate National Workplace Wellness Week

April 3, 2012

This workweek marks National Workplace Wellness Week, and to honor the need for employee engagement and creative recharging, we've compiled five ways your office can participate. Effective workplace wellness plans involve more than optional perks like gym memberships and on-site massages. The most effective ones foster daily companywide practices that enable healthy, happy workers.

Create a culture of wellness. The lifestyle clothing brand Lululemon Athletica is perhaps one of the best examples of a company culture that prioritizes wellness. "Taking a midday savasana or circuit class is as important as educating on product or staying on top of your inbox," reads the introduction on the company's career page. This focus extends beyond fitness: Employees regularly set personal, health and career goals to idealize and actualize their best lives. Lululemon's wellness culture is so pervasive that the company even makes its goal-setting worksheet and company manifesto available for public download.
Enforce "recess" or similar short breaks. This year, hybrid footwear, bag and sock manufacturer KEEN rolled out a Recess is Back initiative, which encourages workers to take 10-minute breaks throughout the day to reenergize. Emulate this practice at your workplace to let your team creatively recharge.
Institute companywide weight loss pools. Host an optional weight loss contest in which each participant pledges a small sum of money and the person who loses the greatest percentage of his or her body weight wins the whole kitty. For maximum effectiveness, ensure several managers and high-level company figures take part in the pool.
Enable healthy eating. Stock healthy snacks in the company cafeteria for employee consumption; in addition, ensure all staff meetings have plenty of healthy food and beverage alternatives. To kick things up a notch, host regular seminars on healthy eating, cooking and gardening.
Provide support. Institute smoking cessation or weight loss support groups so employees can help each other live healthier lives. You could even work with a local dietitians or addiction experts and have them support workers as they create new habits.