Supporting Your Staff’s Wellness Goals in 2015, from Corporate Catering to Workplace Exercise
Posted by Amelia K. on Monday, December 22nd, 2014 with 4 Comments
In the midst of the holiday season, it can seem a little overwhelming to start thinking about your plan for the first few weeks of the new year. But for many of your employees, planning how to ring in the New Year – and the resolutions they’ll make at the stroke of midnight – is top of mind right now, even amid the craziness of the holidays. And since losing weight and sticking to a healthier lifestyle is one of the top wellness goals made every year by Americans, you can safely bet that a lot of your employees are planning to do whatever they can to live better in 2015.
Because healthier employees can ultimately have a highly positive impact on your company’s bottom line, supporting your staff’s goals to live healthier, and making it easier for those who already live this way to expand their lifestyle choice, is certainly in your best interest. And since the workplace can often be the place where it’s hardest to stick to these kinds of goals, with all the cookies, lunches out, and easy-to-access (but typically unhealthy) vending machine snacks, your staff will definitely appreciate your efforts. But when it comes down to it, what are the most effective ways for you to support these kinds of goals? Read on to find out more.
Consciously offering healthier corporate catering options can support your team’s wellness goals in 2015!
Image source: Flickr user Fresh To Order (f2o)
Workout Buddies
When your employees are just getting started with their new goals, they’ll need more support than those who are more experienced in choosing health foods and fitting in time at the gym. If your company is large enough, offering a volunteer workout buddy program can be super helpful. This is especially great if you can also offer fun lunchtime exercise classes or have a gym in your building. Ask employees to sign up for the program based on their level of experience, then pair them up and encourage them to set some goals together, like how often they want to exercise each week. Having someone to get active with – and lean on when they’re feeling unmotivated – can help your staff stay more accountable to their new lifestyle goals. Plus, they’ll have more fun getting in a workout when they have someone to chat with and keep them motivated!
Range of Options
No matter what industry your business falls into, your employees will likely have a wide range of abilities, especially when it comes to exercise. If you offer exercise classes as part of your workplace wellness series, make sure you’re accommodating everyone – not just one end of the spectrum. The best way to do this is to find group workout classes that are easy to modify depending on your experience or activity level – like spin, Piyo, or even Zumba. You can also offer classes with different intensity levels so that employees can choose the right fit for themselves. When it comes to wellness, options are always a good thing!
Information Is Power
It’s easy to set wellness goals to live healthier in the new year. But following through over the long term is where a lot of your employees might struggle. In situations like this, information is power! Equipping your team with the tools to support their new goal can help them put more of a why behind their endeavor. You can do this through a variety of ways: a monthly e-newsletter that highlights foods, recipes, and exercises, and how these things support their goals. Beautifully designed handouts that you can leave up around the office that include easy steps for making healthy living easier to access, both at home and in the office, are easy for employees to find and can offer quick snippets of information, making the lifestyle change less overwhelming.
Monthly lunch-and-learns can also be a great way to bring more in-depth information to your staff, for everything from offering expert advice to help them learn new ways to cook delicious – but healthier – meals, to fun ways they can bring exercise to the whole family. Centralizing these topics around what your staff has going on in their own life, and making it easier for them to make healthy choices based on real knowledge, can be a great way to support their New Year’s wellness goals.
Make Lunch Easy
One of the biggest ways your employees can sabotage their healthy lifestyle goals is through the food choices they make at the office. This is really where you can make a big difference as part of their support network. Make sure that your catered meals include a lot of healthy options: salads, fresh fruits, lean proteins, and lots of veggies. Showing your staff how healthy choices can also be super tasty and that they’re not the only ones choosing the nutritious option can help them stay on track, while giving them some great ideas for what to eat at home.
Offering an easy-to-use virtual cafeteria service that offers delicious, healthy lunch options can be another way to build healthy meals into the workday. Pre-picked options for employees to choose from every day can help make ordering lunch easy, and since the meals are delivered right to your office, it actually makes everyone’s life easier. Which can help to open up some extra time to grab a little exercise over the lunch hour!
When you really start thinking about it, part of supporting your team’s new healthy lifestyle choices is really about bringing a health-minded culture to your business. Thinking about health in a well-rounded way can help your employees to see how their choices today can affect them tomorrow. As you’re working to support the overall health of your company, Waiter.com can support you with delicious corporate catering choices and our easy-to-use virtual cafe. Together, we can inspire your team to lead their healthiest – and happiest – year ever.
When it comes to feeding employees and coworkers, make your company's food program really count! If your workplace dining plan needs to take it up a notch — or if you don't have one at all — Waiter.com is here to help. From Virtual Cafeteria Service to diverse menus to local takeout & delivery, Waiter.com offers customizable dining solutions for every business and budget. Contact us today to get started!
It would be perfect if more employers used the virtual cafeteria service! This would make lunch a simple, quick, and healthy choice instead of the daily challenge that it usually is. Great article!
Very true – it’s a great way to make a healthy, quick lunch easy and accessible for everyone!
I often struggle with eating unhealthy at work and love the idea of a workout buddy. A coworker and I can take turns making easy lunches and working out a few days a week.
We’re excited to hear that you’re going to try it!