The remote working and pandemic-related stress have caused employee burnout. Many employees are unable to cope with their stress and are finding it difficult to have a work-life balance.

While employers are taking measures to implement well-suited corporate wellness programs to ensure employee health and wellness, it is quite challenging to motivate and engage them in the wellness program activities.

Health coaching programs have been effective in encouraging and assisting employees to engage in corporate wellness programs and other wellbeing activities.

Health Coaching for Employee Wellness Programs

Health coaching programs are wellness directives in which experts, more often referred to as health and wellness coaches guide and encourage employees to improve their wellbeing. The coaches follow the evidence and scientific-based practices that help in boosting employee health and wellness.

Ideally, the health and wellness coaches study employee wellbeing history and come up with a personalized plan to help them prevent or reduce their potential health risks. In addition to improving employee engagement, workplace culture, and employee wellbeing, having health coaches as a part of the corporate wellness programs offer many other benefits.

Here are the top 5 benefits of including health coaching programs in your corporate wellness initiatives.

1.  Lower Chronic Health Diseases

Studies show that companies lose almost $730 billion towards healthcare costs caused due to modifiable lifestyle habits. Just changing daily lifestyle habits, like eating healthy, sleeping better, exercising enough, and likewise can significantly decrease the risks or severity of chronic health conditions like obesity, malnutrition, insomnia, diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, and more. Health coaching can offer one-on-one attention to the employees with personalized plans to meet their exclusive wellness needs.

According to a WebMD report –

• Health coaching programs at work improved 72.6% of high-risk and 61.6% of moderate-risk health conditions.
• Successful health coaching programs with high employee engagement saved healthcare costs by $507/employee annually.

2.  Boosts Employee Engagement Rates

Studies show that companies lose almost $450 – $550 billion in lost productivity, especially due to lack of employee engagement. Often employees are not aware of the various wellness program modules and their benefits. Health coaches can have individual discussions with the employees and sketch out a suitable plan for their health and wellbeing. They can clearly spread the word about the different corporate wellness challenges ideas, benefits, and incentives. When employees know what they are gaining through the workplace wellness programs, it is bound to improve their participation and employee engagement rates.

3.  Improve Employee Productivity

Employee mental health and physical wellness impact their focus, performance, and productivity at work. Healthier employees are happy and productive, while unhealthy or unhappy employees are less productive. Decreasing employee productivity affects business growth and ROI. The health coaches can hold personalized sessions with the employees to discuss engagement issues and other concerns. The discrete sessions may help with better communication about their issues, and the coaches can plan their customized wellness plans to reduce burnout and improve wellbeing. With fewer burnout issues, better health, and enhanced work-life balance, employee productivity and engagement are bound to increase.

4.  Bridge the Gap between Employees and Employers

Many times employees are unable to communicate their wellbeing and workplace issues to the employers or management. The lack of communication makes it difficult for them to continue working with their concerns in an inconvenient environment. Most times it leads to engagement and commitment issues that impact organizational productivity. Health coaches can bridge the gap between employees and employers. They can understand employee concerns through their one-on-one discussions, and voice them to the employers while maintaining confidentiality. When employee feedback is addressed by the employers, it improves commitment, trust, and engagement at work.

5.  Proficient with Skills and Trends

Health and wellness coaches are highly proficient with their expertise, and they are also well aware of the latest trends in the corporate wellness technology and other related fields. Wellness coaches are well versed with the latest wellness technology and help employees connect with it. For example, they may educate employees about the nutrition and fitness trackers, which they can connect with the wellness platform to sync their activity data in real-time. The health and wellness coaches can also give insights into various metrics and platform features, which can be leveraged to boost employee health and wellbeing.

The need for customized corporate wellness programs along with a holistic approach to employee wellbeing has made health coaching programs one of the most sought-after employee engagement strategies. Along with improved employee engagement and wellbeing, skill enhancement, self-confidence, and morale are also boosted with the help of the right health and wellness coaches. With its remarkable employee wellbeing benefits, health coaching programs can also curate better ROI for the corporate wellness programs and reduce socio-economic burdens of the organization.