The world we live in is constantly changing and evolving. We are learning new information every day and it’s hard to keep up with what’s currently trending, especially in the world of corporate wellness! Let's dive into some up and coming wellness trends in 2018 which will help in creating successful intervention, leading to multiple benefits for employers and employees.

Emphasizing Value

When you think of corporate wellness intervention, what comes to mind? Probably a ways to lower the costs of healthcare, right? That’s one of the many benefits of wellness intervention; but how about the rest of them? Some of the other advantages include decreases in absenteeism, presenteeism and employee turnover, reduction in BMI, lowering risk of developing chronic illnesses and injury, change in health habits, improvement of physical activity and increased smoking cessation, and reduction in stress and depression. According to a study focusing on the costs and savings associated with employer-based wellness promotion policies, “the average number of absentee days saved was 1.7 per employee per year, estimated to cost $274 per employee per year”, representing both improvements of abseenteeism and health care costs simultaenously. In 2018, wellness companies are shifting to an emphasis on value based on several aspects instead of ONLY reduction of healthcare costs.

Personalization Through Technology

Technology is booming, and most people use at least one form of technology every day. In 2018, corporate wellness companies are using technology not only as medium, but for personalization for employees. I’m sure you’re thinking, “what do you mean by personalization?” Wellness companies are using digital platforms which help create specific goals for employees based on health risks and preferences. Employees have access to their own profile where they take a health and risk assessment. Then, according to the health and risk assessment, specific workouts, recipes, and goals are recommended for each person. Everybody has a different journey and path to take. At WhyFit, this is our mantra. We want each employee to achieve ultimate success in their own way at their own rate.

Positive Work Environment

According to CNN, the average employee is working 47 hours per week or 9.4 hours per day. This means the average employee is spending 40% of their time working, leaving only 60% for sleep, household activities and leisure activities. With people spending so much time working, it’s vital to have a positive work environment, which all stems from employer involvement. Corporate wellness programs work with employers to educate them on the importance of positivity and accessibility. This translates to access to healthy snacks throughout the day, on-site health education, walking meetings, etc. Since employees are spending a huge chunk of their day at work, the more supportive the work environment, the more successful the intervention!

Emphasis on Sleep and Mental Health

In the past, sleep and mental health was looked over and the primary focus on wellness intervention was only nutrition and physical activity. Times have changed! In 2018, the importance sleep and mental health has been addressed and is now being acted on. According to a study evaluating a Wellness-Based Mindfulness Stress Reduction Intervention, “75% of the general population experiences stress within a two week period, with 50% experiencing moderate to high levels of stress”. In the trial, participants who completed the 8 week Wellness-Based Mindfulness Stress Reduction program reported significant reductions in stress, psychological distress (44%) and the number of medical symptoms (46%). Occupational stress has been shown to lead to heart disease, ulcers, some cancers, allergies, migraines, back problems, depression, and increased frequency of colds and the flu, causing higher rates of absenteeism and presenteeism. After exploring the importance of sleep and mental health, corporate wellness intervention has continued to make a positive impact on the employees by trying to improve mental health and sleep habits. This, in turn, leads to more productivity and a healthier and happier environment in the workplace!

At WhyFit, we are tying these trends of 2018 together to help achieve maximum benefit. Personalization, education on the importance of a positive work environment, and the emphasis on sleep and mental health will be advantageous for both the employer and the employees! This will be shown through decreases in absenteeism presenteeism, risks of chronic illnesses, and stress/depression while increasing healthy habits, physical activity, and smoking cessation.