How to keep a remote team active and well
With remote work being the norm, keeping your workforce engaged, healthy and active can be a challenge — but is more important than ever. Initiatives that encourage wellness can help to combat burnout, improve team morale, and even boost productivity. Wellness programs are a cost-effective way to keep your employee’s stress at bay and health top of mind.
Here are 11 ways you can boost employee wellness that are tailored to your remote workforce:
Step count challenges
Another great way to encourage movement and team engagement is to provide step counters or fitness trackers that employees can opt into sharing with the team. Setting goals for step count both at the individual and team level can be a fun way to encourage exercise. Some friendly competition can also improve participation. There are several apps available that can help set this up for you.
Mental health days
Mental health disorders are more common than you might think, with a significant impact on workplace productivity, costing the global economy an astounding $1 trillion annually in lost productivity due to depression and anxiety alone. Nearly half of U.S. workers report experiencing mental illness in their lifetime, with work-related stress being a major contributor.
Many companies offer a certain number of mental health days per year to their team members. These days can be dedicated to mental wellness by providing your remote team access to virtual mental healthcare, mental health seminars or courses, therapy, or relaxation programs that can be used on those days. Having a full day off to take care of your mental wellness can make your team feel appreciated and rewarded for their hard work.
Virtual nutrition or cooking classes
What your team puts in their body can significantly contribute to their well-being and health. Hosting virtual healthy cooking classes and nutritional education classes or virtual lunch and learns is a great way to encourage healthy eating.
A fun idea might be to send meal kits from a healthy cooking service to the team ahead of time, then host a live cooking class where a chef demonstrates the recipe and shares tips on nutritious eating.
A wellness stipend
Many employers offer a wellness stipend that can be reimbursement for things like gym memberships, healthy meal kit memberships, fitness equipment, fitness trackers or software, weight loss programs, relaxation apps, smoking cessation programs and more. Taking the cost of these things off your team’s plate can make the barrier to following through on wellness goals lower. The flexibility will also allow each team member to choose what they need most to support their wellbeing.
Virtual social hour
One of the challenges with a remote team is a lack of social time with other team members. Virtual social hours can be a great way for team members to connect with each other in a casual environment through teleconferencing software and using breakout rooms for smaller group conversations.
Using ChatGPT, you can generate conversation starters, ice breakers, and virtual socialization prompts that can help to loosen your team up. A fun add-on idea is to send out coffee shop gift cards or mocktail kits for everyone to enjoy during the social hour.
Online weight loss programs
A great way to engage remote team members who want to lose weight is to provide access to virtual weight loss programs and resources. Programs that provide online medical weight loss, fitness tracking, and nutrition services can be more convenient and encourage greater remote employee engagement.
Home office ergonomic support
Ergonomics—the science of designing workspaces to fit people’s needs—remains just as important when working remotely. Providing virtual or in-home ergonomic assessments, along with ergonomic office furniture and equipment, can help prevent discomfort, reduce repetitive strain injuries, and support overall productivity.
Relaxation, meditation, breathing and mindfulness
Offering outlets for your remote team to relieve stress and anxiety can make a huge difference in their wellbeing. Whether it’s scheduled virtual meditation or breathwork sessions or providing access to relaxation apps, offering your team a way to help themselves when times get stressful or the pressure is high is an invaluable resource they can use throughout their lives.
Flexible work hours
Though it is becoming increasingly popular, employers should consider incorporating more flexible work hours into their benefits.. While many employees prefer to work regular office hours, some prefer to start and finish earlier or start and work later. In other cases some people may prefer to work 4 longer days and have 3 day weekends. Offering this flexibility is great for allowing employees to adjust their schedules to fit their personal needs, reduce stress, and increase job satisfaction.
Digital detox challenge
Scheduling 30 minute digital detox times during the workday can be a great way to help your team unwind and step away from their desk for a walk or snack. This can be helpful to reduce burnout and screen fatigue. Leaving employees feeling more refreshed and energized throughout the day
Virtual yoga or stretching breaks
Pre-scheduled virtual yoga, stretching, or other body movement classes can be done via your preferred video conferencing software. These programs are available through various online providers or you can hire your own instructor to lead them. Yoga and stretching are not only good for the body, as many remote teams sit for prolonged periods, but they are good for the mind as well. Reducing stress, body aches, stiffness, and boredom are just a few of the benefits of implementing these breaks into your team’s routine.
By prioritizing wellness in a remote work environment, companies can foster a culture that values productivity as much as employee well-being. Investing in these initiatives not only helps reduce burnout and stress but can also enhance engagement, job satisfaction, and overall team morale. When employees feel supported in their physical and mental health, they are more likely to be motivated, creative, and committed to their work.
Access better wellness for your employees with Agile Telehealth
At Agile, we provide employers with the opportunity to implement top-tier wellness programs for their teams—at little to no cost. How do we do it? By leveraging our extensive network of board-certified physicians and trusted pharmacy partners, we’re able to deliver customized wellness solutions and personalized compounded medications, like GIP, at a fraction of the cost of traditional benefits programs.
Interested in learning more? Contact us here!
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