10 ways to win leadership buy-in, motivate employees and generate results
What’s in this blog?
- Evaluate employees’ preferences
- Assign ownership
- Establish your baseline
- Set goals
- Get leadership buy-in
- Consider vendors
- Provide a range of resources
- Prioritize flexibility
- Promote the program
- Incorporate employee program education
- Zero in on the benefits
- Offer incentives
- Generate continuous engagement
- Measure success
Sixty-four percent of American workers are overweight or obese. These conditions cost U.S. employers more than $425 billion a year in the form of increased medical costs, absenteeism, disability, and workers’ compensation payouts.
Based on these staggering figures, it makes sense for organizations to take action.
Workplace weight loss programs can help reduce the avoidable expenses associated with overweight and obese employees while helping workers make healthier lifestyle choices that improve their overall well-being. We’ll explore the benefits of a structured weight loss program for employees and walk through practical steps to start one in your organization.
Benefits of a workplace weight loss program for employers
For employers, workplace weight loss programs can improve performance and financial outcomes. Healthier employees typically take fewer sick days, are less likely to experience chronic health conditions, and bring more energy and focus to their work.
Reduced absenteeism and stronger employee morale translate to better productivity and lower healthcare spending over time.
Benefits of a workplace weight loss program for employees
For employees, the benefits extend beyond the pounds they can lose. A well-built workplace weight loss program doesn’t just focus on the number on the scale, but on building healthier habits in general.
Things like getting regular exercise, eating nutritious foods, managing stress, and getting enough sleep can all help workers feel their best and improve their quality of life. An employee weight loss program can also build a sense of community as teammates support one another in achieving their goals.
How to start a workplace weight loss program at your company
To establish a program promoting healthier habits that aid in weight loss, follow these steps:
1. Evaluate employees’ preferences
Before you take any steps to design your program, it’s essential to find out what employees actually want. What do their needs look like? What goals do they have? Which offerings are they most interested in?
Weight loss needs vary widely. Some employees may want to lose a few pounds to feel more confident, while others may need to reduce their weight significantly to overcome serious health challenges. Listening to your employees through avenues like focus groups and feedback surveys helps pinpoint these diverse needs so you can launch an inclusive, effective program.
2. Assign ownership
Delegate the person(s) who will be responsible for the program’s design, management, and ongoing improvement. Typically this is one or more people in a company’s HR department or a third-party vendor.
Clear accountability not only makes for a smoother setup and implementation, but gives employees a designated point of contact for information and questions about the program.
3. Establish your baseline
As your program’s foundation begins to take shape, capture some measurements of where you’re starting from. Setting a baseline will help you track and evaluate the program’s progress as it develops.
Some baseline metrics to measure include:
- Current healthcare costs
- Benefits employees use most and least
- Benefits employees request often
- Areas of concern you want to target, like worker’s comp costs or sick days
4. Set goals
Establish clear and realistic program goals. These should be specific and actionable, for example:
- Enroll at least 30% of employees in the program
- Increase the number of participants who meet the weekly physical activity recommendations from the American Heart Association
- Reduce weight-related healthcare claims by 10%
These goals, along with the program’s projected benefits and employee input, can then be presented to leadership for comment and approval.
5. Get leadership buy-in
A workplace wellness program can only thrive with strong support from company leaders. With executives on board, the program can secure the funding and resources necessary to make a meaningful impact.
To help get buy-in from those at the top, prepare:
- Your findings from your employee needs assessment in step 1
- Projected stats on how the business will benefit and the likely ROI
- Anticipated timeline and budget
- Roll-out plan
- Examples of successful weight loss programs at other organizations
6. Consider vendors
As we mentioned in step 2, some organizations opt for in-house weight loss program management, while others choose to outsource. If you’ll be outsourcing, analyze vendors to find one that aligns with your needs, goals, and preferences.
A trusted employee weight loss partner can provide access to tools, resources, and expertise needed to boost initial adoption and ensure long-term success. A third-party vendor can also help you offer virtual weight loss support that gives employees greater flexibility and confidentiality.
7. Provide a range of resources
Preferences will differ from one employee to the next, so variety is key. Providing a range of options helps ensure that your program is inclusive of all comfort and ability levels.
For example, vigorous exercise might be inaccessible to an employee with limited mobility, but a seminar on healthy cooking might be a welcome resource.
Here are some examples of different resources a workplace weight loss program might include:
- Nutrition coaching
- Meal planning
- Fitness classes
- Gym memberships
- Prescription weight loss support
- Office-wide health challenges
- Stress reduction activities
Selecting the right employee weight loss platform will help you offer the programming that’s best suited to your workforce.
8. Prioritize flexibility
Employees are juggling work, family, and personal responsibilities, so flexibility is critical to optimize participation. Offerings like telehealth services, virtual classes, and on-demand educational resources make it easier for employees to engage with your program in a way that fits their schedule and lifestyle.
9. Promote the program
Even the best designed program won’t succeed without strong communication. Use multiple channels, like email, printed materials and in-person meetings, to let employees know about the program and what it offers.
Because weight loss is personal, it’s important to proactively address employees’ concerns about things like privacy and security. Communicating with an empathetic, reassuring tone helps employees feel confident and safe taking part in the program.
10. Incorporate employee program education
When we think about what’s required to lose weight, we typically envision “active” steps like engaging in exercise, eating healthier, or taking prescription medications. However, a well-rounded weight loss program must also support the mental shift that’s necessary for long-term success.
Don’t discount the value of educational resources like webinars, workshops, guest speakers, podcasts, and newsletters. These materials help employees better understand the “why” behind healthy habits and make lifestyle changes that stick.
11. Zero in on the benefits
Weight loss can be a sensitive subject. Identifying and emphasizing the program’s benefits, like increased energy, reduced stress, and long-term disease prevention, helps to frame weight loss as a positive wellness initiative rather than a burden to be dealt with.
Clearly outlining the program’s projected benefits also helps highlight how the company benefits, which is important for maintaining stakeholder support. For organizations, helping more employees reach a healthy weight range can boost company performance, reduce unnecessary absences, and support a healthier workplace culture.
12. Offer incentives
Incentives can jumpstart program participation and keep employees engaged. Even small tokens of recognition can make a big impact.
Examples include:
- Gift cards or discounts for consistent participation
- Extra time off for reaching milestones
- Company-sponsored wellness activities, like healthy catered lunches
- Recognition in team meetings or online channels
Incentives help employees’ progress feel more meaningful while reinforcing their newfound positive behaviors.
13. Generate continuous engagement
It’s easy to get excited about weight loss when you’re just getting started. Maintaining lifestyle changes for the long haul is the hard part.
Keep program engagement high year round with ideas like:
- An office competition to see who can rack up the most steps in a given time period
- A guest speaker on an interesting topic like how to decode nutrition labels
- A team-based physical challenge
Adding new elements on an ongoing basis keeps employees interested and motivated.
14. Measure success
Make sure your program is effective by tracking participation rates, employee satisfaction, and measurable outcomes like reduced absenteeism. Regularly review your results against your goals to refine the program, highlight success stories, and demonstrate ROI to leadership.
Start a workplace weight loss program with Agile Telehealth
A workplace weight loss program is about more than shedding pounds. It’s about creating a culture of health where employees’ long-term well-being is a priority.
Agile Telehealth makes starting your own employee weight loss program easy and low-cost. Our on-demand wellness solutions are designed to meet employees’ needs and boost engagement without adding additional expenses to your budget.
Getting up and running couldn’t be easier. We handle the setup, program management, and all of the technical infrastructure. All you have to do is provide us with the necessary information to get your program up and running and let your staff know about it!
Explore our weight loss solutions and fill out a quick form to connect with our team about your tailored workplace weight loss program today.
