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5Let’s Get Virtual

Ways to Extend Well-being Initiatives to At-Home Employees

The pandemic created what many have called the largest work-from-home experiment in history. February 2021 research from SHRM1 revealed that 52% of employed Americans say they would choose to work from home permanently if given the option, and 35% would take a salary reduction to do so.

Given that many workforces have been remote or partially remote since the start of the pandemic — and that many will stay that way even after the pandemic ends — organizations need to focus on supporting employees’ well-being no matter where they are located.

Here are five ways HR leaders can extend on-site well-being programs to at-home employees to support their ongoing physical health and well-being now and moving forward:

According to the American Osteopathic Association,2 group exercise can be more effective than solo exercise for reducing stress and improving quality of life. Creating online communities for remote employees is one way to help employees reap the benefits, and it can be as simple as finding out if you have any certified personal trainers or yoga instructors in your workforce who are willing to teach virtual classes, then inviting folks to join.

For employees who may not want to participate in classes, consider creating groups on internal social platforms or creating challenges to encourage participation. Walking challenges, for example, are easy to implement and appeal to workers who want to get in their steps, but have become more sedentary since working from home.

Sending out morning emails with ideas for stretches or types of exercises that can be done at or near a desk.

Asking managers to start or end team meetings with some type of exercise, offering different ones to accommodate physical limitations of team members.

Offering employee reimbursements for home exercise equipment.

Blocking time out on employees’ calendars for self-care.

Two reasons why many remote employees have been struggling to stay active? Lack of separation between work life and home life, and no/reduced access to a gym or health club. To help remote employees integrate health and wellness into their daily routines, consider:

The pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation of many aspects of life — including health and exercise. Former face-to-face activities such as personal training, physical therapy, and doctor visits can now be done online.

Savvy organizations are providing employees with access to online wellness programs, including interactive sessions with health and wellness experts. Many are also offering co-pay waivers for telehealth consultations to allow employees unrestricted access to treatments and other health services.

Mobile technologies, such as wearable devices, are also a great way to help people lead healthier, more active lives by empowering them with the data, inspiration, and guidance to reach their goals.

Healthy foods not only provide employees with the energy they need to be productive, they also can help people be happier, more engaged, and more creative.3

Employees who were used to the convenience of easy access to low-cost or no-cost healthy snacks or lunches can be easily tempted by equally inexpensive and convenient unhealthy foods. According to the 2021 Working Americans’ State of Physical Wellbeing Report,4 48% are eating more salty, sweet, or fatty foods since the pandemic began.

Now, many employees are running short on time. To support those who want to eat well, consider having healthy meals or snacks delivered to employees’ homes. It doesn’t need to be every day — even once per month or when all-hands meetings are scheduled is a great way to show employees that you care about their well-being. If delivering meals is too costly or complicated, consider providing discounted vouchers for meal delivery kits.

Develop virtual healthy living communities.

Create more opportunities for employee self-care.

Tap in to the latest technology innovations

Nourish healthy eating habits.

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52%

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Knowing what a diverse and distributed workforce needs is no easy task, especially in today’s uncertain times.

An effective way to lean in to employee preferences is by asking them about the usefulness of current offerings and what they’d like to see in the future. It may seem obvious, but frequent pulse surveys can give employees an anonymous opportunity to ask for what they need.

Go the extra mile to stay in step with employee needs.5

Ready Your Distributed Workforce for a Post-Pandemic World Learn how Fitbit Health Solutions can help your company boost employee health and well-being. Contact us at healthsolutions.fitbit.com.

1. Navigating COVID-19, The Workplace Perspective on Vaccination, SHRM, 2021. 2. Researchers Find Group Exercise Improves Quality of Life and Reduces Stress Far More Than Individual Exercise, The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, 2017. 3. On carrots and curiosity: eating fruit and vegetables is associated with greater flourishing in daily life, British Journal of Health Pyschology, May 2015. 4. The 2021 Working Americans’ State of Physical Wellbeing Report, Grokker Innovation Labs.

SOURCES:

of employed Americans say they would choose to work from home permanently if given the option.

of employees are eating more salty, sweet, or fatty foods since the pandemic began.

48%