Are you sure that your health events are improving the health and well-being of your employees, or are they just events you hold every year and distribute useless swag?

I’ve attended well-being events in every field and company, ranging from 10 to 10,000 employees.

Within a few minutes, you will be able to see if the health events impact employees’ lives.

This is how you recognize it:

An active role is played by management.

The success of a wellness event is largely contingent on the level of management involvement. When all levels of management are actively involved in the events and promoting them, attendance and participation increase significantly. In addition to higher attendance, participation is more engaging, leading to behavior changes.

However, if you are holding wellness events on the day of a software release or a big sales meeting, employees will be unable to actively engage or attend as they will be busy.

If management cannot find the time to attend and promote the event, employees won’t either.

Health information is private.

Health information is very important. However, there is always a concern that employers having access to an individual’s health information can or will affect their employment status. For example, if the employer sees that an individual’s blood sugar or BMI is high, they will think they can not perform their job and ultimately lose their job.

It must be clearly communicated that the information the individual receives through attending these events is private and will not be shared with the employer.

It’s fun.

Are your workers having fun, or are they rushing to get biometrics and a flu shot to save on their deductibles?

Employees having fun are more likely to participate in health-enhancing activities. Such as seeking out a nurse or sitting with a health coach to figure out a strategy for developing healthier habits. Maybe they are finally scheduling an appointment with a personal trainer or treating that troublesome tooth. Either way, they get much more out of the services offered while enjoying themselves.

Employees should be listened to.

Employees will always tell you if the events are working if you sit back and listen to what they say. They will even tell you what services are working and what ones they would like to see.

I’ve witnessed events that cost over $20K and have been completely pointless, as well as ones that cost $5k and are so popular that they run them twice or thrice a year because the employees are actively pursuing better health. It’s all about the employees.

A culture of well-being is promoted.

A company conducting a yearly health event because their insurance company says they have to versus a company that finds value in offerings these services to their employees will have drastically different outcomes.

Wellness events can keep the organization on the right path if they promote a culture of well-being by continuously promoting healthy habits throughout the year, such as offering stress management, leadership training, mindfulness of working conditions, and promoting a healthier and more active lifestyle for their employees.

In short, consistency is the key to achieving every goal even in promoting employee well-being.