Whether your business has one employee or 100, benefit offerings are a frequent discussion — with business owners and managers always looking for the best ways to administer and differentiate their benefits. While things such as medical/dental insurance, 401(K) matching or paid time off are fairly mainstream benefits, many companies are looking for additional enhancements that promote overall wellness, employee satisfaction and ideally, retention.
One area growing in popularity is the concept of businesses purchasing Integrative Health Coaching packages for their employees. You may ask — What is health coaching and how does it differ from traditional healthcare services?
Integrative Health Coaching empowers each client to be the healthiest version of themselves through a coordinated approach to overall wellness that focuses on cultivating a lifestyle that includes mindful nutrition, mental/emotional clarity, physical activity and alignment with meaningful purpose. The goal is to help clients uncover the root causes of health challenges, conquer limiting beliefs and create a sustainable lifestyle that supports building balance in mind, body and soul.
Why is this important? The nation’s skyrocketing healthcare costs has made insurance policies and copays higher than ever. If an employer can provide access to a program that may help the employee remain healthier overall through a holistic approach, there will likely be less traditional healthcare costs for both employee and employer. Cultivating a ‘culture of health’ encourages employees to adopt better eating and physical activity habits, fostering a supportive environment where individuals feel genuinely cared about by their employer and motivate each other to prioritize well-being — leading to employees feeling better overall, maintaining motivation and productivity both at work and home.
Integrative teams like Trifecta Health Coaching provide a valuable support element for companies looking to boost their employees’ overall health with a multi-dimensional approach, focusing on the intersection of all parts of wellness. Through a series of five group sessions, Trifecta focuses on key topic areas for busy professionals, such as clean eating in the workplace, incorporating more movement into a sedentary job, embracing a positive growth mindset and self-care habits that reduce toxins, improve sleep and support overall vitality.
Following completion of the sessions and through additional ongoing refreshers or add-on topics, employees are better equipped to manage stress and maintain a healthy work-life balance, leading to enhanced mental well-being and greater job satisfaction. Your workplace is your second home; your second family, and it is essential to prioritize a healthy approach during all parts of your day.
Group wellness coaching for your employees also fosters a sense of camaraderie and support — You can encourage team members to share healthy recipes or participate in exercise programs together. Hosting sporting equipment ‘swap’ events and joining online tracking tools such as Strava can build team spirit while also encouraging accountability in a non-threatening manner.
Beyond group health coaching, employers can also examine the idea of purchasing individual sessions for employees or discount programs to access one-on-one coaching for a more personalized experience. One option to consider is making this a holiday party raffle prize, silent auction item to benefit your favorite charity or part of a performance bonus package.
Healthcare and wellness continues to evolve as an individualized process with more consumers seeking specialized care or access to programs to boost their overall well-being. For those that have not looked into Integrated Health Coaching in their personal lives, an introduction via the workplace may be an excellent way to build a more well-rounded approach to health!
