A BETTER WAY TO TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS
WORKFORCE HEALTH
6 low-cost wellness
ideas for small businesses
It doesn’t take paid gym memberships and a full-scale wellness
committee to create a healthy workplace. Businesses of any size can
improve employee health with just a few easy-to-implement ideas
and little to no investment:
Make it easier to walk at work. Walking isn’t just good for physical fitness, it also
improves mood and relieves stress, which can be great for morale.1 Encourage
employees to take walk breaks, form walking groups during their lunch hour, or
turn regular meetings into walking meetings.
Swap doughnuts for fresh fruit. Skip the sugary treats and bring your employees
healthier alternatives. Fruit baskets, yogurt cups, and trail mix packs can satisfy that
sweet tooth in a healthy way.
Put healthy choices in easy reach. Vending machines are usually stocked with
sugary sodas and candy bars, which are linked to diabetes and obesity.2 Ask your
supplier to include water and nutritious snack options such as granola bars or popcorn.
Make your workplace bike-friendly. Biking to work isn’t just a great form of exercise —
it lowers stress, improves blood pressure, and can reduce the risk of heart disease
by 50%.3 Encourage employees by installing a small bike rack or creating a space for
them to park their bikes inside the workplace.
Reach out to your employees for ideas. Ask employees if they have healthy habits
they’d like to share with others. Making them part of the process will help you focus your
workforce health efforts and encourage participation.
Lead by example. Employees are also more likely to take part in wellness efforts
when they see owners and managers walking, biking, or making healthy food choices.
It fosters community and demonstrates a commitment to healthy lifestyles.
Visit kp.org/
workforcehealth for
more ideas on how
to easily promote
better health in your
workplace.
Gretchen Reynolds, “The Benefits of a Lunch Hour Walk,” The New York Times, January 21, 2015.
Katherine Bishop et al., “Vending Contradictions: Snack and Beverage Options on Public Property,” Center for Science in the Public Interest, October 2014.
3
Jill Harness, “The Benefits of Biking to Work,” Lifehack, lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/the-benefits-biking-work.html, accessed July 29, 2016.
1
2
Information may have changed since publication.
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., 1950 Franklin St., Oakland, CA 94612, 510-987-1000 • Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., 393 E. Walnut St., Pasadena, CA 91188,
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Portland, OR 97232, 503-813-2000
kp.org/choosebetter
Business Marketing 60491910 August 2016 ©2016 Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc.