July 23, 2015 | Posted in: Living Hartfully

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With 85% of U.S. companies employing 1,000 people or more offering some sort of workplace wellness program; you would think that Americans would be getting healthier.  Yet merely offering a wellness program is no guarantee that employees know about it, take advantage of it, or improve from it. Gallup research shows that only 60% of U.S. employees are aware that their company offers a wellness program — and only 40% of those who are aware of the program say they actually participate in it.

Gallup’s research shows a clear link between employee engagement and well-being, with managers serving as the liaison between the two. Managers account for at least 70% of team variation on employee engagement. And engaging employees is vital to getting them involved in company-sponsored initiatives, because engaged workers are 28% more likely to participate in a wellness program

It takes great managers to engage employees. Over the past decade, Gallup has worked with hundreds of organizations to help their managers create engagement and boost employees’ well-being. To measure engagement, they ask employees to respond to 12 statements, including whether their supervisor (or someone at work) seems to care about them as a person. This statement in particular reveals whether workers feel that their manager truly cares about their well-being. Those who agree with it are more likely to be top performers and to produce higher quality work, and they are less likely to get sick, change jobs, or be injured at work. Trust is the biggest indicator of all that managers can have a positive impact and influence on employees.

Too many company wellness programs focus solely on Physical Well-Being. It needs to be a holistic approach to well-being and resilience and not just a weight-loss or smoking cessation program. Managers who engage their employees have an edge when it comes to boosting workplace well-being, though. Engaged employees are more than two times as likely as actively disengaged employees to say they are very or somewhat comfortable discussing their well-being with their manager.

Here are the Gallup-Healthways Well-being Five names such for the five parts that make up well-being.

Gallup and Healthways have developed a comprehensive, definitive source of well-being measurement, the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being 5. This scientific survey instrument and reporting experience measures, tracks, and reports on the well-being of individuals and organizations. The five essential elements of well-being are:

• Purpose: liking what you do each day and being motivated to achieve your goals
• Social: having supportive relationships and love in your life
• Financial: managing your economic life to reduce stress and increase security
• Community: liking where you live, feeling safe, and having pride in your community
• Physical: having good health and enough energy to get things done daily

What are you doing personally to improve these five areas of your life? Don’t wait for your employer to take the initiative. Your health and life are waiting for you. Start today to change old habits that aren’t working for you and do a personal check-up on your own health and well-being using these five areas. Cheers to a healthy, wealthy life!