Health Links (HL): Why is the health and wellness of your employees important to you?

FCCI: We believe our employees are our greatest asset. We value their health so that they can live optimally at home and at work. We know that when we invest in the health and wellbeing of our employees, we will have a happier, more productive and engaged workforce.

HL: How will you/do you know your program is successful?

FCCI: Our employees are engaged in our wellness programs offerings which demonstrate a high level of interest. We ask our employees to evaluate the wellness program. We consistently hear, through the use of feedback surveys, that we are meeting their expectations and helping them achieve their goals. We also recognize that achieving optimal health and wellbeing is different for each individual. Every employee is on their own journey - there is no one-size measurement to evaluate overall company success. 

HL: What obstacles did you have to overcome to get your program started? How did you overcome them?

FCCI: FCCI has been a trend-setter in employee wellness. This made it initially challenging since we lacked an evidence-based business case to support what we knew we wanted to do. We overcame this by simply doing it – one program, one initiative at a time. The results spoke for themselves. A business case naturally emerged as a result of this company choosing to invest in the wellbeing of our employees.

HL: Do you incorporate safety along with your wellness program? If so, what does this look like?

FCCI: We recognize that work environment impacts the health and wellbeing of our employees and therefore, we place an emphasis on safety protocols and training. We have members on our safety committee who participate on the wellness committee and vice versa. We provide ergonomic assessments for every employee, for example, ensuring their work experience is as comfortable and ergonomically accurate as possible.

HL: What tip/advice would you give to a business that is considering starting a workplace wellness program?

FCCI: First, decide why your organization wants to have a wellness program. If you do not define the “why” behind the program, the program will lack structure and likely have little-to-no impact. Secondly, ask your employees what they would like to see in a wellness program by conducting a needs and interest survey. Finally, form of a wellness committee - these wellness leaders are the engine behind the program. These individuals lead by example and are responsible for helping put ideas into action.

Take a look at FCCI's wellness website! Click Here.