Why It's Beneficial to Include Family Members in Your Wellness Program

Including Family Members

Spouses and family members are often left out of wellness programs because many organizations think it is unnecessary or too expensive. Some people believe that spouses and family members are not even related to specific work-related benefits and programs. However, spouses and family members are directly related to specific work-related initiatives, and their participation should be welcomed in your wellness program!

Including spouses and family members may be more expensive as an up-front cost, but it has immense potential to offer different benefits. Bravo found that individuals tend to pick up behaviors of those closest to them, and wellness support both in the office and at home can make the change easier.

Bravo also found that including spouses and family members in wellness programs has been linked to lower overall healthcare costs and stronger, healthier employees.

Benefits of Including Family Members

A study by Bravo found that:

• 28% of employees participated in lifestyle coaching if a spouse was involved
• 88% of employers reported improvements in health risk with spousal involvement
• 70% reported positive impact on medical trend with spousal involvement
• 70% of participants in family inclusive employee well-being programs felt the program was an indication that their employers supported them in the office and outside of it
• When employees receive encouragement from their spouses, family, and friends to live a healthier lifestyle, employers see an additional $232 of healthcare savings per employee

Ways to Engage Family Members in Your Wellness Program

Including family in your wellness program has immense benefits, as outlined above. Family members are not separate when it comes to health and wellness, one person's lifestyle has a direct affect on the other's. Here are a few ideas to engage family members in your wellness program:

• Encourage the families of your employees to participate in the wellness program by suggesting that they use the resources available to the employee as part of the program.
• Create customized wellness communications for spouses and families that address their role in their family member's wellness journey and acknowledges their effort to improve the health of their family.
• Be inclusive when promoting wellness events out of work, and specifically invite spouses and family members. Whether it's a team-based challenge, game, or competition, make sure families are invited!
• Engage your employee's family members on your social media platforms where you share wellness information and promotions for your wellness program.
• Implement family-friendly wellness initiatives, such as a challenge where employees work closely with their family to create individual wellness goals.

If you'd like to speak with a Wellness Expert to discuss the benefits of including family members in your wellness program, contact us by clicking the button below!