As we move further into another new year, it’s likely that most people have already given up on their fitness resolutions. In fact, by the second week in February, roughly 80% of all resolutions have failed. And some have even gotten so specific as to pinpoint the second Friday in January as “Quitters’ Day,” because it is the day that motivation starts to falter for many.
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Giving Up the Goals
There are many reasons people abandon their resolutions so early. Some may feel like they aren’t seeing results as quickly as they’d hoped or expected. Others may dislike the disruption to their normal routine. But for many, it’s simply an issue of time. This is particularly true when it comes to fitness-oriented resolutions.
Between work, family, and leisure activities, it can be hard to find time to squeeze in regular workouts. In part for this reason, employees are increasingly trying to find synergies between work and their fitness goals.
A Workplace Role for Wellness
Workers are looking to their employers for some help in meeting their health and wellness goals, finds new research from staffing firm OfficeTeam. OfficeTeam reports that 73% of professionals surveyed said a company’s health and wellness offerings influence their decision to work there.
Employees place the greatest weight on wellness incentives that reward healthy behavior (26%) and fitness facilities or programs (23%).
Age and gender played some role in the responses, with younger professionals more frequently identifying health and wellness offerings as a factor in their employment decision-making compared to middle-aged and older employees and men more likely to do so than women.
Fostering a Wellness Environment
In a tight labor market, we’ve often said there are more ways to attract employees than simply relying purely on compensation. Additional perks and benefits can have an impact as well. This could be workplace flexibility, better-than-average health benefits or—as the OfficeTeam survey suggests, health and wellness programs.
These programs don’t have to be massive undertakings or massively expensive. Simply supporting employees’ wellness interests through such simple activities as organized outdoor walks, healthy brown bags or lunch and learn sessions around wellness topics can help to foster a wellness environment that attracts and engages employees.