Do employee wellbeing apps really work? Its a question we hear a lot.
As the digital age progresses, it seems we are all so connected via the internet that we can’t do anything without having an app to tell us what to do, how to do it, where to go and who to see.
We can book tickets, check the weather, order shopping, play games, improve our creative skills, get our takeaways, and monitor our health and wellbeing, all by downloading a clever little application on to our phones or tablet; the possibilities are endless.
Some apps are obviously more useful, and more successful, than others, and it’s more often than not down to personal choice and how user friendly we find them as to whether we engage with them. If you think of You Tube, Facebook and Google Maps, these apps are some of the most widely recognised and most downloaded across the globe; their collective reach is literally in to hundreds of millions.
But what about organisations and SME’s entering in to this domain just to keep up with the changing way in which we do things?
In particular, our attitudes to health and fitness has seen a seismic shift towards technology being the first line of assistance over recent years and using technology to improve and monitor our wellbeing is a trend that has gained momentum. And its is not going away any time soon.
Couple this with developments in HR and directing company policy towards improving workplace culture to support employee’s health and wellbeing, there are a myriad of Employee Wellbeing Apps now available on the market.
But do they really work? Read on to find out more…
What do Wellbeing Apps Offer the Employee?
When time is precious and your life is filled with work and your family responsibilities there is very little time to dedicate to yourself and your own health can sometimes suffer. You maybe have young children or you are looking after elderly parents, (or both!), you could be a member of various committees or a school governor. Time is precious.
How many times have you arrived home with all good intentions of going to the gym, but then get sucked in to meal times, helping with homework, doing household chores etc. By the time you have finished all you want to do is sit down with a glass of wine and watch mind numbing television just to wind down.
Furthermore, you quite like the idea of being ‘with it’, but the closest you get to using technology to your advantage is maybe doing online banking or checking your social media accounts, (over that late night glass of wine after another hectic day). The thought of using an app to support your health and wellbeing is somewhat an aspirational tool.
This might not resonate with you if you are one of the new millennials’. Apps are an every day part of your life and your health and fitness is of great importance to you.
This is where the wellbeing applications can bridge the generational gap.
They can offer Generation X a real chance to focus on their health and wellbeing and have a bit of ‘me’ time in the midst of juggling life’s responsibilities, and with a little training, they open up a whole host of possibilities.
Millennials have this ideology in the bag, yet perhaps need a little encouragement to keep on top of sleep, their mental wellbeing, and the relationship between exercise and the two.
Why Focus On Employee Wellness Through An App?
It is widely regarded that healthy and happy employees have better self-esteem and are more productive, and that a positive workplace culture that focuses on employee health and wellbeing is more conducive to a successful business.
Our statistics show that you are 30% less likely to suffer from depression if you regularly exercise, whilst 22% of employers said that mental health illness was the ‘primary cause’ of long term absence in 2017.
Employee wellbeing apps like ours offer a real opportunity for an organisation to invest in the workforce and encourage that ‘me time’ when you don’t always get the opportunity otherwise. Using a wellbeing a exercise tracker can help you improve your overall wellbeing, meaning you feel better rested, energised, and mentally aware.
Focusing on employee wellness through a wellbeing application is a really useful tool to the business as a whole, and demonstrates a commitment to the employee.
In fact, 2 out of 5 employers have a stand-alone health and wellbeing policy, and as technology becomes more and more part of our everyday lives, using applications that can be downloaded easily and quickly on to a smart phone or tablet offer a shrewd way to engage employees from every generation.
Do Employee Wellbeing Apps Work?
Of course, the original, thought provoking question was, do employee wellbeing apps work? Well in short, if you are looking for a way of improving your workplace culture, reduce absenteeism through ill health, supporting overall health and wellbeing, and using the latest technology to do it, then yes most definitely these apps work.
They are a revolutionary platform for organisations to access and offer so much more than simply putting a bowl of apples in reception or a water machine at the end of the corridor.
These apps offer health and wellbeing advice, ideas and extraordinary encouragement to the most valuable asset your company has; your employees.
Contact us
So if you are looking to use the latest in technology to support your employees health and wellbeing, and you want a more positive workplace culture, then why not contact us here for more information, or call us on 0808 178 0748 where one of our expert team will be delighted to chat to you.
We can offer specialist advice on how our wellbeing app will support your business, and our team of experts will help you in choosing the right package for your organisation.
