What is an Employee Wellness Programme (EWP)?
An Employee Wellness Programme is one aimed at improving the health status of the employees of an organization. Such a programme may be realized through various strategies to complement the employees' needs, and the organization's goals and objectives.

The EWP has a primary goal of improving the health of employees by addressing the risk factors for chronic diseases that are lifestyle related and therefore largely preventable.

By providing sound medical and nutritional information in an interactive form along with food demonstrations and physical exercise classes, the EWP has the ability to reduce risk factors for chronic diseases or to facilitate living with a chronic disease by providing better lifestyle choices.

The programme also provides screening of chronic diseases to employees. Knowing one's state of health provides a platform for appropriate lifestyle choices.

What are the benefits of an Employee Wellness Programme?

• Any organization that recognizes that the health of its employees is critical to productivity is forward thinking. An EWP should marry the organization's goals and objectives with individual employee needs; so benefiting both.
• For the organization, a well-adapted programme exemplifies the company's commitment to its employees and to productivity in a positive form. Such a programme may even nourish employee loyalty, reduce absenteeism, reduce management/staff barriers and improve work culture.
• For the employees, an EWP tailored to suit their needs provides an opportunity to learn more about their health and provides tools for self-monitoring and self-improvement through the adoption of sensible health choices.
• Healthier employees functioning with the knowledge that their leaders care, are much more likely to be more productive. Everyone benefits!

Participants of the EWP
The programme was piloted at home, among the Medical Benefits Scheme staff and was a resounding success. It was then introduced to the State Insurance Corporation.

Cable and Wireless is the latest organization to benefit from the programme, which started there in May 2007.