3 Canadian companies succeeding in promoting employee wellness

Businesses across Canada are doing all they can to ensure that their employees are leady a healthy lifestyle. From wellness programs to healthy living newsletters, companies are all promoting workplace wellness.

As recently reported by our sister brand Business Review Canada, these are three healthy employers that other Canadian companies should look to for guidance in promoting employee wellness initiatives.

RELATED TOPIC: Is your company promoting employee wellness?

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada 

As one of the largest automobile manufacturers in Canada, Toyota has employees in the thousands. To promote health among its workforce, Toyota of Canada offers flexible health plans that extend into retirement. Likewise, the car manufacturer also offers employees healthy eating options in its cafeteria as well as an onsite fitness facility complete with free weights, cardio equipment, tennis and basketball courts.

Nature's Path Foods 

It's no surprise that a health food company encourages employee health. Nature's Path Foods not only has an organic vegetable garden onsite for all employees to enjoy, but the company also gives employees impressive discounts on all of its health food products.

Nuance Communications 

Montreal-based Nuance Communications offers its employees an annual wellness account as part of their health care coverage plans. The wellness account gives employees $500 to put toward personal health and well-being, such as gym memberships.

In addition to looking to these successful companies, here are a few other ways that businesses can integrate workplace wellness into their business model:

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Healthy snack options: Stock vending machines with health-conscious choices such as nuts, dried fruits and protein bars. Instead of soda machines, offer water bottles or juice alternatives.

Exercise breaks: Encourage employees to break up their day not only as a refresh button but also to offer some time to integrate cardio into their day. Offering frequent exercise breaks alongside standard lunch breaks gives employees the opportunity to stretch their legs and raise their heart rates, which can help create a healthier work environment.

Onsite health visits: Health visits offer general health checkups as well as annual shots to employees while at the office. They can be completed during lunch breaks or any time during the workday. This gives employees more free time during the workweek, which is beneficial to general well-being.

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