Become a Corporate Health Coach

Improve employee well-being and reduce absenteeism

The demand for Health Coaches in the corporate setting is increasing exponentially. If you’re thinking of branching out into this area, now is the perfect time.

Working in the corporate world can come with lots of pressure – staff cutbacks, increased responsibilities, unreasonable expectations, tight deadlines, and toxic workplace cultures cause undue stress and anxiety for employees. Over time, this can lead to an increase in absenteeism, decreased productivity and low morale in the workforce as employees struggle to cope.

Employers are taking stock of what is happening and starting to put well-being programmes in place to support employees. This is where a Health Coach is worth their weight in gold and can add value to businesses – they have the skills and know-how to implement successful corporate well-being programmes.

The cost of absenteeism

• British companies lose £77 billion per year on sick leave. Irish companies lose around €1.5 billion per year. 
• In 2020, 79% of employees claimed to experience work-related stress, compared to 59% in 2018.
• According to Deloitte, every £1 employers spend on employee well-being has an average return of £5 showing that wellness initiatives in the workplace work. [1]

Why are employees unhappy and stressed?

A person spends around a third of their life at work which is a considerable amount of time; this is why working should be a pleasurable experience, not a burden. Feeling stressed at work can make you incredibly unhappy and negatively affect your emotional wellbeing. It can also lead to reduced productivity, mistakes/ errors and accidents which may cause physical harm to the employee.

Chronic stress can also result in psychosomatic conditions (such as migraines/ headaches, memory loss, stomach pain), binge eating and drug/ alcohol abuse.

Reasons why employees become stressed include:

• Feeling undervalued or unsupported
• Workplace bullying and discrimination
• Being undermined by colleagues
• Excessive workloads
• Inability to cope with the demands of their job
• Not fully understanding their role and responsibilities

An individual can’t be happy and healthy when stressed at work – this is why it’s imperative that stress is managed by the individual and employers put strategies in place to support employees. This is where a Health Coach can really add value to a business by helping employees work through their challenges and assist them in finding solutions. There are many ways to address stress through problem solving techniques, building healthy workplace relationships, and implementing positive dietary and lifestyle practices.

5 reasons why corporates hire Health Coaches

Enlisting the support of a Health Coach can:

1. Reduce absenteeism: implementing well-being strategies to help employees make healthier dietary and lifestyle choices can dramatically reduce a business’ costs associated with absenteeism and reduced productivity.
2. Boost workplace morale: when staff feel valued and heard, they become more motivated, positive and engaged in their work responsibilities.
3. Establish a healthy workplace culture: health and fitness coaching
   moves staff away from unhealthy dietary and lifestyle habits (coffee, sugar, alcohol, smoking) to a more positive culture where employees feel energised, focussed and inspired.
4. Decrease healthcare costs: when employees are less stressed, fatigued and overwhelmed, common ailments and workplace injuries naturally decrease.
5. Increase productivity: productivity is higher among those who exercise, eat a healthy diet, are less stressed and don’t smoke or drink alcohol.

How Health Coaches work in corporates

There are numerous ways a Health Coach can work with corporate clients, such as:

• Carry out health and well-being assessments/ surveys to uncover which areas employees need support and evaluate the overall goals of the company. Determining underlying issues (such as increased absenteeism) and how the company supports employee well-being are key. Asking employees specific questions allows them to reflect on their emotional and physical health – their answers can help shape the well-being plans that you put in place.
• Create a well-being department or manage/ assist in an existing department which often sits alongside HR. Having a dedicated person or team of people to plan and implement a wellness strategy and programme is a must.
• Offer health coaching sessions and support programmes. Some employees may need additional support to achieve their health goals so offering one-to-one or group coaching is a great option for them. You can also create specific support programme to target problem areas such as weight loss, stress management or quitting smoking.
• Deliver workshops, health talks and webinars to provide employees with more in-depth information about health-related topics such as sleep hygiene, self-care and healthy eating. These can be done in person or online, and you can get really creative in the way they are delivered. Lunch & Learn workshops are a fantastic way to encourage employees to take charge of their health, allowing them to learn, ask questions and interact with colleagues informally.
• Organise challenges throughout the year where employees need to complete a set well-being challenges such as drinking more water, eating a nutritious lunch or doing daily exercises. Employees can work in teams or individually, and it’s a great way to build office camaraderie and promote accountability.
• Hold a yearly wellness week where the entire seven days is dedicated to providing employees with knowledge and tools to improve their physical and emotional well-being. It could involve sharing daily tips, activities, challenges and curated content.
• Create tailored health and well-being content in the form of newsletters, emails, health columns, blog articles and podcasts.
• Develop well-being retreats as they are an excellent opportunity for employees to connect and build relationships which is especially important if the organisation lacks a positive workplace culture. It also energises employees and injects positivity amongst team members. A retreat can incorporate a mixture of activities such as health talks, cooking lessons, mindfulness practices, well-being treatments, physical pursuits or exercises and healthy meals eaten together.

If you’re looking for a career change or to build a thriving business in corporate wellness, consider becoming a Health Coach. You learn life-changing skills and knowledge to supercharge your health and help others. On CNM’s Health Coach course you also get in-depth business training that teaches you everything you need to know to create a successful health coaching business.

[1] https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/pages/consulting/articles/mental-health-and-employers-refreshing-the-case-for-investment.html