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Employee wellness is no longer a trend, but rather a necessity, in this ever-changing landscape of corporate culture. Companies all around the world are aware that elevating the health and wellness of the workers creates not only a favorable work atmosphere but also higher productivity and a lower absence rate. For many years, employee gifts have acted as a form of appreciation but in 2024 the wellness swag approach has come to the forefront of corporate culture. Let's take a look at five creative alternatives for corporate employee gifts this year.
1. Smart Water Bottles
Employee wellness is now becoming more hi-tech as smart water bottles become more popular. Smart water bottles now contain sensors which can monitor water consumption and provide reminders of when to drink along with real-time hydration monitoring all of which allows employees to take better care of themselves. This type of healthy giveaway ideas are viewed as a considerate action that communicates to the team that their health is a top priority.
It has been shown that even becoming slightly dehydrated can result in a deterioration of cognitive functions and higher mood swings among other things, all of which can impact a worker's performance. In a study carried out by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, it was found that hydration is crucial for proper brain function and overall healthiness.
2. Fitness Trackers
In the digital era of today, wearable fitness trackers are seen everywhere. Such wellness swag can observe many aspects of health such as heart rate, number of steps, quantity of calories burned and can even analyze sleep patterns. Fitness trackers as employee gifts give employees greater control of their physical activities and overall wellness. As per the study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, wearable activity trackers have been found to substantially increase physical activity levels. It was found that fitness trackers as corporate gifts for employees created healthier and more active lifestyle, compared to those who did not use them.
By using a fitness tracking device in employee wellness programs, companies can promote an active lifestyle among employees. It is this kind of proactive healthy lifestyle promotion and lifestyle swag, which helps your employees and employer to see many long-term advantages.
3. Healthy Snack Boxes
Employee gifts which promote physical wellness do not always have tech based in order to create the desired health impact. Small but meaningful actions like offering healthy snack boxes can contribute to wellness at a workplace. Snack boxes such as these can be filled with healthy choices such as nuts, dried fruits and whole-grain snacks which can provide staff with an easy way to keep their bodies energised throughout the day.
Studies have revealed that improper eating habits can be linked to several health problems such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes. A study that was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition finds that if a company provides healthier workplace snack options, then their employees are more inclined to make better dietary choices. Although this may seem like a small move, health and wellness swag can lead to a much happier and more effective place to work.
4. Desk Exercise Equipment
As much of the time being spent by many employees is sitting at a desk, the movement that should be incorporated into the workday becomes very important for their overall health and wellbeing. Employee wellness gifts such as under-desk ellipticals, pedal exercisers or balance boards offer a unique opportunity for more sedentary workers to stay active even while sitting still.
Inactive behaviour is associated with many adverse health conditions including obesity, cardiovascular disease and musculoskeletal disorders. An article in Annals of Internal Medicine concluded that prolonged sitting is unhealthy, irrespective of the amount of physical activity people do after they leave the workplace.
Through the provision of wellness promotional products for staff as corporate gifts, companies can encourage employees to split up sedentary periods by introducing regular movement into their daily activities. This also serves as a unique way to enhance an employee's healthy lifestyle while reducing the negative effects of sitting for long periods of time without moving.
5. Mindfulness and Meditation Resources
Unfortunately, stress is now an established part of the workplace but in today's world employers are realizing that they must support employee mental health. Providing your staff with mindfulness and meditation resources in the form of wellness promotional products is an excellent way of achieving this goal. Research has proved that practicing mindfulness and meditation can help decrease stress while increasing concentration and focus and improving and individual's overall mental health. Results of a study carried out by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health indicated that mindfulness-based interventions help to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. Such healthy giveaway ideas can lead to employees giving priority to their mental health.
Conclusion
Employee wellness gifts in 2024 are focusing more on health and wellness in the workplace and with a range of alternatives to choose from, promotion companies can now choose smart gadgets such as water bottles, fitness trackers, health snack boxes and desk exercise equipment. Companies that invest in health and wellness swag and providing dedicated corporate gifts for employees and also motivating staff to lead an active life. This in turn promotes positive mental health that will ultimately create a work environment where employees feel they are valued, supported and empowered to make good health choices.
It is clear than when making the decision about choosing corporate gifts for employees, adopting the idea of giving the gift of wellness should be a key consideration. Ultimately a workforce that is healthy is a workforce that is happy and productive.