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According to a Gallup study, at the end of 2012, only 30 percent of U.S. employees were reported to be enthusiastic about their companies. This is an alarming statistic as it presupposes that 70 percent are not engaged. The disengagement is exacting a toll on companies with Gallup estimating that it is costing American businesses “$450 billion to $550 billion in lost productivity per year.”

One way to remedy that is to launch a workplace wellness program. Not only can it improve the health and physical fitness of your employees but it could help build team cohesion as well. However, that won’t be a sure thing unless the program is effective.

Whether it's offering incentives, such as gift cards to quit smoking or offering low-diet cooking classes to achieve weight loss, a happy and healthy staff is less likely to leave your company than those who are not. The following takeaways should result:

Wellness programs encourage team building for specific end goals

Very often workplace initiatives encourage staff to form teams with the end goal of improving one's diet and encouraging exercise, according to L'Atelier BNP Paribas, which tracks communication and tech trends in companies based in the United States, China and Europe. And, as employees join these team efforts, many are apt to feel more engaged with each other and with the company as a whole. Consequently, productivity increases as does team collaboration, particularly if the employee feels their employer genuinely cares about their health and work-life balance and doesn’t view them as either a corporate automaton or drone.

Emphasize employee health over the bottom line

Instituting a corporate wellness program can be cost-effective for your company as they can greatly reduce healthcare costs, such as $3.27 for every $1 invested in the initiative, said Any Perk, a provider of corporate discounts and rewards solutions for companies. “But your employees won’t care if their healthy habits are saving you money.  More importantly, it won’t make them feel good to have a bunch of dollar signs stuck to their foreheads.”

To avoid this, Any Perk suggests companies make employees feel they’re part of a team by offering the following:

• ”Treat your office to the occasional catered, healthy lunch (or make it regular);”
• “Encourage your employees to take short naps when they’re tired;”
• “Let employees hit the gym during the day to get the creative juices flowing;” and
• *“Designate one room as the ‘quiet room’ – great for deep thinking, sleeping or just taking a breather.”

Share positive employee wellness results

If an employee has lost a significant amount of weight via your corporate wellness program, it’s essential you share the good news via a newsletter or company announcement. The same applies if employees have achieved other health benefits. At the same time, be careful not to make this a competitive venture otherwise whatever inroads you’ve made toward increasing employee engagement will fall by the wayside.

Ask for feedback

A wellness program is doomed to fail if you resist listening to employees telling you what works and what isn’t. Having your workers feel like they’re in this effort with you together will build team unity. “This can really give validation to the employees that came to you with the idea and let them know that you care about what they have to say,” notes employee advocacy platform Bambu.