While many employers have drawn a clear path of engaging employees in buildingand maintaining their health and well-being, others find itchallenging to motivate their workforce. In fact, research shows that only one-third of employeesrecognize their employer’s efforts and credit their employer tolead healthier lifestyles.

According to the 2015/2016 Willis Towers Watson Staying@WorkSurvey, while employees ranked leadership support as one of thetop ingredients for a healthy workplace culture, just more thanhalf (51 percent) say their senior leaders are visible champions ofthe organization’s health and well-being strategy.

The 2016 Consumer Health Mindset Report revealsthat while employees perceive that the health and wellness supportthey receive through their employers has improved over the lastthree years — there is still room to grow.

Nearly half (44 percent) of employees believe their employer isextremely or very supportive in getting and keeping them healthy,and more than one-third (37 percent) feel the same about theirdirect manager or department head. Yet a key missing ingredient fora successful wellness program is top-level leadership support.

What I've seen over the years is visible support from acompany’s leaders, from multiple levels within an organization,sets the tone for employees — communicating that it’s acceptable tofit in a workout during the workday, participate in a weight losschallenge with co-workers or take advantage of healthy foodoptions.

Here’s some ways leaders can activate well-being in theirorganization and quash the perception that working outduring the workday is perceived as "wasted time."

Take action and share information We’re all familiar with theterms “action, not words” and “show, don’t tell,” and both can beapplied to implementing a successful wellnessprogram. Employees often listen to the words, but trust thebehavior exhibited by leaders, such as when the CEO and members ofthe senior leadership team along with mid-level managers all arestanding in line for a health screening. Ensure leaders at alllevels across your organization are signed up for all wellnessprogram activities and are sharing information with theiremployees.

Be accessible A key element of successful employee corporatewellness programs is leadership that can be called upon for support— whether it’s taking the first official step in a new walkingprogram or approving strategic program decisions.

For example, leaders at one large national health plan leadweekly walks with employees to support Walk This Way®, a programthat encourages employees to walk up to 10,000 daily steps.Throughout the 12-week program, our staff featured a different“boss” each week — from multiple levels within the organization.Participants track their total steps daily and those that “beat theboss” for the week are entered into a raffle to win a prize — andbragging rights.

Be visible to employees Leadership that can commit financial andother resources needed for wellness program success is critical.But it’s not enough. The leadership involvement must also bevisible to employees.

For example, one employer with a corporate fitness center,helped initiate a focus group to determine key wellness programdrivers. Focus group participants shared that a key barrier toparticipation was an underlying perception that, “If I’m seenworking out, I will be seen as a slacker and not working.” On-sitestaff helped change that perception by recruiting leaders to workout while on the clock, opening the door for employees to recognizethat fitness was a priority all throughout the company.

Enlist other leaders within the organization Ensure that leadersthroughout the company are seen as active faces of the wellnessprogram. Senior leaders in particular can play a key role indemonstrating support to mid-level managers who in turn can ensurethis support is communicated to employees throughout theorganization.

Knowing time and resources are at a premium, I encourage you toconsider enlisting “health champions” within your organization thatrepresent leaders from all the divisions and worksites where yourcompany has a presence. This helps ensure that employees areunderstanding the importance of a wellness program, from multiplesources, and multiple touchpoints.

For example, at one technology company, a three-phasedapproach is used that includes identifying and developingrelationships with influencers at all levels of the company — fromadministrative assistants to leaders — and then communicatingconsistently with them throughout the year.