Employee Wellness

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Ideas & Resources

A sustainable school not only nurtures its students but also prioritizes the physical and psychological well-being of its employees. Promoting employee wellness is essential for creating a thriving, productive, and engaged workforce. This START metric encourages schools to adopt initiatives that support the holistic health of all staff members, from administrators and faculty to custodians and office staff.

By investing in wellness programs, schools demonstrate their commitment to their employees’ overall quality of life, which in turn fosters a positive work environment, reduces absenteeism, and improves job satisfaction. Wellness-focused initiatives also strengthen the sense of community, collaboration, and shared purpose within the school.

Strategies for Promoting Employee Wellness

NOTE: This is not a prescriptive list; it is intended to inspire ideas and provide examples that can be adapted to meet the unique needs and circumstances of each school community.

Wellness Coordinator: Designate a building wellness coordinator to promote healthy and fun activities for staff such as morning yoga, an after-school walking club, healthy recipe sharing, or hydration challenge.
Provide Health and Wellness Training
- Offer workshops on mindfulness, stress management, and work-life balance.
- Provide training on nutrition, fitness, and healthy lifestyle habits.
Facilitate Access to Fitness Resources
- Partner with local gyms or fitness studios to offer discounts or free memberships for employees.
- Create on-site fitness spaces or offer group exercise classes such as yoga, pilates, or Zumba.
Offer Mental Health Support
- Provide access to counselors or therapists for confidential support.
- Host mental health awareness sessions to reduce stigma and encourage open conversations.
Conduct Wellness Screenings and Health Services
- Arrange for regular medical check-ups, flu vaccinations, or blood pressure screenings at school.
- Offer dental or vision care services on-site or through partnerships with local providers.

Support Financial Wellness
- Host financial planning workshops to help staff with budgeting, saving, and retirement planning.
- Offer access to financial counseling services for staff experiencing financial stress.
Create a Positive Work Environment
- Promote a culture of respect, recognition, and collaboration.
- Allow for flexible work schedules or remote work options where possible to support work-life balance.
Foster Community and Connection
- Organize team-building activities, wellness challenges, or social events for staff.
- Create a staff wellness committee to plan initiatives and gather feedback.
Encourage Breaks and Downtime
- Provide designated spaces for staff to relax, such as a quiet lounge or outdoor seating area.
- Encourage regular breaks during the workday to prevent burnout.
Promote Healthy Eating
- Offer nutritious food options in the cafeteria or staff kitchen.
- Host cooking classes or nutrition workshops to inspire healthy meal preparation.
Monitor and Adjust Wellness Programs
- Regularly survey employees to assess their wellness needs and satisfaction with current initiatives.
- Adjust programs based on feedback to ensure they remain relevant and impactful.

‘How To’ Guides

How to Educate Staff about the Role of Nutrition in Disease Prevention

From the Educated Choices Program, an overview of their free resources for nutrition education, including online presentations and resources.

Schools hold the key to a healthy, sustainable and regenerative future.

They are role-models and incubators that that nurture, educate and prepare each generation for adult life.

Schools have a unique opportunity and profound responsibility to become part the transition to a sustainable, regenerative future in which people and planet can thrive.

But how do we get there?

START: Sustainability Tracking, Analytics & Roadmap Tool was created by schools, for schools, to help them develop comprehensive programs for step-by-step progress towards sustainability, regenerative practice, and student empowerment.

START provides a Roadmap for School Sustainability:

It breaks down school sustainability into clear actions (‘metrics’), such as Minimizing Waste, Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and supporting Sustainable Transportation options.

However, research shows it’s not enough for a school to simply reduce its environmental impact.

Students and staff also need to learn about sustainability, and practice it in day-to-day activities, because this impacts their attitudes and behaviors when they leave school. That’s why START includes metrics like Sustainability Events for Students, Sustainability Course Content, and Sustainable Purchasing Practices.

How sustainable is our school now?

Schools use START to measure how sustainable they are now. A school’s START team investigates how their school currently operates to find their ‘sustainability baseline’ for each metric. For example, is our school a beginner, intermediate or advanced in sustainable water use? START enables schools to benchmark, track and visualize their current sustainability levels, as well as hard data around their waste, water, energy and greenhouse gas emissions.

Where should we go next, and do we collaborate for success?

What do we need to do to ‘level up’ in each metric? Once schools have their baselines, START helps them to set goals and plan for progress. START provides a central hub for school members to collaborate, document, and plan their school’s sustainability journey.

START is a subscription-based Whole School Sustainability dashboard.

It requires at least one adult school member to create a school’s START account, but it will need a team (students, teachers and staff) to grow a Whole School Sustainability program.

Interested schools can sign up for a demo or apply to set up an account.

Learn more about START here, and consider sharing the brochure with your school.

Let’s create a better future, one school at a time.

Contact us at guides@greenschoolsalliance.org if you have a free resource to contribute or recommend that can help schools take action around this specific sustainability metric.