How a Fully Remote Company Built a Weekly Virtual Wellness Program
Making employee wellness approachable across multiple time zones
How do you create a wellness program when your employees aren't in the same office—or even the same time zone?
That was the challenge for a fully remote research firm with approximately 160 employees located across the country.
After internal employee well-being surveys identified mental health and well-being as areas the company wanted to support, the team approached ThriveHub about creating a recurring virtual wellness program.
The result was a weekly 30-minute desk yoga class designed specifically around the realities of remote work.
The Challenge: Wellness for a Distributed Workforce
The client knew they wanted to offer weekly virtual yoga, but designing the program raised an immediate question: When should you hold a live wellness class when employees work across several time zones?
During our initial consultation, ThriveHub worked with the client to think through scheduling and recommended a day and time based on our experience with class attendance and employee wellness programming.
But scheduling was only part of the challenge.
We also wanted the program to feel approachable enough that employees who didn't already practice yoga would feel comfortable joining.
Keeping Virtual Yoga Simple and Approachable
ThriveHub presented two programming approaches: rotate between different wellness class types each week or maintain one consistent class format while changing the focus from week to week.
The client chose consistency.
We created a weekly 30-minute desk yoga class. The shorter duration made it easier to fit into the workday, while desk yoga offered a low-barrier format employees could participate in from home.
Instead of repeating the same class every week, ThriveHub developed rotating themes to create variety within that consistent structure.
The program began with yoga foundations, introducing different concepts from week to week.
The following quarter shifted toward areas particularly relevant to desk-based employees, with sessions focused on topics such as the neck, lower back, and eye strain.
Employees knew what kind of class to expect each week while still having something new to explore.
Creating Excitement at Launch
ThriveHub also helped the company turn the launch into an employee engagement opportunity.
We designed custom-branded premium yoga mats specifically for the client and coordinated drop shipping to employees.
Employees who participated during the program launch could be entered into a yoga mat raffle, creating another reason to try the new wellness offering while giving winners something they could continue using at home.
Optimizing Engagement Over Time
Launching a wellness program is one thing. Keeping employees engaged is another.
As the program continued, ThriveHub worked with the client to explore ways to increase attendance and participation.
Ideas included encouraging cameras during select sessions where the instructor could provide more technique-focused guidance, experimenting with class formats or scheduling, and running internal promotions such as inviting a colleague to yoga.
Rather than treating the original program design as permanent, we continued looking at employee response and identifying small adjustments that could make the experience more engaging.
What Employees Thought
Employee feedback was consistently positive, including 5-out-of-5 ratings and praise for the instructor and overall experience.
The approachable format was particularly important for a remote workforce. Employees didn't need to commute to a class, commit to a lengthy workout, or have extensive yoga experience. They could step away from work for 30 minutes and participate from wherever they were working.
The rotating themes also gave returning participants a reason to continue joining rather than experiencing the exact same class every week.
The Results
The program gave a fully distributed workforce a consistent wellness experience employees could participate in together, regardless of where they worked.
Key elements included:
Weekly 30-minute virtual desk yoga
Scheduling designed around employees in multiple time zones
Quarterly themes to create variety within a consistent class format
Programming focused on the realities of desk-based work
Custom-branded yoga mats and a launch raffle
Ongoing employee feedback
Collaborative strategies to increase participation over time
Consistently positive employee ratings and instructor feedback
The result wasn't simply putting a yoga class on the calendar. It was creating a virtual wellness program that could evolve alongside the workforce.
Build a Virtual Wellness Program for Your Team
Remote employees shouldn't have to be in the same building to share a wellness experience.
ThriveHub creates virtual yoga, meditation, fitness, and wellness programming designed around your workforce, schedule, and goals. We can help with everything from program design and instructor coordination to engagement strategies that help employees participate.
Looking for wellness programming for a remote or distributed workforce? Talk to ThriveHub about building a custom virtual employee wellness program.
