Posts from — December 2008

Benefits of Employee Wellness Programs: Easy to Find

Employer’s are learning that Employee Wellness Initiatives is an effective way to increase productivity, improve staff member health, decrease health care costs and reduce absenteeism.

A report published in 2003 by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) highlighted how important it is for corporations to incorporate Employee Wellness Initiatives as part of their organization strategy. The report asserts that chronic diseases which are largely preventable place a heavy toll on business, including lower productivity and higher health insurance costs.

The Department of Health and Human Services estimates that $1.66 trillion was spent on health care in 2003 and it attributes a majority of those costs to chronic diseases and conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity and asthma. Sadly, the money allocated for preventing or controlling these conditions is negligible.

In a recent article, American Cancer Society CEO John Seffrin reported two thirds of cancer deaths in the United States could be prevented through lifestyle changes in diet, exercise, cancer screening and “especially” tobacco use. A well-designed Employee Wellness Initiatives initiative serves the best interests of workers and corporations alike.

Benefits of Wellness Progams: Return On Investment

Ron Goetzel, a nationally recognized expert in the field of health management, information assessment and applied research, said in a recent interview that with an investment of $100 to $150 per staff member per year in Employee Wellness Programs, an employer can expect an average ROI of approximately $3 for every $1
invested ($300 to $450 savings per staff member per year).  Goetzel says, however, that these returns are not typically realized until two to three years into the Employee Wellness Program.

Benefits of Wellness Progams: Tax Breaks

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) has been an outspoken proponent in seeking legislative solutions for a strained health care system.

“As a nation, we have a ‘sick care’ system that is focused on helping employees after they get sick, rather than a ‘health care’ system which focuses on keeping healthy employees healthy,” he says.

Harkin introduced the Healthy Lifestyle and Prevention (HeLP) America Act of 2004. One of the initiatives under Title II – Healthier Communities and Workplaces, provides tax credits to corporations that offer comprehensive programs to promote staff member health and grants for small business.

Benefits of Wellness Progams: Getting Started

Implementing a Employee Wellness Initiatives can be accomplished with simple, low-cost strategies.

• Offer incentives for participation.
• Begin a wellness informational campaign.
• Schedule wellness seminars on diabetes, nutrition, exercise and cholesterol.
• Begin initiatives such as fitness, sleep diary, tobacco use cessation and injury prevention.
• Offer onsite chair massages or simple stretching exercises to do at the desk.
• Change snack machine options to offer healthier, low-fat snacks and drinks.
• Actively promote staff member participation in all Employee Wellness Programs.

A successful Company Health Promotion Initiative can boost business morale, enhance productivity, reduce organizational conflict, attract superior workers and decrease the rate of staff member turnover. The case for beginning a Company Health Promotion Initiative is well worth the effort.