Posts from — April 2009

These are short informational “Health Tips” in an e-mail format on many different health-related topics. You have the potential to appoint someone within your company to find specific topics on the Internet from sites that are in the public domain or topics can be purchased from corporations. Some qualified sources include:
• Hope Health
• Sound Ideas, Inc.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• National Institutes of Health

These e-mails have the potential to be sent daily, weekly or monthly. Our experience indicates weekly is the best frequency.

If the majority of your workers do not have e-mail, consider providing the information to them through:
• Bulletin boards
• Check stuffers
• Mailbox stuffers
• Newsletters

SAMPLE #1 Worksite Wellness E-mail Messages

From: Workplace Wellness Program
To: Wellness Team
Subject: Layering for Exercise

One way to help ensure enjoyment of a winter walk (or run) is to make sure you’re dressed properly for the weather. And the secret to that, for a winter workout, is to dress in layers.
Layer 1 — Avoid 100% cotton in the first layer, next to your skin. Cotton holds perspiration. Wear underwear made from manmade fabrics to wick perspiration away from skin.
Layer 2 — A zippered sweatshirt and sweatpants will keep you warm. Just open the zipper if you get too warm.
Layer 3 — If required, over the sweatsuit, you are able to add a waterproof and windproof jacket. If it’s very cold, you may want to wear a jacket made with goose down.
Hands — Mittens will keep your hands warmer than gloves.
Feet — Wear socks made from wool or manmade fabrics that keep your feet dry and warm. Avoid 100 percent cotton socks. Don’t wear sneakers or boots that fit too tightly … this will restrict blood flow and your feet will end up feeling colder.
Head — About 40 percent of your body heat is lost through your head. Wear a hat and cover your ears.
Lips — Don’t forget lip balm with sunscreen … even in winter!

SAMPLE #2 Worksite Wellness E-mail Messages

From: Employee Health Promotion Program
To: Wellness Team
Subject: Energy Boosts

Need a boost of energy? Here are some ideas for tapping into your own energy sources — and most require little effort.
• Get an extra hour of sleep. No surprise here — it is able to make a large difference in your energy level the following day.
• Eat less more often. Have little, balanced meals or snacks throughout your day for a steady supply of fuel and energy. Make note of which foods seem to boost your energy level.
• Drink sufficient amounts of water. Dehydration leads to to fatigue, which you have the potential to offset by drinking water throughout the day.
• Avoid alcohol and caffeine. Both have the potential to contribute to dehydration and fatigue. They also tend to disrupt sleep patterns.

Wellness Seminars / Lunch and Learn Programs are learning sessions planned and organized by you to meet specific goals. Decide on a topic and select a speaker. Select a site for the “Lunch and Learn” session, usually a lunchroom or break room. Depending upon your budget and objectives, employees are able to brown bag the lunch or you might support the meal. Meetings are able to be mandatory or elective, your choice.
Experience tells us the most success will be experienced if these Wellness Seminars / Lunch and Learn Programs are elective and if the business supplies lunch.
Goals for Wellness Seminars / Lunch and Learn Programs

Education on a specific health issue. You may want to choose one of your group’s top diagnoses. Examples are:
• Diabetes – diabetes prevention and care by a certified diabetic educator
• Cardiovascular disease – cardiovascular health (individual counseling sessions with a nutritionist)
• Hypertension
• Hypercholesterolemia
• Flu and pneumonia
• Breast cancer – breast health or breast self-exam sessions are able to be taught by a trained instructor

Education on medical insurance benefits:
• Diabetes – what are the covered benefits, where to purchase diabetic supplies, support groups for employees with diabetes.
• Company Health Promotion Program Benefits
• Well baby/child care.

Education on the importance of enrolling in your health plan or local health department’s health education programs or disease management programs. Example programs:
• Diabetes
• Respiratory
• Low-Back Pain
• Cardiovascular
• Tobacco use

Community Resource Speakers for Wellness Seminars / Lunch and Learn Programs
• Local health plan office
• Local heart association
• Local cancer society
• Pharmacies – many pharmacists are available to speak on pharmacy-related concerns.
• Prescription Employers – many employers have standard presentations developed for employers that are given no cost of charge to use at your own direction. Some examples are:
   • Know Your Numbers (elevated cholesterol) – Pfizer
   • Respiratory Wellness (flu and pneumonia) – Pfizer
   • Men’s and Women’s Health – Pfizer
• Local gyms/personal trainers/YMCA – can discuss walking safety, benefits of walking, swimming and aerobics.
• Yoga and/or Pilates instructors
• Running, cycling club representatives
• Local hospital nutritionists
• Stamp Out Smoking – Tobacco Coalition representatives

Topics for Wellness Seminars / Lunch and Learn Programs

• Bicycling – benefits and opportunities for cycling
• Nutrition and health (Heart Healthy lunch for all attendees)
• Heart health
• Women’s health issues
• How to recognize the signs and symptoms of heart attack and stroke
• National Employee Fitness Day within the office setting – Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness representatives can promote event
• Exercise tolerance and healthy heart issues
• Starting an physical activity program – include the importance of seeing the doctor before beginning of any new physical activity program
• Self-defense
• Domestic abuse
• Safety in general
• Exercise safety
• Walking/running benefits and safety tips Tobacco dangers and avoidance

Conducting an Employee Fitness Challenge at your workplace is a fun and exciting way to raise awareness among employees about the effect of beginning and sustaining an physical activity program. It is a concentrated effort in which to engage them in physical exercise for a specific time period that, hopefully, will help them begin a healthy habit that will last a lifetime.
Nevertheless, it is significant to practice wellness year-round. This section provides a accross the board list of Corporate Wellness Program ideas that have been implemented within wellness programs.
All ideas presented in this section have been successful for one or both of the entities. Each activity/idea can be used as a stand-alone event, even if you don’t conduct a fitness contest, or can be held in conjunction with your Employee Fitness Contest.
You may want to choose some of the ideas you think will work for your staff members or come up with others and begin your plan to foster a better state of health.

Research studies have repeatedly determined that comprehensive Corporate Wellness Programs, or Corporate Wellness Programs, are able to lower medical care and insurance expenditures, cut down on absenteeism, and better success and work rate. Other benefits determined in research studies include improved ability to attract and retain key personnel, greater employee allegiance, and improved public image of the corporation.

Healthcare and Insurance expenses

A number of studies support evidence of lower medical and insurance costs for participants in Corporate Health Promotion Programs, particularly wellness programs involving exercise.

For $30 per person, the Bank of America started a Worksite Health Promotion Program for retirees using a risk assessment questionnaire, self-care books and other mailed materials. Insurance claims were reduced an average of $164 per year in this group while they increased $15 for the control group. Since they were able to document significant changes in risk behavior, they anticipate greater savings in future years.

Pacific Bell’s FitWorks participants claim $300 less per case for a one-year savings of $700,000. Savings for conditions related to a sedentary lifestyle are $722 per case.

Coca Cola published a reduction in medical|medical|medical care|healthcare} claims with an exercise program alone, saving $500 per employee per year for the staff members (60%) who joined their HealthWorks exercise program. Prudential Insurance Employer reports that the business’s major medical costs dropped from $574 to $312 for each attendant in its wellness program.

Decreased Absenteeism

Rates of Absenteeism has been determined to be impacted by wellness programs. The evidence indicates a significant decrease in absenteeism and resultant dollars saved as a result of employee fitness programs.

Pacific Bell’s FitWorks program decreased absent days .8 percent to save $2 million in one year. FitWorks members also invested 3.3 days less on short-term disability for an additional savings of $4.7 million.

Focusing Worksite Health Promotion Program efforts on elevated-risk staff members has the potential to lead to better results. A national manufacturing organization reports a reduction of 12.2 percent in illness days for these staff members.

A 2-year study by The DuPont Corporation of the effect of its all-inclusive Company Wellness Program on absences among staff members reports that blue-collar staff members at intervention sites had a 14% decline in disability days vs. 5.8% decline for controls. There were a total of 11,726 fewer net disability days.

Enhanced Performance, Productivity and Morale

A number of employers with Corporate Health Promotion Programs report documented improvement in job attitude, work performance, energy level, and/or overall morale among program participants–all critical factors in enhancing productiveness.

A Johnson & Johnson study observed that employee attitude changes were greater at Employee Wellness Program intervention sites with significant beneficial attitude changes noted in the categories of employer commitment, supervision, on the job conditions, job competence/security, and pay/benefits.

In a Canadian government study, the Canada Life Assurance Business experimental group realized a 4 percent increase in productiveness after starting a organization fitness program, compared to the control group. Further, 47 percent of program participants published that they felt more alert, had better rapport with their co-employees, and generally enjoyed their work more.

Swedish investigators saw that mental effectiveness was significantly better in physically fit employees than in non-fit employees. Fit employees committed 27 percent fewer errors on tasks involving concentration and short-term memory, as compared with the effectiveness of deconditioned employees.

The Bottom Line

The following sample of Workplace Wellness Programs wellness program results have been stated by individual employers:

Business: Dollars Saved/Dollars Spent

• Bank of America (Fries): $5.96/$1
• PacBell: $3.10/$1
• Wisconsin School District Insurance Group: $4.47/$1
• Prudential Insurance: $2.90/$1
• Bank of America (Leigh): $4.73/$1
• General Mills: $3.50/$1

Summary

There is growing evidence that a large portion of the billions of dollars now being spent by employers on health-related costs is preventable by means of Worksite Wellness Programs. Well-planned, all-inclusive Worksite Wellness Programs (Worksite Wellness Programs and Worksite Wellness Programs) have been determined to be cost-effective, especially when the Worksite Wellness Programs is matched to the health issues of the specific employee.

Free Workplace Wellness Programs and Low Cost Health Management Alternatives

Develop a no cost Workplace Wellness Program or run a thriving health management program in the office for little or no cost to your business. The benefits of workplace wellness and learning how to enable a health management program at work are numerous. The articles on health management have generated a variety of questions, mostly from wellness providers but also from employers trying to enable their own wellness workplace programs. There are a number of things to do to enable a thriving health management program at work.

Suggestions for Starting a Free or Low Cost Worksite Health Promotion Program

Prior to starting an inexpensive or no cost wellness program for your company, learn more about what employees desire. Survey employees to learn more about their wellness problems. Keep the survey confidential to safeguard employees’ identities. Typically the most popular workplace wellness subject matters are smoking cessation, weight loss problems and heart and blood lipid health.

Look for Corporate Wellness Program Freebies

Discover who will come in for free to talk to staff members and explore partnerships with outside agents related to workplace wellness. For example, contact a local branch of a well-known weight loss company and ask if someone is able to come in and talk to staff members. Find agencies that are willing to come in and talk about issues related to wellness at no expense to staff members, in exchange for something from you.

Find Worksite Health Promotion Program Partnerships

Working with a weight loss company to set up a speaking engagement for employees is an excellent opportunity to explore a potential wellness partnership. The weight loss company may say that if ten employees join the program, they will hold regular meetings at company headquarters for the people who joined. The weight loss group also may offer company employees a discount if multiple people join the program.

Nonprofits an Untapped Health Leadership Resource

There are also plenty of nonprofit agencies who would be thrilled to visit a organization to discuss health management. But it’s up to you to offer them something in return. For example, if the MS Society came in and talked about the signs of MS, the organization might offer to organize an MS walk (in keeping with organization health management goals, right?), or an auction with employee and organization-donated items where the proceeds go to MS. The people at the nonprofit agencies would be glad to open a dialog with your organization and to talk about what they would want in return for a speaking engagement. In a myriad of cases, they won’t need anything at all for a first meeting.

Gathering Data and Evaluating Company Health Promotion Program Results

Collecting data and analyzing results of a Corporate Health Promotion Program is able to be tricky because of HIPPA laws. Nevertheless, if at least ten staff members joined the weight loss program, or 20 people participate daily in the all-new “Let’s Walk a Mile at Lunch” program, that sort of progress is able to speak strongly to senior staff. And, organization successes will potentially give senior staff more incentive to support money for additional health management and Corporate Health Promotion Programs in the future.

Small employer wellness programs are catching on. A well-designed wellness program can boost productivity, boost morale and vitality, cut stress, cut absenteeism, and control preventable medical care expenditures within a employer. The beauty of it is that you’re simply assisting workers to make smart choices so the expenditures of implementing a wellness program are minimal compared to the benefits.

Employee health is a primary concern for small company owners. In a small company, even a few sick staff members have the potential to disrupt the flow of the workplace and bring the operation to a standstill.

Instead of sitting back and hoping for the best, some small organization owners are taking the matter of employee health into their own hands by starting Worksite Health Promotion Programs. Here’s how they work.

Overview of Worksite Health Promotion Programs

Employee wellness programs are programs initiated by the business to better the overall health of their work force and to help individual staff members overcome specific health-related hurdles. These programs are able to be offered in a variety of formats: In mandatory employee training meetings, as voluntary classes, or through a third-party provider offering a wide-range of Employee Assistance Programs.

In every case, however, the organization foots the bill for the programs because an investment in employee health is a organization expenditure that directly impacts the organization’s bottom line.

Why offer Employee Wellness Programs?

Apart from the obvious issue for the health of your workers, there are several other reasons why Employee Health Promotion Programs make sense for small organizations. From the get-go, your company will advance from the decreased level of absenteeism that goes hand in hand with a healthy workforce.

Workplace Wellness Programs will also decrease the number of injuries that occur in the workplace, not just from accidents, but also from repetitive motion and other recurring sources. Since even a minor blip in worker attendance has the potential to have a tremendous influence on a small corporation, a more reliable workforce will eventually translate into a smoother work cycle and a more robust bottom line.

Worksite Wellness Program Features

Company Wellness Programs have the potential to cover a broad range of health-related subject matters. Based on your employees’ needs, it’s completely up to you to determine the kind of programming you wish to offer. Nonetheless, most Company Wellness Programs offer some at least some programs in the following areas:

• Nutrition. Diet can significantly influence an employee’s ability to do their job effectively. Nutritional programs educate staff members about diet options and equip them to make healthy dietary choices.
• Physical Fitness. In addition to diet, exercise is an important factor in a healthy lifestyle. Employee Wellness Programs usually provide staff members with opportunities to incorporate exercise into their daily lives.
• Tobacco Cessation. Statistics prove that tobacco users tend to fall ill more commonly than their non-smoking peers. Since sick workers disrupt the workplace, smoking cessation programs are a no-brainer for both employers and workers.
• Physiological Testing. Many employers offer physiological as a regular part of their wellness programs. Cholesterol tests, Blood Pressure screenings, and other simple exams can support early warning signs for more weighty problems.
• Stress Management. Stress itself takes a toll on staff members. Still, stress is also linked to other health concerns such as depression, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. Company Health Promotion Programs that help staff members deal with stress improve not only the psychological health of your staff members, but their physical health as well.

Create a Business Company Wellness Program for Your Employees Today

The advantages to starting a workplace health & wellness program are abounding.

A few corporate health and wellness tips to get workers started on the path to a healthier lifestyle:

1. Look around, and determine if employees lead a healthy lifestyle before starting an Worksite Health Promotion Program. How many employees dash outside during lunch for a tobacco break? Would a tobacco cessation program help? How often do the junk food-laden vending machines must be replenished? Is anyone working out or taking advantage of local walking trails as part of their healthy living objectives? The answers to these questions will give companies a clearer idea of the Worksite Health Promotion Program that’s right for them.

2. Survey workers to evaluate their healthy lifestyle habits. Are they exercising regularly? Eat three square meals a day? Have regular physicals? Really? Then what planet are they on? Because we would love to visit! A corporate wellness program benefits most employers because workers don’t have the time or energy to stay on top of health & wellness issues at work or when they leave the office to go home.

3. Give Corporate Health Promotion Programs a sizable kick-off with a healthy living “fair.” Offer workers free flu shots, Blood Pressure (BP) checks, blood lipid screenings, body/fat ratio assessments, tobacco cessation programs and free mammograms- and contact the local hospital, because there’s plenty more where this came from. Companies keep their workers hopping during the week. Give workers a chance to increase their healthy lifestyle on the company dime. A corporate health and wellness program is an added benefit that workers get for working for the company!

4. Incent to live- offer cash money for staff members to lose weight, commit to a smoking cessation program and generally enjoy a healthier lifestyle. Encourage humankind’s innate competitive nature by offering prizes for health & wellness employee “winners.” And, encourage a healthier lifestyle by sponsoring staff members who wish to enter a local 5K for charity race, run a marathon or play a sport.

Introduction to Worksite Health Promotion Programs

The last ten years has brought primary changes in employer attitudes toward Employee Health Promotion Programs. Interest in self-help and self-care programs has increased as growth in medical expenditures have encroached substantially into profits. Changes in the employer structures of medical facilities, in particular the growth of the for-profit medical sector, and the need to contain expenditures are changing the ways in which purchasers of medical plans are viewing their own efforts toward provision of worksite medical programs and facilities. Projections for the next decade indicate that worksite health programs will continue to become valuable factors in the provision of medical, including prevention activities, for both government and private industry. In companies with existing Employee Health Promotion Programs, administrative rationale for sponsoring these activities ranged from improving employee health (28%) to improving employee morale (9.7%). Programs include interventions associated with safety, health risk assessment, smoking cessation, Blood Pressure (BP) control, nutrition programs and stress management. Benefits given range from improved health and work rate to lowering medical expenditures.

Demographics of the U.S. Workforce
• 110 million Americans were in the civilian labor force in 1981; by the year 2000 the civilian labor force is predicted to be nearly 140 million.
• 44 percent of the 1984 labor force was female; ten percent was Black.
• The median age of the workforce is 32 years and is expected to rise to 32 years by 2030.
• 57.9 percent of all employees work in employers with between 2 and 500 employees; 45 percent work in employers with fewer than 100 employees. An additional 7.5 million American citizens are self-employed and 3 million are farmers.
• 18% of all wage and salaried staff members in 1985 were union participants.
• 45 percent of all employees are employed in offices.

Prevalence of Workplace Health Promotion Programs Activities

Based on a 1985 survey, almost 66 percent of worksites with 50 or more employees had Worksite Wellness Programs activities in 1985.  The frequency of workplace-based activities by selected categories in 1985 was:

Activity

Smoking Control       35.6 percent
Health Risk Assessment    29.5%
Back Care             28.6%
Stress Management       26.6%
Exercise             22.1 percent
Off the Job Accidents    19.8%
Nutrition             16.8%
Blood Pressure (BP) Control    16.5%
Weight Control          14.7 percent

Worksite size is the strongest indicator of program prevalence.

Most workers believe the benefits of their Corporate Wellness Programs activities outweigh the costs, even though few formal evaluations exist.

The most usually given reason for starting programs and perceived profit from programs is improved employee health.

At most worksites with activities (85.4%), all staff members are eligible to take part. 30 percent of worksites with activities offer them to corporation dependents, and an equal percent offer them to retirees.

When worksites seek outside program assistance, they turn to voluntary, not-for-profit corporations (57.1%), private for-profit providers-consultants (50%), local hospitals (44%), and insurance corporations (43%).

Tobacco Cessation Programs

Smoking related health issues cost U.S. businesses $26 billion per year in lost productivity and $7 to $8 billion in tobacco-related medical costs.

Employees who smoke are 50 percent more likely to be hospitalized than people that do not smoke, have 2 times as countless job-related accidents as people that do not smoke and have absenteeism rates approximately 50 percent higher than people that do not smoke.

People who smoked an average of one or more packs of cigarettes per day had 118 percent higher health care expenditures than people that do not use tobacco.

76% of current tobacco users and 80% of former tobacco users and nonsmokers feel that employers ought to restrict smoking to certain areas.

In 1985, 65% of smokers, 85% of people that do not smoke and 78% of former smokers, felt that smokers should refrain from smoking in the presence of people that do not smoke.

In 1986, 17 states had laws regulating tobacco use in offices or workplaces either in government-controlled offices or offices of private staff members.

Examples of smoking cessation intervention program used by employers include:

• making available people that do not smoke a discount of health and life insurance;
• paying full or partial fees for smoking cessation programs;
• offering cessation programs on business or shared time;
• offering cash payments to quitters after 6 of 12 smoke-free months;
• participating in national quit smoking days; and
• adopting a tobacco-free business policy and setting deadlines for implementing the policy.

Physical Fitness Programs

An active 55-year-old man has the potential to lead as vigorous a lifestyle as a sedentary 35-year-old.

Differences in work-related exercise has been determined to give a two- to three-fold difference in cardiovascular deaths between active workers and their more sedentary counterparts.

In addition to improving strength, balance, and flexibility, physical activity programs are able to cut the probability of back injuries among certain occupational groups.

93 million workdays in the United States are lost each year due to back concerns.

Research findings support the notion that worksite exercise programs improve fitness and help cut other health risks, although results related to improved productivity are weak due to lack of methods for accurately measuring productivity.

A very small proportion of worksites have onsite physical fitness facilities.

The majority of staff members sponsored exercise program involve skills training such as aerobic dance, low impact aerobics, weight training, preand post-natal exercise classes, and walking/jogging groups.

Some businesses subsidize employee participation in neighborhood “Ys,” health clubs or other neighborhood programs if no onsite facilities are available.

Worksite exercise program may decrease expenditures to employers by reducing employee health care claims and expenditures.

Those whose weekly exercise was equivalent to climbing less than five flights of stairs or walking less than a half mile, spent 114% more on health claims than those who ascended at least 15 flights of stairs or walked 1 1/2 miles weekly.

Healthcare expenditures for obese people are roughly 11% higher than those for thin people.

Nutrition and Weight Control

One-third of the U.S. population is obese to the extent of decreasing their life expectancy.

Improvements in eating habits have the potential to reduce the risk of weighty health concerns such as elevated Blood Pressure (BP) and cholesterol levels and is instrumental in the control of non-insulin-dependent diabetes.

The workplace offers several advantages for nutrition education; support and influence of co-workers and upper management, availability of a daily eating situation, and opportunities for follow-up and monitoring.

Worksite nutrition programs can be grouped in 6 broad categories:

• cafeteria programs;
• multi-component programs;
• weight management programs;
• blood lipid reduction programs;
• programs for pregnant and lactating women; and
• other nutrition education issues.

Men are less likely to take part in weight-loss programs than are female staff members.

Stress Management

Estimates suggest that 50% to 80% of physician visits are able to be attributed to psychosomatic or stress-related origins.

Company pays many of the expenditures related to employee stress, both directly in the form of health care expenditures and in decreased productiveness.

Job factors which are associated with stress include:

• not allowing staff members to participate in decisions about the work process;
• positions which require more or less skill than the employee has;
• changes in work demands;
• lack of clarity about expectations and standards; and
• conflict with co-workers or supervisors.

Most workplace stress management programs are implemented as a result of requests from workers.

Stress management programs focus on three types of skills: relaxation skills, coping skills, and interpersonal skills.

Job Site stress management programs are frequently delivered in one of three formats:

• classes conducted by trained professionals;
• self-learning tools; and
• personal teaching to support  with self-assessment, planning for changes, learning new skills and responding to life crises.

The two primary techniques used in workplace stress management programs are:

• teaching people to reduce the negative physical effects of stress; and
• teaching people to recognize and control sources of stress at work and in personal life.

Safety Belt Usage

Motor vehicle accidents are the largest single cause of lost work time and on-the-job fatalities of American business.

Motor vehicle accidents account for 27% of all work-related deaths and 45 million days of lost work annually.

More than 36% of the 11,300 accidental work deaths in 1983 involved motor vehicles.

Employees who routinely fail to use seat belts may spend up to 54% more days in the hospital.

Traffic accidents caused about 3 times as many days of restricted activity as any other kind of disability.

Motor vehicle crashes cost $15.2 billion in lost productiveness, 88% of which is attributed to losses from workforce activities and future earnings.

In corporate settings where safety belt policies, mandating use of belts by anyone riding in a company vehicle or using a private vehicle for company business, have been enforced, 60 percent to 90 percent use has been published.

Incentive programs, accompanied by education and use requirement restrictions have resulted in 40% to 70% initial usage rates.

Factors influencing the sources of worksite safety belt programs include:

• active commitment on the part of upper management;
• clearly defined and well enforced policy of required belt use working;
• beneficial incentives/rewards; and
• ongoing education and training programs.

Case Studies of Corporate Health Promotion Programs

Based on an extensive evaluation of its comprehensive employee Worksite Wellness Program, LIVE FOR LIFE, Johnson & Johnson reported the break-even point for the program occurs in year 3 and by year 5 they have a net advance of $316 per employee. Their year 9 projected advance is $677 per employee.

workers at four Johnson & Johnson employers who were exposed to the Employee Health Promotion Program increased their daily energy expenditure in vigorous exercise by 104% compared to an increase of 33% among workers at employers that were provided only an annual health screen.

Participants in the United Methodist Publishing House’s Company Health Promotion Program submitted more claims (1.14 per participating employee and .82 for the control in 1984, 1.44 and 1.3 respectively in 1985), but the average cost per claim was less for participants ($316 for participants and $567 for control, in 1984, $262 and $602 respectively in 1985, $270 and $566 respectively in the first four months of 1986).

The United Methodist Publishing House attributes some of the lower than projected use in medical costs for 1985 ($902,116 projected with actual costs $142,884) to the Workplace Wellness Program even though the results are not conclusive.

In 1985, the Adolph Coors Employer conducted a telephone interview of a random sample of its 10,000 employees to determine changes in health practices since the introduction of an employee Employee Wellness Program 4 years earlier. The sample of 495 employees was stratified to match the company profile in terms of age, sex and job description. The survey stated that 65% of respondents started exercising in The previous 4 years, 37% had improved their diets, 20% were regular users of the wellness center, 9% had stopped smoking as the result of the company’s smoking cessation program and regular participants of the wellness center miss an average of 1.96 workdays every year because of illness or injury compared to 3.08 days for non-participating employees.

The Coors Corporation also saw a cost savings from a cardiac rehabilitation program that was begun in 1981. In 1980 workers were out of work 7.2 months after a heart attack or bypass operation. In 1984, cardiac patients were out an average 1.9 months saving $152,000 in lost work time and in 1985 cardiac patients missed an average of 2.6 months, saving $125,000 that year.

Corporation Fitness Programs Plans Improve Employee Health and Wellness

Instituting a Company Health Promotion Program improves the health of employees, decreases employee absenteeism and saves the business money, too. Learn more about starting an Company Health Promotion Program in the office.

Benefits of Corporate Health Promotion Programs

• A company expenditure of $100-$150 per employee each year to take part in an Company Health Promotion Program can save businesses $300 to $450 for each employee every year, according to Ron Goetzel, Director, Cornell University Institute for Health and Productivity Studies. The savings can take a few years to actualize, says Goetzel, and are seen in decreased health expenditures.
• The Wellness Councils of America reported a $24 return for every $1 spent on a Workplace Wellness Program for small employers.
• According to a 2005 survey by The Art of Health Promotion, employers who instituted Worksite Health Promotion Programs realized a 30 percent decline in medical and absenteeism costs in less than four years.

A thriving Company Wellness Program starts with Upper Management. Company owners must lead by example, taking part in their organization’s physical activity program and working closely with a wellness coach. Upper Management must make sure workers are well cognizant of their wellness efforts, posting weight loss results or tobacco cessation results on organization intranet or bulletin boards for everyone to see.

Workplace Health Promotion Programs that Truly Work

• Encourage workers to kick start their own wellness programs by visiting their doctor. A complete physical ought to include information about blood glucose, blood lipids levels and general health.
• Target specific health-related issues in a corporate fitness program. Information about how to fight obesity, smoking, alcoholism and prescription drug abuse should be at the forefront of an Corporate Health Promotion Program, along with related conditions.
• Hire a wellness coach to instruct workers on how to lead a healthy lifestyle.
• Reward workers for taking part in company wellness plans. Let workers accrue wellness and health points that they can redeem for prizes. Make the prizes healthy, too- a free massage, personal training session with the company’s wellness coach or health food gift certificate encourages even healthier lifestyle choices.
• Acknowledge employee wellbeing and health leaders in company newsletters, in posted bulletins and on the company intranet.

Employee Wellness Programs Yield Big Results

For company owners who want to increase employee participation in a Company Health Promotion Program, consider Johnson & Johnson’s approach. Faced with only 26% of workers participating in their employee health and wellbeing program, Johnson & Johnson offered workers a $500 discount on health insurance costs if they completed a health risk profile. The number of workers participating in the Johnson & Johnson company fitness program jumped after they offered the incentive — to more than 93%.

Ron Goetzel encourages those looking to pitch a corporate fitness program to Upper Management to use basic facts about the benefits of Worksite Health Promotion Programs as part of their argument. Keep it simple, and share results from other company’s employee wellness plan success stories.

5 reasons to have a wellness program

1.   The U.S. spends more dollars on medical than any other country yet we are not the world’s healthiest
   • Largely sedentary
   • Tobacco use is still popular
   • Stress is at epidemic levels (WHO)
   • Alcohol continues to take its toll on American citizens

2.   Much of the illness in America is avoidable
   • Tobacco and alcohol are leading causes of death
   • As much as 70 percent of the expense of healthcare is driven by preventable illness

3.   Health Care costs continue to rise
   • Medical Care premiums continue to rise and to be passed on to the employee
   • Healthcare expenditures are usually the number one benefit cost to most employers

4.   The worksite is an ideal setting to address health and well being
   • Most American citizens work
   • Poor health habits take a toll on US Businesses
   • Employers have a vested interest in health related problems.

5.   Research validates that Workplace Wellness Programs are able to better health, save money, and even produce a ROI.
   • Aldana,S.G. (1998). Financial impact of Workplace Wellness Programs and methodological quality of the evidence. The Art of Health Promotion. Vol 2, Number 1.
   • Wilson, M.G. (1996). A all-inclusive review of the effects of Employee Health Promotion Programs on health related outcomes: An update. The American Journal of health promotion. Vol 10, Number 6.
   • Wilson, M.G. (1996). A inclusive review of the effects of Company Health Promotion Programs on health related outcomes: An update. The American Journal of health promotion. Vol 11, Number 2.
   • Chapman, L.S. Proof Positive: An analysis of the cost-effectiveness of worksite wellness. 3rd ed. Seattle: Summex Corporation, 1996.
   • Pelletier, K.R. A review of the health and cost-effective outcomes studies of inclusive health promotion and disease prevention programs at the workplace: 1993-1995 Update. The American Journal of Health and Promotion. Vol. 10, Number 5.

   
Key Components of a Company Wellness Program

Physical Wellness – Focuses on the development, maintenance, or improvement of one’s physical fitness

Sample Physical Worksite Wellness Programs / Workshops
• Annual health screening
• Regular physical activity
• Smart safety habits

Emotional Wellness – Focuses on all aspects of mental fitness

Sample Emotional Corporate Health Promotion Programs / Workshops
• Stress management sessions
• Dealing with aging
• Addictive behaviors
• Parenting

Financial Wellness – Focuses on improving the quality of life of staff members by supporting families and individuals in becoming monetarily stable

Sample Financial Company Wellness Programs / Workshops
• Financial management
• Savings and Investing
• Credit and Purchasing
• Insurance and Estate Planning

Spiritual Wellness – Focuses on promoting a healthy inner self

Sample Spiritual Employee Wellness Programs / Workshops
• Promote daily devotional readings
• Provide regular service opportunities
• Give a daily/weekly/monthly chapel (meditation) time during work hours

Nutritional Wellness – Will meet the needs of the staff members through group and individual nutritional services

Sample Nutritional Corporate Health Promotion Programs / Workshops
• Individual nutritional Assessment
• Individual and group counseling
• Instructional classes
• Weight loss programs