Posts from — July 2009

1. Undertake a utilization assessment – While corporations can’t obtain medical information on individual workers, insurance providers will supply corporations with reports that detail patterns and rates of employee use for things such as physician visits, hospital stays and prescription drug use. This information is essential for a company to set a benchmark of its current health risk status. Data from human resources(HR) can be integrated with benefits information to supply a complete picture of employees’ health-related costs. Then, corporations can determine the specific level of behavior change necessary to result in cost savings. The utilization assessment helps a company identify the areas in which it ought to focus its Workplace Health Promotion Program to reap the greatest benefits.

2. Build a corporation case – Once a utilization assessment is in place, organizations are able to quantify the Health Care cost savings that will result from specific levels of lifestyle modification and risk reduction. This can be done by setting goals/objectives in terms of reductions in identifi able insurance utilization, attendance or disability variables, or by aiming for reductions in health risks and projecting the associated cost savings. Effective estimates factor in the cost of the Workplace Health Promotion Programs as well as the necessary internal marketing efforts that will surround the program. Says Betty-Jo Saenz, United States Health Care Strategy lead for Motorola, “When we started our programs, our focus was on the 20% of staff members that made up 80% of the costs. We’ve addressed that, and now we’re paying attention to those who are active and Finding Wealth Through Wellness 8 keeping them healthy. Wherever you are on the continuum, there are opportunities.”

3. Create a cross-functional wellness group – Businesses need to identify potential group members who can be champions of wellness within the business. It is valuable that the group is representative of the demographic and functional diversity of staff members so that it can credibly address any specific needs groups may have. This group will serve as the voice and face for the Company Wellness Program within the business. Best practice companies integrate members from human resources, communications, business development and senior staff. Using the utilization analysis as a template, the wellness group should evaluate what programs would be most effective within each particular corporate culture, aligning health-risk priorities with initiatives that staff members will be receptive to.

4. Build buy-in from management – The most effective Employee Wellness Programs have substructure from the highest levels of a organization. Substructure from management, both in words and in action, sends the message that Employee Wellness Programs are a priority for a organization. The utilization analysis can be a powerful tool to build the organization case for Employee Wellness Programs and convince executives that initiatives are worthy of investment and attention. Meaningful wellness-related messages are integrated into organization talks and aligned with corporate objectives.

5. Organize a comprehensive Employee Engagement plan – The most brilliantly conceived Employee Wellness Program is meaningless if no workers participate. Effective wellness discussions emphasize both health and monetary benefits at the personal and employer level. According to a 2004 survey by Towers Perrin, only 28% of workers say their employer communicates about Health Care issues other than cost. In addition, wellness-related information should be a part of existing employer discussions efforts and not coupled solely with benefits discussions. This helps elevate the significance of Employee Wellness Programs and align initiatives with employer objectives.

Additionally, discussions around Company Wellness Programs can share personal success stories and provide company progress updates. Successful companies not only use existing discussion channels to generate discussion around activities, but also consider more interactive tools like message boards, forums, blogs and wikis. This helps personalize initiatives and allows for the sharing of best practices within the company.

Most organizations involve health care professionals to advise in the construction, communication and backing of the program. The use of outside authorities such as these will expand the credibility of the Workplace Wellness Programs as well as combat skepticism from staff members who may view the company’s motives as merely selfserving.

Another strategy available to companies is to brand their Company Health Promotion Program. This move can increase the visibility and acceptance of the offering. Branded wellness programs are most common when companies are also promoting an external campaign around Company Health Promotion Programs. An example of this is PepsiCo, which launched its HealthRoads Company Health Promotion Program internally along with a consumer campaign, Smart Spot, that puts special labels on healthier food and drink options.

These efforts are more effective when they are not owned solely by the internal communications department, but rather when managers serve as leaders of, as well as participate in, Corporate Health Promotion Programs within companies. This establishes more immediate accountability and motivation.

6. Measure constantly and consistently – At every step of implementation, a Worksite Wellness Program must be able to demonstrate its value to a employer. Worksite Wellness Programs must be designed to allow employers to set benchmarks and evaluate behavior change. Assessment ought to consider not only quantitative health measures, but also qualitative measures of stress and employee program engagement. Less than 10% of employers do extensive management of medical care cost, employee health risk status or employee satisfaction with benefit offerings, and less than half of employers do any assessment in these areas at all.16

Measurement is only useful if a corporation explicitly defines what data would constitute success. Potential measures of success comprise:

• Participation rates
• Improved employee engagement
• Lowering of risk status
• Lowering of direct health costs
• Reduced absenteeism
• Reduced disability claims

Motorola’s Saenz advises administrators of Workplace Health Promotion Programs to track as many measures as possible from the start, even if management only needs one, because it is very difficult to retrieve data later. She notes that even if leadership begins by looking at participation rates, they will eventually want to know about reductions in claims and costs.

Frequent measurement is the only way to build substructure among management and workers. Nearly half of businesses feel a lack of useful data is a top barrier to their ability to manage employee health, and at least 20% of businesses don’t know how effective existing Company Wellness Programs are regarding various outcomes. Businesses ought to administer utilization analyses annually and reevaluate Company Wellness Program priorities based upon changes. In Addition, progress ought to be shared with the wider business community to build substructure for initiatives. Managers and executives throughout a organization are likely to substructure a program that can prove increased work rate among workers. Effective Company Wellness Programs are designed to be fl exible so they can respond to changes in both organization goals and larger health variations.

Workplace Health Promotion Programs first became popular during the economic boom of the late 1980s and early 90s. Programs featured on-Site health clubs and massages, and were used as recruitment tools for young staff members searching for nontraditional work environments. Nevertheless, when the tech bubble burst, so too did the willingness to spend money on perceived perks, and employers returned to a more traditional benefit structure focused on managed healthcare.

In recent years, as Medical Care costs have spiraled out of control, organizations have explored the potential of Company Wellness Programs as a cost-saving strategy. Businesses such as Johnson and Johnson, General Motors, Motorola and Union Pacifi c Railroad have all seen a signifi cant return on investments in employee health (See Case Studies, p.20). Company Wellness Programs can help lower the costs associated with:

Medical Care premiums – The cost a employer pays for health insurance: According to a 2005 study by Hewitt, the Medical Care cost per employee in the American in 2006 will average $8,046, with organizations absorbing nearly two-thirds of that cost.

Pharmaceutical costs – The price of a prescription plan: According to a 2005 study by Mercer, the average annual prescription costs for big companies grew 11.5 percent, making it nearly a decade straight of double-digit rises in cost.

Short-term disability (STD) – The cost of offering STD insurance to staff members: According to a 2004 study by insurance provider Cigna, the average STD claim results in $13,094 in direct disability payments and medical costs. The report also found that 26 percent of claims related to health care events were a result of chronic conditions that could likely be mediated through Corporate Wellness Programs, and that these cases amount for 56 percent of the STD-related medical costs.

Rates of Absenteeism – The price of missed work: Rates of Absenteeism cost corporations $660 per employee in 2004, with nearly one-third of corporations characterizing the trend as a genuine concern.

Presenteeism – The price associated with employees who work at decreased productivity levels: Sixty percent of the total cost of employee illnesses come from presenteeism, according to a 2004 study by the Institute for Health and Productivity Studies at Cornell University.

The evidence is clear that strategically designed Worksite Health Promotion Programs can reduce both direct and indirect Medical Care costs. A 2004 review of Worksite Health Promotion Programs revealed that, in total, an investment of $1 by a business in Wellness Programming returned a median cost savings of $2.05 to $4.64.

Employee Program Engagement is the level at which workers are aligned with and working toward company goals/objectives. Employee Program Engagement is influenced by a wide range of factors that cover internal discussions, company structure, benefits and recognition.

Businesses that have high levels of employee engagement advance from improved productivity, retention and performance than peers with disengaged staff members.  Levels of engagement among staff members in the United States have been declining over the past several years as individuals have become disillusioned with the treatment of staff members by organizations. The inability to involve staff members is one of the reasons why, despite steady rises in hours worked, America lags behind several other nations in terms of employee productivity per hours worked.

Company Health Promotion Programs may increase employee program engagement in several ways. First, when communicated properly, they verify to staff members that the company cares about their wellness. This can improve retention and turnover as well as support increased discretionary effort from staff members. During a period of significant downsizing, Motorola found a greater interest in its Company Health Promotion Programs as managers recognized the value of providing for the health and wellness of staff members.

In addition, the health improvements will decrease presenteeism and absenteeism (when workers continue to work despite decreased productiveness), allowing for more time invested at full productiveness. Lastly, healthier workers are more likely to have increased morale, which translates into a more enjoyable and more effective work environment.

The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports interprets wellness as “a multidimensional state of being describing the existence of positive health in an individual as exemplified by quality of life and a sense of wellbeing.” Wellness looks beyond the current template of treating disease and focuses on preventive conduct and healthier lifestyles. Corporate Wellness Programs, also frequently referred to as Corporate Wellness Programs, serve as a complement to existing insurance-based health benefit programs and can take many forms and address a myriad different potential health conditions. They are a powerful strategy to promote positive lifestyle changes that can result in significant cost savings for businesses.

Examples of potential components of a Employee Wellness Program cover:

Health Risk Assessments / Employee Health Screenings – Health Risk Assessments (aka Health Risk Appraisals), evaluate the most prevalent lifestyle-related risks of an individual. HRAs often cover screenings for Blood Pressure, cholesterol, glucose levels and other health indicators. These analyses provide valuable benchmarking measures that ideally will allow staff members to prevent or cut their risk of diseases. Finding Wealth Through Wellness, As noted by Kathryn Krivy, director of Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Wellness Institute in Chicago, “Medically based Health Risk Assessments are a necessity because in order to affect modifications in your organization, you need to know what the problems are, and you just do not know until you get the data.”

Physical Activity and Weight Management – One of the most popular Worksite Health Promotion Programs is for corporations to supply access to a exercise facility, often on-Site. Other potential measures include offering healthier vending machines and cafeteria options, weight management support groups and fitness challenge programs. Some corporations, like hospital group Baptist Health South Florida, will even pay for staff members to frequent weight-loss sessions such as Weight Watchers.

Awareness and Education Programs – Most  organizations have events addressing the benefits of nutrition, safety or physical fitness, among other subject matters. Other options are to host a health fair or administer a disease-awareness campaign.

Behavior Modification – This covers issues like smoking, wearing seat belts, and alcohol use. While many businesses will supply assistance for workers looking to change behavior, some businesses, like medical benefits administrator Weyco, Inc., mandate modifications, such as quitting smoking, as a condition of employment.

Alternative Treatments – Other Company Health Promotion Programs can cover absorbing some or all of the costs for massages, stress-reduction activities like yoga or even herbal medicines.

A more modern and systemic solution may involve companies beginning Corporate Wellness Programs, which allow companies to be proactive in preventing illness and promoting healthier lifestyles for employees. When implemented effectively, this approach can guide to reduced direct costs from claims, a reduction in Healthcare premiums and increased employee productiveness.

Yet while Workplace Wellness Programs potentially offer companies substantial cost savings, the success is dependent upon the ability to involve workers in them. Additionally, companies must navigate the legal and cultural challenges posed by Workplace Wellness Programs: Corporations have to be careful that initiatives respect protected classes and the privacy of workers. Furthermore, companies must battle resistance from workers wary of their organization regulating off-the-clock behaviors.

Over the next 6-12 posts we’ll layout the case for Corporate Health Promotion Programs in today’s employment environment, arguing that the cost savings and raised employee program engagement outweigh potential restrictions. We will analyze the considerations a employer must make before launching a Corporate Health Promotion Program and the communication necessary to create successful engagement from workers. Finally, we will discuss several successful Corporate Health Promotion Programs and support a list of resources that businesses can use for guidance.

Over the past decade healthcare insurance costs have risen steadily. This is taking a toll on the bottom-line of organizations, cutting into earnings, limiting growth and forcing a reevaluation of a once sacred employee benefit system. According to a projection by McKinsey & Co., at the present rate, by 2008 health benefits will eclipse earnings at the average Fortune 500 employer.

Companies, through private healthcare insurance companies, are the leading provider of healthcare services in the United States. In 2004, 59.8 percent of American citizens were covered by a employer-based healthcare insurance program, accounting for 88 percent of all private healthcare insurance. Yet the increasing costs of Health Care, ever-increasing drug prices and a steady rise in chronic diseases have brought the corporate culture to a breaking point.

For many organizations the growing burden has become too difficult to bear. During the past five years medical insurance premiums have grown an average of 11.6% each year, more than four times the average rate of inflation and employee earnings over that time.3 Not surprisingly, this growth in costs has caused the number of organizations offering Medical Care services during that time to drop from 69% to 60%.4 In addition, in 2005,  medical insurance premiums jumped 9.2%, more than three times the rate of inflation – and that was the lowest increase in the past five years.

In this environment businesses need to discover innovative ways to stem the increasing costs of Medical Care coverage. Seemingly, the easiest strategies to accomplish this goal would be to reduce benefits coverage or pass on an increasing burden to staff members and retirees. More than 80 percent of businesses have chosen one or both of these options in the past few years and almost half of all large businesses are likely to increase the amount staff members pay in 2007.5

Nevertheless, these options do nothing to mitigate the fundamental causes of increasing premiums, one of which is a population that requires increased medical care. To make a lasting and meaningful influence on premiums and overriding health, organizations need to look beyond a traditional reactive-based approach.

Structuring organization fitness and Worksite Wellness Programs is not about creating a grand scheme that is so complicated it is underutilized.

Worksite Health Promotion Programs are about starting an environment that encourages fitness and active living. The program must be accessible and make sense to the people it is directed at throughout the day.

The outcomes will be a plan that gives plenty of opportunity for exercise, teaches proper diet and stays current on health topics productive to the staff members.

The outcomes will be a plan that offers plenty of opportunity for exercise, teaches proper nutrition and stays current on health concerns productive to the employees.

Coordinating Business Fitness Programs and Worksite Health Promotion Programs – Making a Proposition

Structuring corporation fitness and Worksite Health Promotion Programs means understanding there are many directions the program can take. For starters, it must be of interest to employees at all levels.

The company’s proposal to the employee is this: you take better care of yourselves and we will help you accomplish your mission. To be effective, the Company Health Promotion Program must be pervasive.

In other words, it must address the needs of the top executives as well as the warehouse workers. The variety of jobs within a organization usually indicate wide differences in stress and strain levels on the body and differences in mental and emotional stress.

The program must also take into account employee habits at work and at home. A business with a business fitness and Employee Wellness Program in place sends the message to its workers and customers is that the business takes health seriously.

Structuring company fitness and Employee Wellness Programs involves determining the types of movements that will be most effective for the postion.

Every organization will need a different plan. A organization fitness plan can comprise of a lot more than just an fitness program and dietary planning.

It can offer real opportunity to enhance the entire organization environment. A Worksite Health Promotion Program can include the following:
• Health intervention for existing health ailments
• Recreational programs that engage employees and their families
• Ergonomics to lower work strain and resulting injuries
• Specialized programs that target staff members with physical conditions interfering with routine execution
• Approaching health and fitness problems related to an aging work force
• Establishing fitness programs specifically designed to increase employee work-specific strength

The benefits of carefully coordinating organization fitness and Employee Health Promotion Programs are obvious. Employees get access to the physical activity program either worksite or through organization membership at the health club.

Designing company fitness and Company Health Promotion Programs means including those components critical to good health.
• Meal planning and right eating choices
• Classes instructing on the food pyramid and how the body processes nutrients
• Instruction on working out safely
• Weight loss and weight management

The rewards for the employer are endless.
• Savings on Healthcare costs
• Less employee sick days
• Employees with a sense of health fitness
• Reduceincidences of chronic sickness
• Attracts new employees dedicated to fitness

Planning Business Fitness Programs and Worksite Wellness Programs – Closing the Deal

Implementing and designing organization fitness and Workplace Health Promotion Programs nets big advantages for workers and the organization.
employees are happier, feel better, are more satisfied with their work, are healthier and have more vitality.
Stress is lowerd which positively effects the attitudes of workers, lowers injuries and makes workers more constructive.
Closing the deal on a fitness program means the employer and workers sign on the dotted line of health. Do not let Medical Care care costs continue to rise. Begin now planning employer fitness and Workplace Health Promotion Programs.

Worksite Wellness Program proposals must be designed so that they meet employer goal.

Worksite Wellness Programs for employees are the newest attack on employee unhealthy lifestyles that are equating to exorbitant health care expenditures.

Corporate Health Promotion Program Proposals for implementing a program must take into consideration the type of employer, the budget and the makeup of the employee population.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs for office employee will be different than programs for construction employees

The goal will be same, but the approach to reaching those goal will be different. For a program to be considered successful, results must be measurable.

• staff members achieve better overriding conditioning
• Health Care claims lower
• Work rates rise
• workers experience less sick days
• Number of injuries declines
• Physical issues like high Blood Pressure (BP) are lowerd
In general, Corporate Health Promotion Program proposals must target the fitness problems at the business and offer plans for progress.

Corporate Health Promotion Program Proposals – Going the Distance

There are many different kinds of wellness proposals.

• One-one-one employee evaluations by a  professional healthcare provider
• Outside specialist assistance for program design and implementation only
• Ongoing program monitoring by a personal trainer
• In-house program design
• Health Center memberships
• Workplace Health Promotion Programs
• All-inclusive Company Health Promotion Programs including nutrition and fitness
• Programs that address a specific problem like injury at the worksite

These are just a few forms Company Health Promotion Program proposals can take. A Wellness program can be very basic or elaborate depending on the company budget. A program can comprise of up to 4 components.

• Education on health topics
• Screening programs with follow-up screening
• Employer culture of health improvement

• Fitness and nutrition programs – supervised and unsupervised programs can include a myriad of health and fitness information and activities. The rewards for beginning a Workplace Health Promotion Program are unlimited.

Worksite Health Promotion Program proposals provide a way for management to invest in their employees with a promise of returns in the form of productivity and cost savings.

Wellness Proposals – Healthy Alternatives

Corporate Health Promotion Program proposals provide employees alternatives to specific health issues. Proposals can address particular concerns in addition to overall fitness.

These problems cover stopping smoking, more flexibility for job execution, preventing back injuries, preventing repetitive motion strain, improving loss of functionality due to age and prenatal programs.

Employee Health Promotion Program proposals should have mission that cover improving employee morale, increasing productivity, reducing absenteeism, increasing employee vitality and netting Health Care savings to the employer.

Company Wellness Program costs can significantly vary and many comprise of cost sharing between the employee and the organization to cover gym fees. The bottom line is that a organization can design a Company Wellness Program proposal that suits the organization budget, employee lifestyles, and employee and organization goal.

In any of the Corporate Wellness Program proposals, active alternatives to current employer problems must be spelled out. Employee health is a top priority for any employer that cares about its success.

Research web-based the different Workplace Health Promotion Program proposals that are available for employers. Then find the one that works as if your employees’ lives depended on it, because that very well may be the case.

Corporate Wellness Programs has become a essential component of corporations. It has become apparent in a service oriented economy that employees are living more sedentary lives than ever before.

As a result, a myriad of healthcare ailments plague the labor force costing the employee quality of life, while the business faces more Health Care costs.

It is a circumstance in which no one wins. Waiting until the problem occurs is self-defeating for both the employer and the worker. Corporate Health Promotion Programs only makes great sense by addressing the topic before it happens.

Worksite Health Promotion Program – Cease and Desist Order

Company Health Promotion Programs are like cease and desist orders. These particular orders are instructions on why staff members ought to cease living unhealthy lives and desist from eating junk food.

Let’s face it – employee frequently consume unhealthy food throughout the day. Office staff members, line staff members, sales associates, and executives – they all fall prey to the temptations of donuts, snack machines food, office party snacks and so on.

The bad habits continue at home. Food that is bad for your health is staples in much diets. These foods include too much white bread, cakes, alcohol, fast food picked up on the way home and unhealthy snacks like buttered popcorn and sugar rich soda drinks.

Poor diet and little or no exercise outcomes in weighty chronic illnesses eventually including heart disease and strokes.

Waiting until the ailments occur is expensive. Rising medical care costs are taking a genuine financial toll on employers. Every dime that is spent on illness recovery could have been spent on a business preventive health and Worksite Health Promotion Program.

Prevention means beginning conditions such that illness and injury are minimized through diet and exercise and an awareness of what is a good fitness plan.

• workers are screened for potential for serious chronic diseases such as diabetes
• workers are taught the value of great food and how to develop a dietary plan
• Individual job stress levels are judged
• Fitness Programs are made easily accessible to encourage participation
• Frequent sessions are helpful on relevant topics of health and Employee Health Promotion Programs
• Corporation offers incentive programs to maximize participation

A lot staff members don’t understand the long-term consequences of living a life with little or no exercise. Worksite Wellness Programs bring the information to the staff members so they can make informed decisions.

The cut back in sick days, fewer injuries and decreased stress improves manufacturing and reduces costs.

Worksite Health Promotion Program – Resuming New Health

Company Health Promotion Programs can be elaborate menus of choices or simple plans that show staff members how to enhance their quality of life.

The programs can cover all the topics that confront staff members during their work day also. These kinds of topics include preventing injury, fitting exercise into a hectic schedule, making healthy fast food choices or decreasing work related stress.

No matter what form the employer preventive health and fitness program takes the benefits will be rapidly incurred. It only takes a couple of weeks for staff members to begin to feel the results of a more active life.

A fitness program instructs on diet and provides the opportunity for exercises that tone, strengthen and enhance flexibility.

Worksite Wellness Programs only make sense. It produces a business culture that speaks volumes about the significance of a active lifestyle.

Once workers stop their old sedentary habits, they are left with the choice of resuming new active attitudes and practices.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs are here to stay.

Organization health and fitness are not just words to be spouted so people think the corporation cares about its workers. Health and fitness are valuable concepts that are just as vital to a corporation as finance and sales.

That’s because the health of its employees is one of the primary determinants of the health of the company. Organization employees work long and hard hours and sometimes the price they pay becomes an unhealthy lifestyle.

A concerned corporation does not want its workers to be plagued with numerous somber health topics. A Workplace Wellness Program is a alliance of an workers desire to fit exercise into a busy schedule and a company’s desire for a healthy crew.

It’s a takeover of poor health affecting company production.

Company Wellness Programs – Benefits

Bearer bonds are owned by whoever has them in hand. Their value to the person who carries them is realized by ownership. Health operates under the same concept.

An employee and the organization must take ownership of the Company Health Promotion Program concept. A organization has many options as to how it implements a health and Company Health Promotion Programs.

• A consultant business writes a business specific fitness plan
• A Company Wellness Program professional and the employer jointly create a fitness plan
• An internet based fitness consultant can be utilized
• A personal trainer at a gym develops a business program
• Corporation can create its own plan without assistance from outside professionals.

A Corporate Health Promotion Program may center around a program at a gym. It can also be based at the worksite itself, making it easily accessible to workers.

Utilizing a consultant provides means the corporation gets knowledge based assistance in evaluating workers. Each employee gets an evaluation of basic health status. Customized fitness plans are instituted and progress is monitored.

A qualified professional can be available at the fitness center, or visit workplace as schedules. Some businesses hire a fitness trainer to work directly with staff members on an ongoing basis at the workplace. Other businesses pay for the services of a trainer at the nearest fitness center.

The business health and Company Health Promotion Programs vary. A business may institute a fitness plan that includes workers and their families by paying for family membership at the health center.

The advantages of this plan is that the whole family can use the health club, which encourages participation. A lot  employers pay for the entire cost of the Worksite Health Promotion Program at a health club.

Some companies pay a portion while the employee must pay the difference. Others only pay part and the employee pays the balance. Some employer fitness plans are multi-layered and provide a wide range of exercise classes and seminars on nutrition.

There are group exercises and daily tips for bettering health. Some plans are very simple in that most of the internal Employee Wellness Program is mostly information. All exercise is done outside the organization at the gym.

It doesn’t matter what form the plan takes. The point is that a Workplace Wellness Program is significant for the success of the corporation and the health of the workers. Taking care of its most significant assets, the workers, only makes sense.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs – Like Stock Options?

Organizations provide stock options, whereby workers can buy stock in the employer. It is another form of ownership. Employees have many choices when it comes to fitness.

Their health needs, genetics, work environment and current physical condition all play into the structure of the Corporate Wellness Program. It is up to the employer to provide a program that involves all employees so that maximum rewards are realized on both sides.

In other words, employees have plenty of options and the company realizes real dollar savings through a healthier workforce.