Employee Wellness Plans : Employee Engagement

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.