Employee Wellness Plans : Making the Case for Workplace Wellness Programs

Major advantages of healthy workers include:

• Decreased Health Care expenses
• Reduced Injuries
• Reduced Rates of Absenteeism
• Boosted Morale and Loyalty
• Higher Productivity
• Lowered Use of Health Care Benefits
• Reduced Workers’ Comp/Disability
• Positive Perception in Community
• Lowered Turnover
• Better recruitment for competent employees

What is NOT Having a Corporate Health Promotion Program Costing Your Company?  

Let us look at the health risk factors that are contributing to chronic diseases for adults:

• 59 percent of American citizens are overweight or obese
• More than 60 percent of American adults do not exercise regularly
• Greater than 75 percent of American adults do not consume the minimum recommendations for fruits and vegetables
• Heart disease is the leading common cause of death and the leading cause of death in smokers
• 26 percent of workers reported they were often or very often burned out or stressed by their job  

Health Care costs are Growing:  Health Care expenditures are at a record high of $1.7 trillion with no signs of leveling out, let alone going down.  The average cost of yearly medical spending is over $5,000 per person and with dependents almost $10,000.  Recent data shows that medical related costs now cost North Carolina businesses thousands of dollars per employee, each year.

Most Illnesses Can Be Avoided:  Although it sounds unrealistic, experts indicate that avoidable illness makes up 60 percent – 70 percent of the entire burden of illness in the U.S..   In North Carolina, it is estimated that more than 53 percent of all deaths are avoidable, and that 2/3 of all avoidable deaths are due to tobacco use, a sedentary lifestyle, and poor nutrition.

Stress Levels are On the Rise:  As business resources dwindle and employers adopt cheaper work practices, the effects of absenteeism and lost productivity have a more powerful influence.  In a current national poll, 78% of American citizens described their jobs as stressful, and the majority felt that stress levels have become worse over The last decade.  Moreover, high levels of business stress have the potential to adversely affect a business by increasing injuries, absenteeism, and healthcare costs while decreasing productivity.  Simple solutions such as stress management education, flexible work schedules, quality social interaction, and increased participation in business decision-making have the potential to better stress levels in the workplace.

What is the Initial Cost and Time Investment for a Company Wellness Program?

The expenditure is dependent upon the type of Worksite Health Promotion Program implemented.  There are several options to reward employee health with pros and cons of each.  The program design is dependent upon the objectives and goals of the wellness program, the company resources, and the area resources available.  

Improving dietary practices, building physical activity levels, managing stress or discussing work life balance concerns, and decreasing/eliminating tobacco use, are primary strategies for preventing many of the most common preventable chronic diseases. The possibilities of how your organization deals with these concerns are endless and can range from building employee awareness, which may include purchasing a few handouts on a variety of topics, and quantifying walking distances around your facility, to instituting organization reinforcement such as funding a full-time occupational health consultant or building an worksite fitness center.  

When well-planned and based on your goals, any of these programs are able to help you succeed.  Refer below to Employee Health Promotion Program Design Options for additional ideas.