Wellness Programs A to Z

Benefits of Worksite Wellness Programs: Easy to Find

Employer’s are learning that Worksite Wellness Programs is an effective way to increase productivity, improve staff member health, decrease health care costs and reduce rates of absence.

A report published in 2003 by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) highlighted how important it is for employers to incorporate Worksite Wellness Programs as part of their corporate strategy. The report asserts that chronic diseases which are largely preventable place a heavy toll on organization, 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 Worksite Wellness Programs initiative serves the best interests of employees and employers alike.

Benefits of Wellness Progams: ROI

Ron Goetzel, a nationally recognized expert in the science of health management, information analysis and applied research, said in a recent interview that with an investment of $100 to $150 per staff member per year in Worksite 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 found until two to three years into the Worksite 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 individuals after they get sick, rather than a ‘health care’ system which focuses on keeping healthy individuals 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 businesses that offer broad-based programs to promote staff member health and grants for small organization.

Benefits of Wellness Progams: Getting Started

Implementing a Worksite Wellness Programs can be accomplished with simple, low-cost strategies.

• Offer incentives for participation.
• Create a wellness informational campaign.
• Schedule wellness seminars on diabetes, nutrition, exercise and cholesterol.
• Create programs such as fitness, sleep diary, smoking 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 Worksite Wellness Programs.

A successful Worksite Wellness Program can boost organization morale, enhance productivity, reduce organizational conflict, attract superior workers and decrease the rate of staff member turnover. The case for beginning a Worksite Wellness Program is well worth the effort.