Wellness Programs : Making the Case for Health Promotion Programs.
Major advantages of healthy workers include –
• Lower Health Care Costs
• Reduced Injuries
• Lowered Absenteeism
• Increased Morale and Loyalty
• Higher Productivity
• Reduced Use of Health Care Benefits
• Reduced Workers’ Compensation / Disability
• Positive Perception in Community
• Decreased Turnover
• Improved recruitment for skilled employees
What is NOT having a Health Promotion Program costing your company?
Consider the health risk factors that are increasing chronic illnesss for adults –
• 59 percent of adults are overweight or obese
• Greater than 60 percent of American adults don’t exercise regularly
• Greater than 75 percent of adults don’t consume the minimum recommendations for fruits and vegetables
• Heart illness is the most common cause of death and the leading cause of death in smokers
• 26 percent of workers announced they were often or very often burned out or stressed by their work
Healthcare Costs are Increasing – Healthcare costs are at a record high of $1.7 trillion with no signs of holding steady let alone decreasing. The average cost of annual healthcare spending is over $5,000 per individuals and with dependents almost $10,000.
Recent data shows that healthcare related expenses now cost North Carolina corporations thousands of dollars per staff member, each year.
Most Diseases can be Prevented – Despite the fact that it sounds unbelievable, specialists indicate that preventable 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% of all deaths are preventable, and that 2/3 of all avoidable deaths are as a result of tobacco use, physical inactivity, and poor nutrition.
Stress Levels are Increasing – as corporation resources become less and businesses adopt leaner work practices, the effects of absenteeism and productivity lost have a greater impact.
In a recent national poll, 78 percent of Americans described their jobs as stressful, and the majority felt that stress levels have become worse over the last 10 years. Furthermore, high levels of organizational stress can negatively affect a organization by increasing injuries, absenteeism, and health care costs while decreasing productivity.
Simple solutions such as stress management education, flexible work schedules, quality social interaction, and increased participation in business decision-making can improve stress levels in the worksite.
What is the Upfront Cost and Time Investment for a Wellness Program?
The fee depends on the kind of Wellness Program implemented. There are a few choices to promote worker health with benefits and drawbacks of each. The health promotion program design depends on the objectives of the health promotion program, the corporation resources, and the community resources available.
Improving dietary practices, increasing exercise levels, managing stress or addressing work life balance issues, and reducing/eliminating tobacco use, are main strategies for preventing many of the most common preventable chronic conditions.
The possibilities of how your business addresses these issues are endless and can range from increasing staff member awareness, which may include buying a few brochures on a variety of topics, and measuring walking distances around your facility.
Other possibilities include establishing organizational support like funding a fulltime occupational health professional or building an onsite fitness center.
When well planned and based on your objectives, any of these health promotion programs can help you succeed. Refer below to Health Promotion Program Design Choices for additional ideas.