Health And Wellness In The WorkplaceHealth And Wellness In The Workplace

Employer Exercise Programs Plans Improve Employee Health and Wellness

Instituting a Worksite Wellness Program improves the health of staff members, decreases employee absenteeism and saves the organization money, too. Learn more about starting an Worksite Wellness Program in the office.

Benefits of Workplace Wellness Programs

• A company investment of $100-$150 per employee each year to participate in an Workplace Wellness Program can save employers $300 to $450 for each employee every year, according to Ron Goetzel, Director, Cornell University Institute for Health and Productivity Studies. The savings are able to take a few years to actualize, says Goetzel, and are seen in decreased health expenditures.
• The Wellness Councils of America reported a $24 return for every $1 invested on a Employee Health Promotion Program for small employers.
• According to a 2005 survey by The Art of Health Promotion, companies who invested in Corporate Health Promotion Programs realized a 30% reduction in healthcare and absenteeism costs in less than four years.

A thriving Company Health Promotion Program starts with Senior Leadership. Business owners must lead by example, taking part in their company’s fitness program and working closely with a wellness coach. Senior Leadership must make sure employees are well aware of their wellness efforts, posting weight loss results or smoking cessation results on company intranet or bulletin boards for everyone to see.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs that Really Work

• Encourage staff members to kick start their own wellness programs by visiting their doctor. A complete physical ought to include information about blood sugar, blood lipids levels and general health.
• Target specific health-related concerns in a corporate exercise program. Information about how to fight obesity, smoking, alcoholism and prescription drug abuse ought to be at the forefront of an Company Health Promotion Program, along with related conditions.
• Hire a wellness coach to instruct staff members on how to lead a healthy lifestyle.
• Reward employees for taking part in business wellness plans. Let employees accrue health and wellness points that they are able to redeem for prizes. Make the prizes healthy, too- a free massage, personal training session with the business’s wellness coach or health food gift certificate encourages even healthier lifestyle choices.
• Acknowledge employee health & wellness leaders in corporation newsletters, in posted bulletins and on the corporation intranet.

Employee Wellness Programs Give Big Results

For corporation owners who want to increase employee participation in a Employee Health Promotion Program, consider Johnson & Johnson’s approach. Faced with only 26% of workers participating in their employee wellbeing and health program, Johnson & Johnson offered workers a $500 discount on healthcare insurance expenditures if they completed a health risk profile. The number of workers participating in the Johnson & Johnson corporation physical activity program jumped after they offered the incentive — to more than 93%.

Ron Goetzel encourages those looking to pitch a corporate fitness program to Senior Management to use basic facts about the benefits of Employee Health Promotion Programs as part of their argument. Keep it simple, and share results from other company’s employee wellness plan success stories.