Health And Wellness In The WorkplaceHealth And Wellness In The Workplace

Following cost, poor employee program engagement and inadequate talks and substructure are listed as the greatest challenges for employers administering any health benefi t program.22

By law, businesses are required to explain any benefits or explicit conditions of employment to all staff members – this is called “due process,” and it usually takes the form of a packet of information that new staff members are asked to review and sign during orientation or, in the case of existing staff members, a brief communication during open enrollment periods.

Corporations that only participate in the minimally required due process communication of a Corporate Wellness Program, however, do a disservice to the plan and the organization.

Opinions about Medical Care in companies represent one of the largest disjoins between management and staff members. In discussing the need for savings, most companies (70%) believe their employer effectively communicates about rising Medical Care costs, while only 34% of staff members feel rising Medical Care costs impact their business’ ability to succeed.23 When it comes to behaviors, 74% of companies believe their staff members should be held largely accountable for improving, managing and maintaining health, yet only 4% of companies think that staff members participate in these activities.

Under the proposed rules, the four requirements to be a bona fide Worksite Wellness Program are:

- The total reward that may be given to an individual is limited. The departments invited comments on the appropriate level of the reward, suggesting that a limit of ten percent to twenty percent of the total expense of employee-only coverage may be appropriate.
- The program must be reasonably designed to promote great health or prevent disease for people in the program.
- The reward must be available to all similarly situated individuals. More specifically, the program must allow any individual for whom it is unreasonably diffi cult due to a medical condition to meet the Corporate Wellness Program standard (or for whom it is medically inadvisable to attempt to meet the Corporate Wellness Program standard) an opportunity to satisfy a reasonable alternative standard.
- All plan materials describing the terms of the program must disclose the availability of a reasonable alternative standard.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration

As Northwestern Memorial’s Kathryn Krivy says, “The most fundamental failure in any Corporate Wellness Program is not communicating. You need to tell people what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. You have to get workers engaged and inform them of what’s going on.”

A properly createed Corporate Health Promotion Program is designed to save a company more money with greater participation. Nevertheless, a company must match its focus on program design with an equally strategic investment in efforts to engage staff members in the initiatives.

Lay out your case – Despite widespread recognition of increasing Health Care costs, workers remain skeptical that the problem impacts employer operations. In fact, only 53% of workers even believe what their employer communicates about the subject.24 Organizations need to be more candid and forthcoming about the amount they spend on Health Care and how that relates to larger budgetary constraints and potential investments.

Says Motorola’s Saenz: “We share with workers that we have been able to maintain Motorola’s Medical Care spend trend below national average over the past decade due to their participation in our various Company Health Promotion Programs. This transparency is necessary to keep reminding people the reasons for our actions.”

An effective strategy is to focus on the cost savings and central health benefi ts to the employee and not the employer. By personalizing the information in this way, it creates a win-win scenario instead of presenting the program as a sacrifi ce on the part of the employee. Information must be presented through multiple channels, constructed in a way that makes sense to all levels of workers, and provided to workers, dependents and retirees.

Make it your own – Every Employee Health Promotion Program will be different, and should reflect the culture of a employer. While program areas will be determined by analyzing employee health risks, the actual offerings should be shaped by the nature of the employer. Younger, more active employee communities may be attracted by different programs than an older or technicaloriented employee. Additionally, a global employer with mobile employees will have different needs than a employer with one central location.

As noted earlier regarding PepsiCo’s HealthRoads, one strategy is for businesses to brand their Corporate Wellness Programs. Union Pacifi c Railroad (HealthTracks), General Motors (LifeSteps) and Caterpillar (Healthy Balance) all adopted this approach to help create recognition and a larger meaning around their efforts. Having a branded plan helps staff members and other stakeholders see the larger goals of the Corporate Wellness Program, instead of focusing on isolated offerings.

Say it loud, say it proud – As a potential cost-saving initiative, Workplace Health Promotion Programs ought to be given the same executive support and internal commitment as any comparable business effort. Companies ought to not approach wellness as simply a preventive, financially-motivated program, but rather as an opportunity for the business to distinguish itself and become more competitive.

Jeffrey Treem, analyst, Edelman Change and Employee Program Engagement Group, says that effective communication about Company Health Promotion Programs should be integrated into existing organization communication channels and vehicles. “This comprises executive communication to external stakeholders,” he notes, “because this sends a powerful message back to staff members about the priority of the programs. Company Health Promotion Programs should not be treated as merely an additional employee perk, but rather an innovative and strategic effort to cut costs and create a healthier work environment.” Talk among yourselves – The most powerful champions of any Company Health Promotion Program will be the participants.

Corporations ought to find ways to facilitate discussions about the program among workers. This could take the form of support groups, interactive media and the sharing of success stories.

Nevertheless, since Employee Health Promotion Programs touch on potentially private health problems, it is significant communication remains positive and inclusive, while not pressuring staff members. Discussion of wellness problems ought to be voluntary, though corporations may consider providing rewards and incentives for those willing to contribute. Motivation and information from peers is likely to carry more credibility and significance than messages from management.

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