Health And Wellness In The WorkplaceHealth And Wellness In The Workplace

Unless specifically stated otherwise, most employer-employee relationships in the United States are governed by the principle of at-will employment. Under this system a employer, or the employee, can terminate the relationship without any needed showing of cause. This at-will standard gives private companies tremendous authority in governing the behavior of staff members. In this environment, companies can Finding Wealth Through Wellness 10 creatively design Corporate Health Promotion Programs based upon their specifi c corporate culture. Corporate Health Promotion Programs generally take three main forms:

Voluntary Corporate Wellness Programs – The most popular form of employee Corporate Wellness Program, in most cases they are made available to workers but participation (or lack thereof) is not linked to any type of consequence. Due to ineffective communication, frequently workers are either unaware of these offerings or confuse them with insurance-based medical care. Incentive-based – Corporate Wellness Programs based on incentives reward workers for participation in Corporate Wellness Program activities. Incentives usually comprise decreased Healthcare premiums, health club membership or customized support offerings. In these programs, employees’ behavior can be linked to a particular reward.

Mandatory Workplace Wellness Programs – Some organizations require, or ban, certain health-related behaviors. These can take the form of mandatory Health Risk Assessments for workers and restrictions on smoking or alcohol use. While mandating behavior is an effective method to eliminate high-risk behavior, the cost savings must be gauged against the potential message sent to existing and prospective workers. Given that workers are already under various levels of scrutiny in the workplace, individuals may resist attempts by organizations to regulate off-duty behaviors. In Addition, some workers may fi nd it diffi cult to comply, forcing organizations into the uncomfortable situation of punishing an otherwise advantageous employee.

In the short-term a mandate-based Workplace Health Promotion Program can lead to an increase in turnover, as employees either choose to leave or are fi red for noncompliance. In the long-term, the policy may prevent the employer from hiring an otherwise qualifi ed applicant, or may serve as a deterrent for individuals considering the employer. Limits in recruiting, for instance, led CNN to rescind a 13-year ban on hiring smokers.18

Employers need to make sure that Corporate Wellness Programs are aligned with the values and culture that lead organization operations. If a organization emphasizes trust and individual responsibility, then a mandate-based program will likely cause more dissension than it would in a organization that already heavily regulates organization conduct. Moreover, a work environment with a sizable disengaged population will likely have poor participation in a voluntarybased program. When calculating cost savings, corporations need to take a wider view and consider the effects on long-term employee engagement.

In 2005, Michigan-based insurance benefits provider Weyco instituted a smoking ban for all of its nearly 200 employees. Staff Members are subject to random testing and if they fail a mandatory breathalyzer test, they will be fi red. It is believed that Weyco is the first company to use testing to enforce a smoking ban – most employers ask employees to self-report behavior. Four employees (more than 2% of the total workforce) left Weyco as a result of the policy. A year prior to the ban the company implemented a $50 smoking fee, which would be waived if a employee passed a nicotine test or agreed to take a smokingcessation class. Weyco’s president Howard Weyers published that 20 employees quit smoking through this program.20 Staff Members were told they had one year before the total ban would go into effect. Under the new Workplace Health Promotion Program, Weyco does offer $35 a month for employees who want to use a fi tness center and another $65 a month for employees who meet fitness goals/objectives.