Worksite Wellness ProgramsWorksite Wellness Programs

Worksite Wellness Programs: An Attainable Goal

Was Wellness on your organization’s new year’s resolutions list? Here we are a little over midway into the third month of 2008, the time when resolutions start to falter if they haven’t lost momentum completely. Has your Worksite’s wellness resolution fallen by the wayside? If so, there are still ways to get back on track.

One Wellness tip comes to us from the YMCA of Greater Des Moines, reported from the Jersey Shore. Rod Shirk, the YMCA’s chief financial officer, participated in the organization’s first executive Worksite Wellness Program, which registered his cholesterol as higher than normal. That prompted him to get a physical, which showed high levels of a prostate-specific antigen (PSA that often indicates prostate cancer. The outcome? His doctors caught a life-threatening illness just in time.

Thanks Worksite Wellness Program.

So of course, Shirk is a huge proponent of Worksite Wellness Programs. He says, “For us here at the YMCA, if we are telling people to be healthy, we had better set a good example for our employees.”

Wellness Decreases Health Care Costs

Though cases like Shirk’s dramatic cancer save are the most desirable effect of Worksite Wellness Programs, it isn’t the initial draw for organizations. They do it to reduce medical care costs, and there’s no doubt that Worksite Wellness Programs do just that. Worksite Wellness Program Statistics show that Worksite Wellness Programs return anywhere from $2.30 to $10.10 per dollar spent on wellness. “Health care costs should go down as people think about changing their diets and getting more active,” Shirk says.

The Worksite Wellness Program savings aren’t just in the Health Insurance department. Human resource departments report that Worksite Wellness Programs also reduce absenteeism and increase productivity.

Still, businesses have been loath to invest that elusive Wellness dollar despite the well-documented returns. A Principal Financial Group and Harris Interactive survey found that only 10% of small- to medium-size organizations have made worksite Health Screenings – like the one that saved Shirk’s life – available to their employees.

Is It Necessary to Incent Businesses to Initiate Worksite Wellness Programs?

Wellness incentives may seem like an effective way to get employees excited about Worksite Wellness Program – but is it smart?

This helps and encourages organizations to understand the importance of maintaining a healthy staff members, not only for the welfare of its employees, but as well as the welfare of the corporate bottom line … then, yes, it could be necessary.

Tax Breaks as Wellness incentives

In 2007, two senators decided to band together to create the “Healthy Workforce Act.” This act is designed to encourage organizations to keep employees healthy and prevent disease. The senators believed that having a country focused on “well care” versus “sick care” would decrease the overall costs of medical care for everyone. They decided to start with America’s staff members.

The legislation, introduced by Iowa Senator Tom Harkin and Oregon Senator Gordon Smith, states that businesses would receive a Wellness incentive – a fifty percent tax credit – if they offer to their employees a Worksite Wellness Program that meets the following criteria:

1) A health education and awareness component, which could include Health risk assessments and Health Screenings.
2) A behavioral change component – such as counseling, seminars, or self-help materials to empower employees to lead healthier lifestyles.
3) A supportive environment component – including offering meaningful incentives to taking part in employees, such as a reduction in health premiums or allowing employees to engage in walking Worksite Wellness Programs during the workday.
4) The creation of an worker engagement committee – which would tailor the Worksite Wellness Program to the needs of the staff members at a particular business.

If this law gets passed, many organizations will be scrambling to offer Worksite Wellness Programs in hopes of receiving the Wellness incentives.

Company Obesity: The Facts

Company obesity has become one of the fastest growing medical care problems in America. It is well known that America is considered one of the, if not “the”, heaviest countries in the world. This is largely in part due to fast food, un-healthy snacks and a very sedentary lifestyle. However, what many people are not aware of is that the rate of obesity in our country has doubled in the last 30 years and this weighs heavily on a organization’s bottom line.

According to a new report from The Conference Board, Weights and Measures: What organizations Should Know about Obesity, obese employees cost private organizations an estimated $45 billion annually. Following are some of the report’s findings:

Obesity is associated with a 36% increase in spending on medical care, more than smoking or problem drinking.
34% of adult United States citizens fit the definition of “obese”
Obesity related health problems are costing U.S. businesses millions of dollars annually in medical expenditures and work loss.

Company Obesity: How organizations Can Help

With the increase in obesity and organization costs associated with it, it is more and more imperative to establish a way to assist employees with their healthy living choices. Worksite Wellness Programs can help organizations help their employees. By providing assistance with Health Screening, Health risk assessments and by conducting Worksite Wellness Program surveys; Worksite Wellness Programs allow the organization non-invasive ways to communicate their concerns about their worker’s health.

We suggest establishing a Walking Worksite Wellness Program to assist your employees in meeting their weight-loss goals. Walking Wellness is a program designed to get your employees away from their desk and get them outside for a little exercise. Keep it fun by having contests, setting up weight-loss teams and having organized healthy picnics.

What is a Worksite Wellness Program Proposal?

You probably have seen the term many times and wondered what exactly does it mean. A Worksite Wellness Program Proposal is a proposal put together by a wellness consultant that makes suggestions for what type of Worksite Wellness Programs you should choose, what tools you will need to accomplish your corporation’s wellness goals, and costs associated with it.

Worksite Wellness Program Proposals Assist Human Resource Departments

A Worksite Wellness Program Proposal is a great thing to have in hand when HR Departments go to upper management to request funding for a Worksite Wellness Program. It will offer necessary stats and trends, background information, and costs that will enable the HR Department to fully present their case. Upper management will appreciate the preparedness and the research that has gone into your wellness request.

Worksite Wellness Program Proposals Lead to Better Worksite Wellness Programs

A well thought out Worksite Wellness Program Proposal can lead to a better Worksite Wellness Program, because the building blocks will already be in place. Worksite Wellness Program Proposals will guarantee that your corporation gets the proper Worksite Wellness Program established. Worksite Wellness Programs can vary greatly, but when your employees ask, you can tell them that they generally include the following:

Walking programs which offers employees with incentives to take their walking breaks at their worksite.
Company teams, workplace yoga classes and massage therapists at the worksite.
Nutrition advice, weight-loss and healthy cooking classes, stress management sessions, and either a Worksite Wellness Program resources column in the worker newsletter or a wellness newsletter.
Stairwell initiatives to show how stair-walking can improve health.

Wellness Competitions Are Popping Up Everywhere

Wellness Competitions are definitely hot right now and they are encouraging more and more people to get healthy and live better. Whether it is a city or a school or a social group or even a whole state, competitive spirits are being ignited by the challenge to be the healthiest team. The Wellness Competitions are usually about a six months to a year in length and they are made up of several teams, these teams all get points for physical activity, selecting healthy foods, and just making better life and health choices overall.

The best part about Wellness Competitions is even though there really is only way “real” winner; everyone that participates in the challenge is a life winner.

Wellness Competitions offers incentive to Get Healthy

Establishing a Wellness Competitions in your office is a great way to get employees to participate in your established Worksite Wellness Program. Have employees form teams and receive points for everything from attending a corporate Wellness Fair to getting a health risk assessment to beginning an exercise regimen. At the end of the year, the teams will win prizes based on the number of points they have accumulated.

Wellness Competitions Enhance Corporate Health

Not only will Wellness Competitions improve the health of your employees, it will improve the overall health of the corporation by providing benefits such as reduced injuries, reduced frequency of worker’s comp, reduced medical care costs, better worker attendance, and better corporate morale.

Like we said earlier, everyone is a winner in a Wellness Competitions!

The 61st annual World Health Assembly is taking place this week in Geneva, Switzerland and at this assembly; the World Health Organization (WHO) is presenting its report titled “Preventing Non-communicable Diseases (NCD) in the Workplace through Diet and Physical Activity.”

The report calls for Worksite Wellness Programs to be promoted and implemented worldwide.

Importance of Worksite Wellness Programs

The report states that Non-Communicable Disease related deaths have surpassed transferable disease related deaths and have become the leading global killers. Examples of Non-Communicable Disease’s are heart disease, diabetes and stroke. In 2005, 60% of worldwide projected deaths were caused by non-communicable diseases. They are predicting that this health trend will continue through at least 2030.

Diet, caloric intake, lack of physical activity and tobacco use are the major risk factors in the cause of Non-Communicable Disease’s. Now more than ever, the understanding of the importance of health and wellness is crucial.

Worksite Wellness Programs are Effective Tools

The report states that Worksite Wellness Programs are found to be effective in improving health-related risk factors, such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes. The report also states that Worksite Wellness Programs will improve the health of employees, improve the corporate image, improve worker morale, reduce worker absences and sick leave, increase worker productivity, and reduce corporate medical care costs.

Worksite Wellness Programs Monitoring

Finally, the report mentions that to have a successful Worksite Wellness Program, monitoring and evaluation through Health risk assessments and health outcomes are essential and should be included in the Worksite Wellness Program implementation. The evaluations ensure that the Worksite Wellness Program developed meets the proper needs of the employees. Employees should be reevaluated on an on-going basis to make sure the Worksite Wellness Program is still working, or to see if there are any adjustments that need to be made.

Worksite Wellness Program ROI: Fact or Fiction?

Worksite Wellness Programs … do they offer a strong return on investment? This is a question that we are sure goes through ever organization’s mind. HR Magazine addresses the Worksite Wellness Program ROI topic in their June 2008 issue.

Worksite Wellness Program ROI: The Bottom Line

According to the article, titled “Finding Wellness’ Return on Investment,” determining Worksite Wellness Program ROI is not an easy thing to do for businesses because it involves a lot of different variables and time.

However, the organizations that have taken the time to determine the Worksite Wellness Program ROI of their Worksite Wellness Programs have found that it is quite significant. Not to mention, the Wellness program’s effect on the improvement of worker health and the slowing of the rate of their worker medical care costs.

Worksite Wellness Program ROI Alliance

Worksite Wellness Program ROI is such an important part of today’s corporate culture, that several large organizations have come together to form the Alliance for Wellness ROI, Inc. According to the HR Magazine article, The Alliance for Wellness ROI was specifically created to address the lack of consistency in proving the value of Worksite Wellness Programs.

The alliance, formed by Henry Ford Health Systems, BMW of North America, Kraft Foods Global, MasterCard Worldwide and Schlumberger Limited, strongly believes in showing the value of Worksite Wellness Programs and want to develop a standard for how Worksite Wellness Programs are measured.

Worksite Wellness Programs Components

According the alliance, the following components should make up an corporate-offered worker Worksite Wellness Program:

Employee assistance Program (EAP)
Disease Management Programs
Fitness and exercise Programs
Health risk assessments
Workplace medical care Programs
Individual wellness profiles
Preventive Health Screenings and immunizations
Smoking-cessation Programs
Telephone based Worksite Wellness Programs
Weight loss and weight management Programs
Self-Care Programs.