Worksite Wellness ProgramsWorksite Wellness Programs

Benefits of Worksite Wellness Programs: Easy to Find

Employer’s are learning that Worksite Wellness Programs is an effective way to increase productivity, improve employee health, lower medical costs and reduce absenteeism.

A report published in 2003 by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) highlighted how important it is for employers to incorporate Worksite Wellness Programs as part of their corporate strategy. The report asserts that chronic diseases which are largely preventable place a heavy toll on organization, including lower productivity and higher medical insurance costs.

The Department of Health and Human Services estimates that $1.66 trillion was spent on medical care in 2003 and it attributes a majority of those costs to chronic diseases and conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity and asthma. Sadly, the money allocated for preventing or controlling these conditions is negligible.

In a recent article, American Cancer Society CEO John Seffrin reported two thirds of cancer deaths in the United States could be prevented through lifestyle changes in diet, physical fitness, cancer screening and “especially” tobacco use. A well-designed Worksite Wellness Programs initiative serves the best interests of workers and employers alike.

Benefits of Wellness Progams: Return On Investment

Ron Goetzel, a nationally recognized expert in the field of health management, data analysis and applied research, said in a recent interview that with an investment of $100 to $150 per employee per year in Worksite Wellness Programs, an employer can expect an average return on investment of approximately $3 for every $1
invested ($300 to $450 savings per employee per year). Goetzel says, however, that these returns are not typically found until two to three years into the Worksite Wellness Program.

Benefits of Wellness Progams: Tax Breaks

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) has been an outspoken proponent in seeking legislative solutions for a strained medical system.

“As a nation, we have a ‘sick care’ system that is focused on helping workers after they get sick, rather than a ‘health care’ system which focuses on keeping healthy workers healthy,” he says.

Harkin introduced the Healthy Lifestyle and Prevention (HeLP) America Act of 2004. One of the initiatives under Title II – Healthier Communities and Workplaces, provides tax credits to organizations that offer comprehensive programs to promote employee health and grants for small organization.

Benefits of Wellness Progams: Getting Started

Implementing a Worksite Wellness Programs can be accomplished with simple, low-cost strategies.

• Offer incentives for participation.
• Create a wellness informational campaign.
• Schedule wellness seminars on diabetes, nutrition, physical fitness and cholesterol.
• Create programs such as fitness, sleep diary, smoking cessation and injury prevention.
• Offer onsite chair massages or simple stretching exercises to do at the desk.
• Change snack machine options to offer healthier, low-fat snacks and drinks.
• Actively promote employee participation in all Worksite Wellness Programs.

A successful Worksite Wellness Program can boost organization morale, enhance productivity, reduce organizational conflict, attract superior workers and lower the rate of employee turnover. The case for starting a Worksite Wellness Program is well worth the effort.