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Employee Health and Wellness Programs: An Attainable Goal

Was Wellness on your company’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 Employee Health and Wellness Program, which registered his cholesterol as higher than normal. That prompted him to get a physical, which showed high levels of a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) that often indicates prostate cancer. The outcome? His doctors caught a life-threatening illness just in time.

Thanks Employee Health and Wellness Program.

So of course, Shirk is a huge proponent of Employee Health and 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 workers.”

Wellness Decreases Health Care Costs

Though cases like Shirk’s dramatic cancer save are the most desirable effect of Employee Health and Wellness Programs, it isn’t the initial draw for corporations. They do it to lower healthcare costs, and there’s no doubt that Employee Health and Wellness Programs do just that. Employee Health and Wellness Program Statistics show that Employee Health and 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 Employee Health and Wellness Program savings aren’t just in the Medical Insurance department. Human resource departments report that Employee Health and Wellness Programs also reduce absenteeism and increase productivity.

Still, corporations 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 corporations have made worksite Health Screenings - like the one that saved Shirk’s life - available to their workers.

Is It Necessary to Incent Businesses to Initiate Employee Health and Wellness Programs?

Wellness incentive rewards may seem like an effective way to get workers excited about Employee Health and Wellness Program - but is it wise?

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

Tax Breaks as Wellness incentive rewards

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

The legislation, introduced by Oregon Senator Gordon Smith and Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, states that corporations would receive a Wellness incentive reward - a fifty percent tax credit - if they provide to their workers a Employee Health and Wellness Program that meets the following criteria:

1) A health awareness and education 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 workers to lead healthier lifestyles.
3) A supportive environment component – including providing meaningful incentive rewards to participating workers, such as a reduction in health premiums or allowing workers to engage in walking Employee Health and Wellness Programs during the workday.
4) The creation of an worker engagement committee – which would tailor the Employee Health and Wellness Program to the needs of the employees at a particular corporation.

If this legislation gets passed, many corporations will be scrambling to provide Employee Health and Wellness Programs in hopes of receiving the Wellness incentive rewards.

Company Obesity: The Facts

Company obesity has become one of the fastest growing healthcare 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 company’s bottom line.

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

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

Company Obesity: How corporations Can Help

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

We suggest establishing a Walking Employee Health and Wellness Program to assist your workers in meeting their weight-loss goals. Walking Wellness is a program designed to get your workers 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 Employee Health and Wellness Program Proposal?

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

Employee Health and Wellness Program Proposals Assist Human Resource Departments

A Employee Health and Wellness Program Proposal is a great thing to have in hand when HR Departments go to upper management to request funding for a Employee Health and Wellness Program. It will provide 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.

Employee Health and Wellness Program Proposals Lead to Better Employee Health and Wellness Programs

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

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

Wellness Challenges Are Popping Up Everywhere

Wellness Challenges 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 Challenges 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 Challenges is even though there really is only way “real” winner; everyone that participates in the challenge is a life winner.

Wellness Challenges provides incentive reward to Get Healthy

Establishing a Wellness Challenges in your office is a great way to get workers to participate in your established Employee Health and Wellness Program. Have workers form teams and receive points for everything from attending a corporate Health and 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 Challenges Improve Corporate Health

Not only will Wellness Challenges enhance the health of your workers, it will enhance the overall health of the corporation by providing benefits such as reduced injuries, reduced frequency of worker’s comp, reduced healthcare costs, better worker attendance, and better corporate morale.

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

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 Employee Health and Wellness Programs to be promoted and implemented worldwide.

Importance of Employee Health and 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.

Employee Health and Wellness Programs are Effective Tools

The report states that Employee Health and 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 Employee Health and Wellness Programs will enhance the health of workers, enhance the corporate image, enhance worker morale, reduce worker absences and sick leave, increase worker productivity, and reduce corporate healthcare expenses.

Employee Health and Wellness Programs Monitoring

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

Employee Health and Wellness Program ROI: Fact or Fiction?

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

Employee Health and Wellness Program ROI: The Bottom Line

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

However, the corporations that have taken the time to determine the Employee Health and Wellness Program ROI of their Employee Health and 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 healthcare expenses.

Employee Health and Wellness Program ROI Alliance

Employee Health and Wellness Program ROI is such an important aspect of today’s corporate culture, that several large corporations 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 Employee Health and Wellness Programs.

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

Employee Health and Wellness Programs Components

According the alliance, the following components should make up an corporate-provided worker Employee Health and Wellness Program:

Employee assistance Programs (EAPs)
Disease Management Programs
Fitness and exercise Programs
Health risk assessments
Worksite healthcare Programs
Personal wellness profiles
Preventive Health Screenings and immunizations
Tobacco-cessation Programs
Telephonic Employee Health and Wellness Programs
Weight Management and Weight Loss Programs
Self-Care Programs.

Wellness During the Summer

Wellness is important all year long; however if your workers haven’t gotten on the Wellness bandwagon, then now is the perfect time to get them there.

Summer is an ideal season to get back into shape and enhance overall Wellness. The weather is beautiful, workers can get outside and they are motivated by the thought of having to wear clothes with less coverage. Fitness, or lack of physical fitness, is apparent in the summer.

Wellness in the Summer has Advantages

There are many advantages to beginning a Employee Health and Wellness Program in the Summer. Employees are more likely to get outside and walk or participate in group activities during the summer than they are in the cooler months of the fall and winter. The summer months are also a great time to establish a Wellness challenge with your workers and celebrate the completion of the challenge with a participant picnic or cookout. Finally, it always seems easier to eat healthy during the summer with all the fresh vegetables and fruits that are available during this time.

Employee Health and Wellness Program Kick-off

We recommend following these steps when starting a Employee Health and Wellness Program in your office.

Pick a coordinator for the Employee Health and Wellness Program who is willing and able to see it through.
Ensure that you have the support of corporate leadership.
Start a Wellness committee
Use a Employee Health and Wellness Program survey to uncover the obstacles and goals of your Employee Health and Wellness Program
Provide Health risk assessments
Analyze the Employee Health and Wellness Program and changes as needed
Do not forget to stress that the Employee Health and Wellness Program is for the workers. Employee Health and Wellness Programs have been found to prevent obesity, cancer, heart disease and hypertension. participating in a Employee Health and Wellness Program that provides all that should be an easy decision for the corporation and for the workers.

Employee Health and Wellness Programs and Medical Care Costs

Employee Health and Wellness Programs are more important now than ever. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, with the troubles in the economy it seems that the costs of business provided healthcare keep continuing to grow and it doesn’t seem like it is going to change. The article states that during the year 2008, United States corporations can expect to see an increase of 10% in healthcare costs.

This increase in healthcare costs is causing some small corporations to reduce their worker health benefits or get rid of them altogether.

Employee Health and Wellness Programs for Healthier Lifestyles

Employee Health and Wellness Programs do provide an option for small corporations. The corporations can provide discounted co-pays and deductibles to those workers that fully participate in the provided Employee Health and Wellness Program. Full participation means getting health screens, receiving a health risk assessment, and then working with their wellness coordinator to work towards a healthier lifestyle.

The healthier the workers, the lower the overall healthcare costs for the corporation. Just one lengthy hospital stay can almost deplete a small business’ healthcare budget.

Employee Health and Wellness Programs and Your Bottom Line

Employee Health and Wellness Programs provide many advantages to a company’s bottom-line. Employee Health and Wellness Program Statistics from Prudential Insurance show a benefit expense of $312 per person enrolled in a Employee Health and Wellness Program compared to an expense of $574 per worker that wasn’t enrolled. Coors Brewing Company showed a positive side-effect of participant absenteeism dropping by 18%, thus greater production and less healthcare costs overall.

Employee Health and Wellness Programs are an intelligient investment, at least according to Lincoln industries in Nebraska. CNN reported on this 565 employee corporation their committed investment in their worker’s wellness.

Employee Health and Wellness Programs are part of corporation Culture

The Employee Health and Wellness Programs, according the story, has been in place for 16 years at Lincoln, and it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. The corporation has three full-time workers dedicated to the Employee Health and Wellness Program and the wellness of the workers, who receive worksite massages and a round of instructor-led stretching before they start their shifts.

Employee Health and Wellness Programs Assessed

According to CNN, one of the rules of the Employee Health and Wellness Program, which workers are not required to participate in, is that they receive quarterly checkups where assessments are completed on their weight, amount of body fat and flexibility. Based on these health assessments, the workers are then ranked from platinum all the way down to “non-medal”. To become platinum level, where you receive a corporation-paid climbing trip, you must achieve certain physical fitness levels and be a non-smoker. Smoking cessation classes are part of the Employee Health and Wellness Program.

Employee Health and Wellness Programs Bring a Big Savings

The Employee Health and Wellness Program has been a wise investment for Lincoln Industries. By having healthier workers, they have seen an average of $2 million in savings in healthcare costs per year. The savings don’t stop there, since instituting a Employee Health and Wellness Program, workers’ compensation claims have gone from $500,000 per year down to less than $10,000 per year.