Wellness Articles

Employee Health and Wellness Programs Are Becoming Increasingly Popular

Employee Health and Wellness Programs are Are Becoming Increasingly popular outside the workplace, showing the ever-increasing importance of disease prevention and health risk management. Private insurance corporations, as well as state Medicaid and Medicare offices are working on ways to enhance the health of the people they insure in hopes to save money in the long run. They are finding that mini-Company Employee Health and Wellness Programs are definitely the way to go.

Employee Health and Wellness Programs Aid in Early Intervention

According to an article that recently appeared in The Indianapolis Star, corporations, insurers and government agencies are turning to “early intervention to change the behavior of those struggling with common but dangerous health conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, heart failure and coronary heart disease.”

The strategies that they used to enhance their beneficiaries’ wellness postcard reminders for different lab tests or check-ups; and possibly even phone calls from nurses to work with the patients to make sure that they are taking their medicines properly and following the lifestyle changes that were suggested by their healthcare provider.

Employee Health and Wellness Programs Provide Quality Benefits

There are more benefits to a Employee Health and Wellness Program than just the cost savings that an business or a state agency will see; there is the benefit to the actually patient. The patient is going to get the motivation and the incentive reward to get better or to manage their health by having to answer to someone, whether that someone is a full-time wellness worker at their corporation or a nurse affiliated with their insurance corporation.

Employee Health and Wellness Programs are proven to improve productivity and lower healthcare costs. For a business, that makes a difference in the bottom-line. Today, more than 81 percent of America’s businesses with 50 or more workers have some form of Employee Health and Wellness Program with the most popular being exercise, tobaccos cessation classes, back care programs, and stress management. Most companies offer Employee Health and Wellness Programs simply because they think the benefit is worth the cost. Yet business leaders continue to ask themselves how to control huge annual increases in health insurance premiums and healthcare costs.

For many corporations, health costs can consume half of corporate profits or more. Some employer’s look to cost sharing, cost shifting, managed care plans, risk rating, and cash-based rebates or incentives and rewards. But these methods merely shift costs. Only Employee Health and Wellness Programs stand out as the long-term answer for keeping workers well in the first place.

Employee Health and Wellness Programs are an example of healthcare reform that works. Results from America’s finest corporations, summarized here, are reason enough to consider providing Employee Health and Wellness Programs. This investment in your most important asset - your workers - can have a positive impact on your bottom-line.

Employee Health and Wellness Program Statistics:

Providence Everett Medical Center, a member of the WELCOA, in Everett, Washington, saved an estimated 3 million or a cost-benefit ratio of 1 to 3.8 over 9 years of an outcomes-based Employee Health and Wellness Program. By providing financial incentives and rewards ($250 - $325) to workers who meet specific organizational and worker health initiatives the Employee Health and Wellness Program continues to meet cost containment expectations in the area of healthcare use, sick time, injuries, while improving health habits and self-care practices.

During the first 4 years of the Employee Health and Wellness Program there was a 28 percent average reduction in healthcare utilization compared to nine other Providence hospitals that were used as a control group.

Du Pont saw that each dollar invested in their Employee Health and Wellness Program yielded $1.42 over two years in reduced absenteeism costs at Du Pont Co. (Well workplace Gold in Delaware). Absences from illness unrelated to the job among 45,000 blue-collar staff members dropped 14 percent at 41 industrial sites where the Employee Health and Wellness Program was provided, compared with a 5.8 percent decline at 19 sites where it was not.

The Travelers Corporation claims a $3.40 return for every dollar invested Employee Health and Wellness Programs, yielding total corporate savings of $146 million in benefits costs. Sick leave was lowered 19 percent during the four-year study. In addition to improving the overall health of 36,000 workers and retirees by decreasing poor health habits and increasing good ones, The Travelers realized cost savings by decreasing the number of unnecessary visits to a doctor and emergency rooms. In a similar but smaller study, members of a Travelers fitness center Employee Health and Wellness Program were absent from work significantly fewer days than non-members.

The Employee Health and Wellness Program at Reynolds Electrical & Engineering Company, based in Las Vegas, cost $76.24 per worker during the two years it has been in operation. Over half of the 1,600 workers took part in the Employee Health and Wellness Program. Participants significantly lowered cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and weight and experienced 21 percent lower lifestyle-related claim costs than non-participant. Resulting savings: $127.89 per participant in the Employee Health and Wellness Program with a benefit to cost ratio of 1.68 to 1.

Superior Coffee and Foods, a Bensenville, Illinois-based subsidiary of Sara Lee Corporation, attributes impressive results to the success of the company’s comprehensive Employee Health and Wellness Program. Superior showed 22 percent fewer admissions to a hospital, 29 percent shorter hospital stays, and 42 percent lower expenses per admission when comparing costs for this division’s 1,200 workers with costs for other divisions. Long-term disability costs were down by 40 percent.

With health costs per worker at $6,000, nearly twice the national average, Union Pacific Railroad introduced their Employee Health and Wellness Program to its 28,000 workers, mostly union and blue collar, in 19 Western and Southern states. Beginning with a modest health self-care initiative at an annual cost of $50 per person, the Employee Health and Wellness Program achieved a net savings of $1.26 million. In addition, a voluntary Employee Health and Wellness Program to help workers reduce health risks projected a cost-benefit ratio of 1 to 1.57 after one year. Employees in a treatment group reduceed their risk of high blood pressure (45 percent) and high cholesterol (34 percent); others moved out of the at-risk range for weight problems (30 percent); and 21 percent stopped using tobacco.

Average health costs of high-risk Steelcase workers- those whose lifestyles include two to four health risks such as smoking, little exercise, overweight- are 75 percent higher than those of low-risk workers. But high-risk workers at this Grand Rapids, Michigan-furniture manufacturing company who improved their health habits through the company’s Employee Health and Wellness Program and became low risk cut their average health claims in half thus lowering their health insurance costs by an average of $618 per year. If all high-risk workers (20 percent of the total worker population) in one location changed their lifestyles to become low risk, the projected savings could total $20 million over three years.

Employees at Berk-Tec, a small manufacturing company in Lancaster County Pennsylvania, learned self-care techniques and reduceed their company’s healthcare costs in one year. By using a self-care guide, the 938 workers and their family members made smart health decisions and saved $21.67 per employee and dependent a nearly 18 percent reduction in costs. By combining reductions in doctor visits and emergency room use, the business saved $39.06 per employee a 24.3 percent decrease in costs over the previous year.

A health claims-based study of 72,000 people insured through 285 Wisconsin school districts found a reduced demand for health services among those with access to Employee Health and Wellness Programs and self-care programs. Reductions in health services results in savings for the Wisconsin Education Insurance Group of as much as $4.75 for each $1 spent, higher savings were found in the group receiving access to a 24-hour phone-based nurse advice line, a self-care reference book, and health education materials.

CIGNA’s Healthy Babies prenatal Employee Health and Wellness Program delivered an average savings of $5,000 per birth by providing expectant mothers with educational materials and rewarding early and regular prenatal care. And 80 percent of participants had normal births without complications compared with 50 percent for non-participant.

With savings estimated to be as high as $8 million, the California Public Employees’ Retirement System sent its 55,000 retirees a health risk appraisal followed, in some cases, with individualized reports and letters and self-care materials to encourage change and help reduce health risks among retirees and at the same time reduce the healthcare claim costs. In another study, Bank of America retirees in California who chose the full Employee Health and Wellness Program and demand reduction program showed a decrease in total direct and indirect costs of 11 percent compared with a rise of 6.3 percent for those who completed only a simple health questionnaire.

With reduced healthcare claims, health costs decreased 16 percent for workers in the City of Mesa (Arizona) who took part in the comprehensive Employee Health and Wellness Program. The city realized a return of $3.60 for every dollar invested in the wellnss program for the city workers.

To prevent back injuries among its workers, a county in California targeted white- and blue-collar staff members, provided classes and fitness training. As a result, there was a significant increase in worker morale, lowered worker’s comp claims, health costs and sick days related to back injuries producing a net cost-benefit ratio of 1 to 1.79.

Employee Health and Wellness Programs: Savings

Employee Health and Wellness Programs provide Long-Term Savings

Employee Health and Wellness Programs, according to an article in Crain’s Detroit Business, come in two choices: Employee Health and Wellness Programs or Medical Insurance products that aim to lower costs if healthy habits are followed. Both options are a good choice, but only one will really provide long-term medical benefits for your workers and lower costs over the years.

Employee Health and Wellness Programs provide Assistance

Insurance-based products provide workers the opportunity, according to the article by Jay Green, to save money on their premiums if they follow certain steps, including performing an internet-based health assessment, visiting their doctor, and agree to adopt a healthy lifestyle. These plans usually involve one coach call to the worker during the first 90 days. We wonder if these brief wellness encounters will actually change a person’s lifestyle.

It is the overall change in a person’s lifestyle, as well as disease prevention that will lead to lower health costs in the future.

Employee Health and Wellness Programs provide convenient health risk assessments and testing for things like diabetes, cholesterol and blood pressure. As the article states, these have initial start-up costs, but the savings accrue over time and workers are more likely to stay active in an worksite worker Wellness Program.

Employee Health and Wellness Programs Get Results

Finally, the article states that corporations with an effective Employee Health and Wellness Program can expect to see “500 percent lower absenteeism, 400 percent fewer disability claims, and 350 percent lower healthcare costs.” These are numbers that are very hard to argue with.

Corporations are no longer able to trim extra savings out of their health insurance programs, and most corporations have been cost shifting, asking workers to cover more of their healthcare costs. Health insurance costs continue to climb (10 percent or more per year) at 2-3 times the general inflation rate. With nowhere else to turn, companies are – more than ever – looking to get workers engaged in Employee Health and Wellness Programs as a means of slowing healthcare costs and improving productivity.

For example, last year 53 percent of large companies provided health risk assessments (HRAs) for their staff, up from 35 percent just two years earlier, according to a Mercer survey. Change is being driven by cost, but Employee Health and Wellness Programs a win-win solution for both companies and workers.

Here are other Employee Health and Wellness Program trends organizations are implementing:

More corporations are integrating Employee Health and Wellness Programs into their benefits plans. If they want the best plans or the lowest personal costs, they need to participate in the Employee Health and Wellness Program and meeting minimum goals.

More corporations are providing worksite weight loss programs as a component of the Employee Health and Wellness Program, especially after Duke University’s new research showing the high cost of overweight workers and increased cost for worker’s compensation for sedentary and overweight workers.

Corporations are providing more Employee Health and Wellness Programs designed to assist workers with chronic health conditions: health coaches, nurse advice lines, telephone counseling, and self-study guides

Corporations are providing more web-based Employee Health and Wellness Program interventions and health information resources

More corporations are providing regular worksite employee health screenings including cholesterol, glucose, A1c, blood pressure, weigh-ins, and other checks as a part of their Employee Health and Wellness Program. Some Employee Health and Wellness Programs even include bone-density checks and skin cancer screenings.

Many corporations are providing fitness programs, either in the community or worksite, as a part of their Employee Health and Wellness Program.

Corporations are providing more incentives, prizes and rewards getting engaged in Employee Health and Wellness Program activities

Some corporations are adding emphasis to health maintenance. It’s one thing to lose weight or stop tobacco; it’s another to maintain these changes. Helping workers stay engaged and maintain their health changes is important for long-term success.

Corporations are putting more emphasis on keeping healthy people healthy rather than just working primarily with high-risk individuals. Research shows this approach results in a greater Employee Health and Wellness Program return on investment.

Wellness corporations are providing great resources for companys’ workers over the Internet – online wellness centers, monthly health and wellness newsetters, wellness challenges, web-based points tracking systems, virtual fitness programs, web-based wellness coaching or interventions, interactive health calculators, healthy recipes, even downloadable health tips for your iPod.

Corporations who are becoming more proactive are making a big impact on their future healthcare expenses and productivity. Ohio State University announced that they expect to save $30 million dollars with their comprehensive Employee Health and Wellness Program over the next 5 years!

Employee Health and Wellness Programs and prevention are sound ideas whose time has come. Health promotion is more fun and costs less than treating disease.

References: TIME in partnership with CNN, “Businesses Help Workers Lose Weight.” Website accessed July 2007.

Employee Health and Wellness Programs begin and end with individual health. Individuals, after all, are able to make decisions about maintaining and / or improving their health and wellbeing. Employee Employee Health and Wellness Programs must therefore provide the tools and resources necessary to assist and motivate individuals to actively participate in the program.

Individual health is only one part of beginning worker Employee Health and Wellness Programs. Below you’ll find some things to assist you in your efforts to develop a healthy atmosphere for you and your coworkers.

Encouraging Your Employer to Start an Employee Health and Wellness Program

This is the first step in beginning a Employee Health and Wellness Program. In recent times more and more companies are beginning to see the value of promoting and supporting the health of their workers. Partnership for Prevention, a nonprofit organization, has released a sourcebook called “Healthy Workforce 2010″ (http://www.wellnessproposals.com/pdfs/tool_kits/healthy_workforce_2010.pdf). This sourcebook is an excellent resource containing information on:
• Benefits of Employee Health and Wellness Programs
• Suggestions on where to begin
• Tools like surveys and assessment forms

These resources are for both companies and workers to guide the development and evaluate the effectiveness of their new Employee Health and Wellness Program. Make available it to your employer as a place to begin or read it yourself and present your ideas.

Participating in Employee Health and Wellness Programs

Once you have an worker Employee Health and Wellness Program established, participating fully in all aspects of the program is important. Many of us know that we need to more actively engage in Employee Health and Wellness Programs to improve our health, yet have difficulty finding and taking the time to do so. These simple steps can jumpstart your participation in an worker Employee Health and Wellness Program:
• Review the offerings that interest you and that you need for health improvement.
• Schedule time to go to the presentation or service.
• Actively following through with recommendations from the program.
• Make a decision now to improve your health. You will feel better today and tomorrow and the next day for actively moving towards wellness.

Here is a list of potential Employee Health and Wellness Programs that might be available to you at work:
• ergonomic evaluations and ergonomic training classes
• lactation rooms and classes
• prenatal education program
• quiet rooms for relaxation
• stress management programs
• fitnes centers
• chair massage
• healthy eating education
• worksite primary healthcare services
• child care facility or resources and referral service
• tobacco cessation programs parenting classes
• elder care resources and referral service
• cholesterol, blood pressure and glucose screening programs
• flu shots
• weight management and / or weight loss programs
• healthcare consumerism programs
• work/life programs
• lifestyle coaching
• onsite mobile mammography

More information to follow in my next posting about Employee Employee Health and Wellness Programs

Studies suggest that for every $1 invested in Employee Health and Wellness Programs, a company saves $3 to $5 in health and safety costs. Corporations that invest in Employee Health and Wellness Programs reap the financial incentives through savings on healthcare costs, disability pay, absenteeism, turnover and safety problems.

workplaces have already proven to be a great place to promote wellness. After all, people spend more time at work than doing anything else. Eighty-two percent of the U.S. population is linked in some way to a worksite. Therefore, providing Employee Health and Wellness Programs is a great way to reach a substantial number of people in your area.

Employee Health and Wellness Programs in Small Businesses

Unlike large corporations, small corporations frequently lack the resources to provide Employee Health and Wellness Programs to their workers. However, they may be the most in need of such services. Small businesses are the hardest hit by health insurance costs and have the highest rates of substance abuse. Worker well-being and physical or mental illness can also be more disruptive in a small business setting. Employee Health and Wellness Programs in small corporations also makes sense because small firms employ the majority of working citizens.

Regardless of the size of a business, Employee Health and Wellness Programs can pay. Statistically, even if there are only 100 people in a company:

• 60 sit all day to do their work
• 50 don’t wear their safety belts regularly
• 50 feel they’re under moderate stress
• 35 are overweight by 20 percent or more
• 30 smoke
• 27 have cardiovascular disease
• 25 or more have high cholesterol (over 200 mg/dl)
• 10 are heavy drinkers
• 10 have high blood pressure
• 5 have diagnosed diabetes and another 5 have undiagnosed diabetes
• 7 use marijuana
• 1 uses cocaine

Bottom Line Employee Health and Wellness Program Benefits

At least one quarter of the healthcare costs incurred by working adults can be attributed to modifiable health risks (e.g., diet, exercise, tobacco use, etc.) Fortunately, there is a way to hold back the trend. Growing research links an individual’s lifestyle behaviors to their health risk.

The good news is Employee Health and Wellness Programs can:

• Decrease healthcare costs
• Decrease workers’ compensation claims
• Decrease worker absenteeism
• Increase worker productivity
• Improve worker morale

The bottom line is that Employee Health and Wellness Programs can benefit any size business — small or large.

There are a number of reasons why a Employee Health and Wellness Program is beneficial.

1. Enhanced Morale - When the organizational culture begins to change as a result the Employee Health and Wellness Program, you and your workers may actually begin to see and feel a new level of energy within the company. Ultimately, one of the most ambitious goals of any comprehensive Employee Health and Wellness Program is to attempt to sway the attitudes and actions of the company’s most valuable resource — its workers.

2. Decreased Turnover - As we all know, worker replacement costs can be quite high for any kind of business. The effort and expense associated with running employment ads, reading applications, checking references, interviewing qualified candidates, hiring and training a new employee can be a serious burden on any business. In light of the challenges that high worker turnover pose, many corporations are looking to Employee Health and Wellness Programs as an additional perk that can help to prevent workers from jumping ship.

3. Increased Recruitment Potential - In the midst of a very tight labor market, corporations are forced to pull out the stops in order to recruit new talent. In some instances, Employee Health and Wellness Programs can prove to be a very valuable tool in sealing the deal.

4. Decreased Absenteeism - When an employee misses work in a business setting, the entire company is forced to absorb his/her responsibilities. Even in the event of the occasional absence caused by things like colds and the flu, work can back-up and tensions can build.

Even worse is a long-term absence caused by a major health event that requires hospitalization and/or rehabilitation. By preventing certain types of illness caused by poor lifestyle habits, Employee Health and Wellness Programs can play an important role in decreasing absenteeism.

5. Medical Care Cost Containment - Most corporations don’t begin a Employee Health and Wellness Program with cost containment in mind. However, cost containment for certain health problems should be considered a viable goal by many corporations.

6. Enhanced Worker Health Status - One of the greatest advantages of a well-designed Employee Health and Wellness Program is the promise of improved health. There is a growing body of evidence that suggests well-designed Employee Health and Wellness Programs can successfully impact such behaviors as smoking, high-risk alcohol use, seatbelt use and more.

It is important to evaluate the effectiveness of all Employee Health and Wellness Programs. There are a number of very simple ways to evaluate Employee Health and Wellness Programs:

How many attended the corporate health and Employee Health and Wellness Program, and was there participation or a visible level of interest?

Use a short and simple pen and paper assessment that people fill out at the end of the Employee Health and Wellness Program /presentation. Statements that are rated on a scale from 1 (strongly agree) to 5 (strongly disagree) will give valuable information. Ask about:
• The value of the Employee Health and Wellness Programs to the individual
• The style of the presenter
• The presenter’s knowledge of the topic
• The level of knowledge gained by the worker
• Other areas that would be of interest for future Employee Health and Wellness Programs

Examples of Questions about Employee Health and Wellness Programs
• This program provided me with information and/or skills I will use.
• The presenter was knowledgeable about the subject matter.
• There was adequate time for questions.
• The methods used to present the information were effective.

Open-ended questions about Employee Health and Wellness Programs may include:
• The best part of this Employee Health and Wellness Program was…
• The part that needed improvement was….
• I would attend another Employee Health and Wellness Program by this speaker…
• Topics I would like to see included in other presentations or Wellness Programs…

This would be a process assessment that reviews how well the Employee Health and Wellness Programs were started. It is also important to look at health outcomes and cost outcomes of Employee Health and Wellness Programs.

More in-depth information about the cost-effectiveness of Employee Health and Wellness Programs can be found by analyzing data before and after Employee Health and Wellness Programs concerning healthcare claims, workers’ comp claims, sick time, productivity levels, etc. Health outcomes for Employee Health and Wellness Programs can be measured by looking at health claims and sick time.

It is also important to look at the impact of Employee Health and Wellness Programs on family members. For example, tobacco by pregnant mothers may lead to the birth of a severely impaired child. This could cost an employer or health plan hundreds of thousands of dollars, an expense that could have been avoided with well-designed Employee Health and Wellness Programs.

You can also compare the cost per worker of running the Employee Health and Wellness Programs to the savings per worker. One assessment of Employee Health and Wellness Programs involving 20,000 to 25,000 workers at New York City-based Citibank showed a return of $6.70 for every dollar the company invested in Employee Health and Wellness Programs. The findings were based on a study of health costs and absenteeism.1

An ongoing assessment of your Employee Health and Wellness Programs should be performed each year and additional periodic evaluations of Employee Health and Wellness Programs should be conducted on an ad hoc basis. An ad hoc assessment of your Employee Health and Wellness Programs might be initiated by a variety of triggers. For example, at the end of flu season, a company might want to evaluate its flu shot program.

Employee retention is a challenge. Employee Health and Wellness Programs can help. providing perks such as incentives to exercise, healthy food, and stress management and weight loss programs at work is a way to maintain your workers satisfied.

Attracting new workers are also a challenge, and anything you can do to “stand out” from other workers is to your advantage. Remember, salary isn’t everything. Often, the possibility of flex hours or a discount at the local gym may be the deciding factor for a future worker. Once again, Employee Health and Wellness Programs to the rescue!

How Are Employee Health and Wellness Programs Administered?

Whether running small Employee Health and Wellness Programs in-house or using outside corporate wellness corporations to oversee the whole thing, program promotion is vital. You may have a great speaker come in to talk about a very “hot topic,” but if no one knew about it, it was a waste of the speaker’s time and your money.

Corporate Employee Health and Wellness Program setup and promotion go hand and hand. Depending on the size of your company, it may be handled by one person or an entire corporate wellness team. You may even have an worker who is interested in physical fitness and would love to organize some educational wellness seminars and programs.

Other workers may have areas of interest and would be willing to set up some educational programs. Especially for smaller companies, once you have chosen your events and programs, it is best to set up a calendar with a schedule of events. Then publish the entire calendar as well as announcing each individual event as it comes up.

Access to Employee Health and Wellness Programs

To make access easy, offer a wide range of Employee Health and Wellness Programs and programs that can fit into everyone’s schedule. For example, some workers may find it difficult to get to a presentation at work or make a commitment for 8 weeks of the Weight Watchers at Work program. However, they will take advantage of a lowered rate at the gym and will borrow tapes from the health and wellness library.

If you have shifts, don’t forget to schedule events for the after 5:00 group. Nothing will undermine Employee Health and Wellness Programs more quickly than promoting great programs that are only convenient for first shift workers.

Sometimes, Employee Health and Wellness Programs can take advantage of “special situations” that occur and which offer an excellent opportunity for worker education and support, at little or no expense to the employer. Not only do these situations help workers personally, but also they are an opportunity for the employer to be seen in a positive light. For example:

A company had a number of workers with cancer, as well as a number of workers with family members with cancer. Their HR staff had received numerous questions about what to say to a coworker with cancer, as well as hearing about how difficult it was for the caregivers to manage work and home demands. They thought that it would be a great idea to initiate a lunchtime monthly “discussion/support group” to talk about the struggles, frustrations, and fears that people were facing. This activity was included under the umbrella of Employee Health and Wellness Programs that the company provided.

The group was facilitated by a rep from the Employee Assistance Program, but it was not a therapy group, nor was it promoted as such. It was informal and workers came as they could fit it into their schedules.

Did it solve all their problems? Of course not, but it did give them a place to vent, talk, and get some information and support. It was a powerful statement from the employer saying, “We care about you and we’d like to help you with this,” and the workers were very grateful. Effective Employee Health and Wellness Programs clearly convey this type of message to their workers.

Another employer had an worker who was autistic and frequently exhibited some odd or unusual behaviors. He had some significant difficulties and had to be out of work for a number of months. As time came for him to return, coworkers became anxious about what to expect.

The employer had someone come in to talk about autism and how best to deal with a person with the disease. It was a general discussion, and there was no discussion of the worker’s personal information. However, coworkers felt much more prepared to handle his return.

An worker with epilepsy told her coworkers about her condition in case she had a seizure. The employer then had someone from an epilepsy advocacy group come in and educate workers about the illness and what to do.

You may believe taking steps like this are not the responsibility of the employer, that it is not your business. But physical and mental illnesses affect just about everyone and are natural elements of Employee Health and Wellness Programs.

Employees who are preoccupied and worried about someone having a seizure or catching HIV from a coworker are not focused and productive. When you spend time informing and supporting workers, you not only have productive workers, you also have their respect.

Employee Health and Wellness Programs are also an effective way to educate workers/parents about substance abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, depression, mental illness, learning disabilities, and other issues that affect adults, children, and teens. Arming parents, other relatives, and concerned friends with information is a way to prevent problems in the future, for themselves and their children.

Employees may not be comfortable attending Employee Health and Wellness Programs entitled “Substance Abuse and You” or “Dealing With Depression,” fearing they have “self-identified” just by their presence. However, when much of that same information is billed as “Teens and Substance Abuse” or “Recognizing the Signs of Depression in Teens,” there may be a full house for the presentation.

Once this occurs, the levels of awareness are raised. An employee who is concerned that he or she is actually depressed can attend and gain life-saving information. Using this type of approach in Employee Health and Wellness Programs goes beyond raising awareness among parents whose children are struggling with personal problems.

Mental health topics are frequently difficult to introduce. There is still some stigma attached to being “mentally ill” or having alcohol problems. A benign way to bring information into the workplace is to use Employee Health and Wellness Programs and the National Screening Day programs. These are dates that have been set aside annually to increase awareness about various problems. They include:

Alcohol Abuse and Addiction (April)
Anxiety Disorders (during Mental Health Month in May)
Depression (October)
Eating Disorders (February)

There is a wealth of information available web-based that can be made available to your workers at no cost as a component of your Employee Health and Wellness Programs. All it takes implement this into Employee Health and Wellness Programs is some type of notification in the form of an e-mail with an introductory statement and some links.

Local mental health clinics, medical schools, and hospitals usually provide free employee health screenings on designated days so that anyone can come in, take a test, and get information and a referral for care if appropriate. You could arrange with a local provider for a block of time for your workers to participate in the screenings, or talk to them about coming into the workplace to provide them.