Wellness Articles

Small and large companies carry a significant proportion of the provision of health care for families in this country by providing health care insurance for their staff members. With the escalating increase in health care cost many companies are attempting to slow the increase of health care insurance premiums by providing creative cost control programs. Greater emphasis is being put on primary prevention to keep staff members healthy and secondary prevention to identify and treat health conditions before they can become serious.

At some workplaces, staff members are being encouraged to take greater responsibility for their health related behaviors through risk rated incentive packages. Linking wellness to worker benefits of gain sharing and co-payment cost reductions will provide new opportunities requiring efforts of collaboration between the human resource managers and the Employee Health and Wellness Program specialists. These two sets of consultants may also work together for the ongoing evaluation of cost effective Employee Health and Wellness Programs.

In conjunction with the above programs most large companies also have a nurse or physician on staff to dispense worksite medical and preventive care. Some programs have also found it cost effective to provide their own physical therapy programming to assist injured and infirm workers in regaining optimal functioning. A broad-based selection of health related worker services and benefits would include the following:

• Free or low cost health screenings provided on site by business clinical personnel or through outside contractors:
Serum cholesterol
Colorectal cancer screen
Blood pressure check
Mammography
Vision and hearing testing
Diabetes
• Referral procedures (e.g., Hypertension, Cholesterol, Cancer)
• First Aid and emergency care
• Disease control and prevention programs
• Child and infirm adult care services
• Financial and Pre-Retirement planning
• Ongoing learning/educational opportunities
• Coordination of business picnics and outings
• Parent-child work visitation programs
• Workers compensation/rehabilitation

nutrition and physical fitness programs have demonstrated effectiveness in delaying the onset of worker morbidity while enhancing self esteem, stress management and general feelings of well being. Although many nutrition and physical fitness programs are instructional in nature, they should go beyond educational programs by providing enabling supports for the adoption of healthy behaviors.

Quality Employee Health and Wellness Programs encourage and facilitate participation in daily physical activity for all staff members, and when possible retired workers and family menbers. This is accomplished through access to fitness facilities, (preferably on site) and properly supervised physical fitness classes. In addition a broad-based program will provide opportunities for Individualized physical fitness and nutrition prescriptions from certified consultants. Commitment to the model is demonstrated through occupational food services and sales consistent with healthy nutrition. Specific programs to include:

• Strength / Resistance training
• Flexibility conditioning programs
• Healthy cooking classes
• Aerobic conditioning programs
• Diet planning and analysis assistance
• Physical rehabilitative programs
• Weight/body fat control programs
• Team and individual recreational sports programs
• Physical fitness assessments and programs

Health education is easily integrated into all the areas of comprehensive Employee Health and Wellness Programs and it is unlikely that any of the areas could survive without an educational component. It is a primary element of every primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention program and a method of promoting wellness and optimal health. A broad-based health education program must be based on theoretically and scientifically sound principles to ensure effectiveness.

Successful health education programs will incorporate adult learning theories and encourage active participant involvement in all phases of program planning and implementation. Health education efforts should emphasize skill development and the adoption of health enhancing behaviors while being accessible to all staff members, their families and retirees. Methods of delivery may include; one on one instruction, group presentations, seminars, workshops, educational media lending library and health literature distribution. Program examples may include:

• Health Risk Assessments
• Individualized health prescriptions and behavior change assistance
• CPR and first aid training
• Nutrition education programs
• Stress management
• smoking cessation programs
• Cancer and heart disease education
• Blood borne pathogens education programs
• Sexual assault prevention programs
• Prenatal care
• Safety education programs
• Self care programs
• Healthy back programs
• Family centered programs
• Supplies of literature and educational media available for worker loan

As the field of Employee Health and Wellness Programs continues to evolve, the need to define succinctly the components of this broad-based approach increases. In 1987 Allensworth and Kolbe (1987) expanded the prevailing definition of broad-based school health to include the domains of Health Instruction, Environmental Health, Health Services, Physical Education, Counseling and Psychological Services, School Food Service, Employee Health and Wellness Programs for Faculty and Staff, and the Integration of School and Community Resources.

To promote the health of school children, prevention specialists have realized that an integrated broad-based approach is the most effective strategy. Relying solely on health education or Physical Education programs to foster children’s health has demonstrated limited effectiveness. Consistent health messages delivered by numerous agents increases the possibility of attaining health goals and objectives. A similar model is essential if Employee Health and Wellness Programs are to impact positively on the health and performance of all staff members.

A broad-based model of Employee Health and Wellness Programs includes the following components; Health Education Strategies, worker Health Services and Benefits, nutrition and physical fitness Strategies, Employee Health and Wellness Program Policies and Procedures, Counseling and Employee Assistance Programs, a Safe and Healthy Work Environment, and the Integration of Company and Community Resources. This model can be used to evaluate and plan for Employee Health and Wellness Programs that are truly broad-based in nature, focusing on primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention strategies for staff members.

One value of a truly broad-based model is that it is possible to promote a holistic philosophy of worker health. A healthy, productive worker is one who is given the opportunity to develop emotionally, physically, intellectually, socially and spiritually. In addition, this model supports the ideals of wellness and optimal health by encouraging worksites to go beyond programs designed to only reduce health care costs, prevent disease, or maintain health.

A primary factor in the utility of this model is the integration and overlap of responsibilities. Implementation and design are dependent upon the motivation and cooperation of qualified - and ideally - credentialed consultants throughout the administrative structure of a business. Such a model requires consistent communication between health educators, medical staff, human resource managers, physical therapists, industrial hygienists, physical fitness physiologists, ergonomic engineers, dietitians, occupational therapists, psychologists and independent consultants. Planning must also incorporate active involvement of workers, administrators, family members, and business retirees at all stages of the development, implementation and evaluation stages. All must be committed to the development of a healthy organization where staff members are happy and proud to work.

Various organizations are working to advance the science of Employee Health and Wellness Programs. Health educators have the expertise and training to be leaders in this field. On the basis of theoretical foundations of health behavior and the results of empirical research, we must begin to articulate a clear vision of what optimal programs should consist of. The Components of this model are included below for reference and will be discussed individually in coming posts.

• Health Education
• nutrition and physical fitness Strategies
• worker Health Services and worker Benefits
• Employee Assistance Programs and Counseling Programs
• Safe Work Environment
• Health Related business Policies and Procedures
• Integration of business and Community Resources

As the field of Employee Health and Wellness Programs continues to evolve, so will the need to define the dimensions of a broad-based model of Employee Health and Wellness Programs. A representative model includes the following Employee Health and Wellness Program components; health education programs, worker health services and benefits, nutrition and physical fitness programs, Employee Health and Wellness Program policies and procedures, counseling and employee assistance programs, a safe and healthy work environment, and the integration of company and community resources.

A broad-based approach to Employee Health and Wellness Programs will maximize the impact of all initiatives by increasing communication between administrators, staff members, and worker families, while encouraging the adoption of a healthy worksite culture and climate. Philosophically, this model supports the ideals of worker wellness and optimal health by encouraging worksites to go beyond programs designed to only reduce health care costs, prevent disease, or maintain health.

A primary factor in the utility of this model is the integration and overlap of responsibilities for Employee Health and Wellness Programs by various departments and individuals outside and inside the company. As the structure of the worksite continues to change, in the future this dynamic model can be used to evaluate and plan for Employee Health and Wellness Programs that are truly broad-based in nature.

A Comprehensive Model For Employee Health and Wellness Programs

According to the National Survey of Worksite Health Promotion Activities (1992) 81% of companies in the United States with 50 or more staff members have some form of Employee Health and Wellness Programs activity. This result puts us in proximity of the Healthy People 2000 (1990) objective of 85 percent by the year 2000. Why are employers getting into the business of Employee Health and Wellness Programs? The three most common reasons cited for employer interest in Employee Health and Wellness Programs are the desire to control spiraling health care costs, to encourage a healthy productive work force, and as a method of boosting the morale of staff members and the image of the company (O’Donnell, 1994).

As the motivations for Employee Health and Wellness Programs differ, so do the extent of a Employee Health and Wellness Programs efforts. A program may consist of distributing the occasional health pamphlet on the warning signs of cancer to staff members, or it may comprise an elaborate and strategically planned Employee Health and Wellness Program targeted to the specific needs of a company and its staff members. Research indicates (O’Donnel & Harris, 1994) that some Employee Health and Wellness Programs have been more effective than others in improving health status, but what would a truly broad-based model of Employee Health and Wellness Programs consist of?

Close your eyes and imagine yourself working for the healthiest business possible. What characteristics or Employee Health and Wellness Program strategies would make that organization so healthy? Examine it from a holistic perspective. What does that business do to enhance the physical, social, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual aspects of worker health? How does that business develop effective health policies and relevant programs that impact all staff members? Finally, how does that business demonstrate its belief that workers are the business’s most valued asset?

It is unlikely that any one component of a Employee Health and Wellness Program will be responsible for the positive health outcomes of all staff members. Employee Health and Wellness Program have evolved from the occasional fitness facility for the exclusive use of business executives, or the sporadic worker safety program, to a wide range of health enhancing services and programs. Employee Health and Wellness Program consultants frequently speak of the importance of cultural change and the need to institutionalize Employee Health and Wellness Programs in today’s worksite. This goal can only occur through a broad-based and integrated approach that impacts on workers through numerous channels.

Walking Employee Health and Wellness Programs are among of the most popular Employee Health and Wellness Programs. They set the bar for entry fairly low - most anyone can walk around the block or their building - and walking Employee Health and Wellness Programs also provides workers with a good way to break up the afternoon doldrums and interact in a casual, more social environment with other workers. Just leaving your desk for a few minutes every day for a walk can be a big stress reliever - and stress is the second leading cause of absenteeism, according to Employee Health and Wellness Program statistics.

As a first step to beginning your Employee Health and Wellness Program, we recommend that you have a designer draw up an attractive map of your corporate campus or vicinity. Plan out and test a few short walks of varying distances, and using a pedometer and watch, figure out how long each walk is in time and distance. Have a little fun with your walking Employee Health and Wellness Program by equating each walk with a common office activity of the same duration, like a writing a one-page status report or filling out a common form. Post the map in the workplace and make sure people know about walking Employee Health and Wellness Programs by using your office communication channels - newsletters, announcements, corporation meetings. Keep it fun by building weight-loss teams, setting up races or organizing healthy picnics and athletic activities around the walking Employee Health and Wellness Programs route.

Following are some other walking Employee Health and Wellness Programs tips from Tom Weede, author of The Entrepreneur Diet: The On-the-Go Plan for Fitness, Weight Loss, and Healthy Living:

Make sure to link the walking Employee Health and Wellness Program to work objectives. Employees need to be reassured that these walks are part of their responsibility to be healthy and productive. They’re not personal errands that need to be compensated for by longer days at the office.
Keep healthy snacks in the workplace.
Reinforce the walking Employee Health and Wellness Program message by regularly mentioning it during worker meetings
Set up a health-related benefit that walking Employee Health and Wellness Programs participants can use for health-related expenses.

Employee Health and Wellness Program Statistics tell a clear story - Employee Health and Wellness Program Programs are effective , and they save corporations money.

You should take note of these interesting Employee Health and Wellness Program Statistics:

Some 25 percent of United States corporations were running Employee Health and Wellness Programs in 1996.
Employee Health and Wellness Program Statistics depict a savings of $2.30 to $10.10 for every $1 spent on Employee Health and Wellness Programs.
Coca-Cola’s physical fitness program recouped $500 per year per worker, despite the fact that only 60% of their staff was enrolled.
A Ipsos-Reid Employee Health and Wellness Program statisics paper in 2004 found the three major preventable causes of staff absenteeism to be mental health (anxiety and/or depression), stress and a bad relationship with a supervisor.
Employee Health and Wellness Program Statistics from Prudential Insurance reveal a benefit expense of $312 per person enrolled in their wellness system, but $574 per non-enrolled worker.
At the Coors Brewing Co., Employee Health and Wellness Program Statistics illuminate a savings of $5.50 per $1 spent on physical fitness, with a positive side-effect of participant absenteeism dropping by 18%.

Employee Health and Wellness Program Advantages still aren’t self-evident to some executives, even though the research, real-world evidence and cost-benefit analyses are demonstrative. With careful planning, almost every corporation can reap Employee Health and Wellness Program Advantages.

Part of the problem is that some executives erroneously believe that the Employee Health and Wellness Program Advantages are mostly on the worker side. The truth is that Employee Health and Wellness Program Advantages both the business and worker - and according to Employee Health and Wellness Program statistics , the employer stands to gain $2.30 to $10.10 in cost savings per dollar spent. Employee physical fitness saves corporations money.

At the same time, healthcare and insurance costs continue to skyrocket. Employee Health and Wellness Program Advantages are one of the only ways to cut those costs while helping workers at the same time. As Karen Roberts, senior vice president with Aon Consulting, said about Employee Health and Wellness Program Advantages in her address at the 2006 WorldAtWork Total Rewards Conference & Exhibition, “If you can’t afford to invest in wellness this year, you’re never going to afford it.”

Employee Health and Wellness Program Advantages include helping to prevent cancer, obesity, heart disease and hypertension. It’s rare that corporations can cut costs and assist struggling workers, support families and even arguably save lives. Isn’t that a good thing?

Onsite Employee Health Screening means better heath risk assessment baselines and better security

“Onsite Employee Health Screening” is a hot phrase these days, but it can help your employees with health management, too. When the pundits talk about Onsite Employee Health Screening, they’re usually referring to retinal scanners, fingerprint readers, and other high-tech security measures. However, if you trace the phrase “Onsite Employee Health Screening” back to its roots, it refers to the measurement of unique human physical and behavioral characteristics.

Employee Health and Wellness Programs are of critical importance to the modern business. As a result, Onsite Employee Health Screening should be one of the tools in the arsenal of a forward-thinking organization.

Worksite Health Screenings aren’t just a “feel-good” measure for your workers. Assessments of worker health help your workers to prioritize their well-being, which results in happier, more productive workers. Health risk assessments also build your database of worker biometric data. Onsite Employee Health Screening, when handled worksite by our experienced professionals, is hassle-free and smoothly organized. The biometric data we collect then can be stored digitally for years or even decades, helping you and your employees build better health risk assessment baselines that you can use to analyze employees physical fitness and the efficacy of your company’s Health and Productivity Programs. Collected biometric data can even allow an worker’s doctor to assess that person’s health over many years, helping him or her spot trends and diagnose disease.

Onsite Employee Health Screening extends to a wide variety of health risk tests, including measurements of blood pressure, blood type, body fat, substance abuse, and susceptibility to cardiovascular disease. Collecting biometric data for security purposes - like fingerprints, facial recognition imprints, or hand geometry - can be dovetailed with our health tests to minimize workflow disruption.

Employee Health and Wellness Programs: A Long-Term Committment

“Employee Health and Wellness Programs” - what does that phrase mean to you? To many of us, it evokes an array of ambivalent thoughts — the health club membership we barely used, the nagging ankle injury from last year’s corporation picnic, the backaches, the bratwurst we had for lunch, the love handles and of course, the fad diets that failed us or that we failed. Usually, Employee Health and Wellness Programs is a guilt trigger that causes us to feel remorse about our bodies and the health management we know we should be doing for them.

Unfortunately we live in a society where our survival is dependent on sitting at a desk, not hunting game, picking berries and sprinting away from wolves. We also live in such luxury, nutritionally, that we can gain weight steadily without being wealthy. Cardiovascular disease, obesity and bad nutrition cause most of the heath issues that weigh down worker attendance and erode a company’s productivity.

Ironically the poorest societies in the world - the ones furthest from the conveniences of modern life - often have the fittest, most physically hardy members. And as for the animal kingdom — don’t look there for commiseration. In the wild, it is extremely rare to find an animal that suffers from our kind of wellness issues.

Prescription Drug dependency degrades Health and Wellness

It doesn’t help that U.S citizens are descending into a deadly love affair with drugs — and drug testing won’t help you with these drugs.

For example, Greg Critser’s book Generation RX details how U.S citizens spend about $180 billion dollars on Prescription Drugs each year, with the estimated 2011 tally at a whopping $414 billion. The average number of Prescription Drugs per U.S citizen in 2004 stood at twelve.

Twelve! That means that your average worker is taking 14, 18, or even more than 20 medications in an attempt to enhance their Health and Wellness.

Is this effective, though? Critser is not convinced that the drugs help United States health. In fact, he points out a bevy of negative consequences for America’s legal prescription medication addition, which include prescription medication interactions, liver damage, and the legions of people who now depend on drugs to deal with ordinary trials and stresses.

An business has the potential to enhance Health

It’s not all bad news, though. Occupational Health Screenings and well-designed Employee Health and Wellness Programs can help you fight the downward spiral for you and your employees. In fact, good Employee Health and Wellness Programs - like a strong walking Employee Health and Wellness Programs initiative - can literally save lives and reduce the symptoms that cause workers to turn to drugs in the first place.