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.
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