Wellness Programs Contribute To A Healthy Bottom Line

Employee health inevitably affects business productivity and profitability. Illness, both chronic and acute, can result in frequent absences and underperformance. A company's bottom line takes an additional hit when insurance premiums increase due to significant health problems among workers.

When faced with rapidly rising medical insurance premiums, many business owners feel they have no choice but to ask their employees to bear a greater proportion of health care coverage costs. But with the help of a comprehensive wellness program, designed to lower risk factors across an employee group that can lead to expensive insurance claims, employers may be able to reduce their health care expenditures—and boost employee morale—without resorting to unpopular cost-shifting measures.

According to the nonprofit Partnership for Prevention, promoting worksite health helps companies attract the best workers, minimize employee turnover, reduce absenteeism, improve on-the-job decision-making and time utilization, foster stronger organizational relationships, and build goodwill toward management.

What are the risk factors a workplace-based health promotion campaign can effectively address? Smoking, excess weight, poor diet, high blood pressure and cholesterol, hypertension, and stress are just a few of the health problems targeted by employer-sponsored wellness programs.

Some of these risk factors are related to personal choice, some to the nature of the workplace, and some to a combination of the two. While obesity is caused in part by an individual's nutritional choices, it is also clear that a worker is more likely to gain weight if he or she has a sedentary job, little access to fresh food, and little leisure time for exercise. Improving the health of employees often involves encouraging them to make changes in their work habits, which can extend into other parts of their lives.

The most popular wellness programs offered by employers in 2004 were exercise and fitness, smoking cessation, nutrition, and assistance in the management of weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, and stress, according to a survey by the American Management Association.

If you are thinking of implementing a company-based wellness program, start-up costs are likely to be a primary concern. Smaller companies lack the economies of scale to justify building an on-premises fitness center, or hiring a full-time medical professional to provide care. Fortunately, businesses of all sizes can take measures that cost relatively little to put in place, yet have the potential to improve the health of your workforce significantly.

Here are some examples of wellness initiatives that may work for your business:

Encourage regular check-ups. If you do not require your employees to have yearly physicals, you may want to introduce incentives to encourage people to regularly see their primary care physicians. Supply your employees with a list of tests, such as cancer screenings, that should be conducted at certain ages and at certain intervals. Sometimes relatively small incentives, such as gift certificates coupled with frequent reminders, can be enough to encourage workers to seek out regular preventative care.

Arrange lunchtime clinics on health issues. While information alone may not change people's habits, a clinic where blood pressure is measured, or addiction or weight control issues are discussed, can alert employees to potential problems and provide them with risk-reduction ideas.

Organize weight loss, exercise, sports, and other health-oriented groups. Employees are more likely to take a walk around the block during lunch breaks if they do not have to go out alone. Some companies have set up walking and running clubs, and offered employees incentives and recognition for reaching certain goals, such as walking a certain number of steps each day, or finishing a race. If there is enough interest, it may also be possible to set up a dieting group to support members in making the right food choices during the workday. People who prefer team sports may be persuaded to join a company softball, soccer, or ultimate Frisbee team.

Offer additional support to employees with special concerns. If particular workers suffer from chronic illnesses, such as diabetes or hypertension, or are experiencing high-risk pregnancies, you may want to encourage them to enroll in disease-management programs offered by local health-care providers. While there is a cost associated with these programs, participation can often reduce the chances of more serious complications from these illnesses developing further down the line.