There are different wellness program design levels depending on desired outcomes and budgets.  Each level has benefits and drawbacks.  The intentions or results are quite different, are not interchangeable respecting obtaining the same results, and as a result should not be confused.

For example, scheduling activities like an staff member wellness fair or lunchtime education sessions, or having pamphlets available don’t typically result in behavior change, but may increase awareness on a topic.

When the goal is behavior change then a different design is required, like Lifestyle/Behavior Change Programs and Organizational Support.  The outline below describes the wellness design levels with a brief explanation.

Awareness Programs –   at this level a company makes health information available and accessible to employees.  This kind of health promotion program can include flyers on a variety of topics, wellness articles in newsletters, bulletin board displays, e-mail health messages, etc.

In addition, most health fairs are designed as awareness programs with vendors providing information and providing health screenings to staff members.

Awareness programs are inexpensive and don’t require robust staff member or corporation time commitments. Nonetheless, these wellness programs don’t usually result in healthier behavior change.

Increasing awareness isn’t generally enough to generate lifestyle changes for most individuals, unless used to motivate personnel to register for a wellness program being offered at the organization or community on the topic.

An example of this would be providing information on the harmful effects of use of tobacco and inviting staff who smoke to register for a use of tobacco cessation class.

Education Programs –   Educational wellness programs often provide more information on a topic and can also provide time for questions and answers, but are similar to awareness wellness programs.  An example is lunch-n-learn sessions on a health related topic.

These cost the company a little more than awareness programs; however, they’re still cheap and do not require a great deal of time for planning or attending a session.

Again, increasing awareness and providing information might not lead to the desired behavior modification unless ongoing support or incentives are also planned.

Lifestyle/Behavior Change Programs –   These wellness programs are designed as 4 to 12 weekly sessions or workshops to provide wellness education, address barriers and provide opportunities to practice the desired skills.

Behavior change programs therefore require more corporation resources, cost more, and require more staff member commitment, time and effort.  The results are often the desired positive lifestyle change, which when sustained can lead to potential cost savings.

Examples are use of tobacco cessation classes, weight reduction and weight management meetings, or an ongoing fitness program.

Environmental and Organizational Support –   Environmental support is often considered the highest and most critical level to include when designing your health promotion program for support and maintain healthy behaviors.

These kinds of design choices include policy changes like -

o  Creating a smoke-free worksite

o  Designating a walking path,

o  Establishing onsite health clubs,

o  Ensuring healthy vending machine selections,

o  Offering healthful food choices in the cafeteria, and/or

o  Establishing flex-time policies.

Other examples include subsidizing healthy vending machines or cafeteria choices; reimbursing fitness center or weight loss and weight control program memberships; or providing insurance incentives for healthy behaviors.

Ideally, the health promotion program design would include some of all these choices.  The more comprehensive and integrated the approach, the more successful the results will be.  For  instance, a organization can -

o  have tobacco cessation information available;

o  can schedule a one hour awareness session on the harmful effects of tobacco use and how to quit;

o  can implement an on-site use of tobacco cessation program,

o  supply self quit tobacco use kits, or

o  support staff to attend a community program; and/or

o  on an environmental support level can establish a tobacco-free workplace and grounds,

o  offer lower insurance premiums for non-smokers, or

o  provide pharmacological quit smoke aids for free.

Health Promotion Program –  Components for Success

There are several key components or elements that must be considered to ensure the success of your Health Promotion Program or health promotion program.  These include -

o  Senior Management Support and Worker Involvement

o  Active Wellness Committee

o  Program is Based on Employee Needs and Interests

o  Objectives and Goals are Established

o  Detailed Action Plan Based on Resources and Budget

o  Program Implementation and Internal Marketing

o  Evaluation of Outcomes and Program

o  Lower Health Care Costs

o  Decreased Injuries

o  Lowered Absenteeism

o  Better Morale and Loyalty

o  Higher Productivity

o  Lowered Use of Health Care Benefits

o  Reduced Workers’ Compensation / Disability

o  Positive Perception in Community

o  Lowered Turnover

o  Better recruitment for skilled employees

What is NOT having a Health Promotion Program costing your corporation?

Consider the health risk factors that are increasing chronic conditions for adults -

o  59 percent of adults are overweight or obese

o  More than 60 percent of American adults do not exercise regularly

o  Greater than 75% of adults do not consume the minimum recommendations for fruits and vegetables

o  Heart disease is the most common cause of death and the leading cause of death in smokers

o  26% of personnel announced they were often or very often burned out or stressed by their work

Healthcare Costs are Increasing –  Healthcare costs are at a record high of $1.7 trillion with no signs of holding steady let alone decreasing.  The typical cost of annual healthcare spending is over $5,000 per person and with dependents almost $10,000.

Current data shows that healthcare related costs now cost North Carolina businesses thousands of dollars per worker, per year.

Most Diseases can be Prevented –  Even though it sounds unbelievable, specialists indicate that preventable illness makes up 60% – 70% of the entire burden of illness in the United States

In North Carolina, it’s estimated that more than 53 percent of all deaths are preventable, and that 2/3 of all avoidable deaths are because of tobacco use, physical inactivity, and poor nutrition.

Stress Levels are Increasing –   as corporation resources become less and corporations adopt leaner work practices, the effects of absenteeism and productivity lost have a greater impact.

In a recent national poll, 78% of Americans described their jobs as stressful, and the majority felt that stress levels have become worse over the last 10 years. Furthermore, high levels of organizational stress can adversely affect a business by increasing injuries, absenteeism, and health care costs while reducing productivity.

Simple solutions such as stress management education, flexible work schedules, quality social interaction, and increased participation in business decision-making can improve stress levels in the worksite.

What’s the Upfront Cost and Time Investment for a Wellness Program?

The fee depends on the kind of Wellness Program implemented.  There are a few options to promote worker health with advantages and disadvantages of each.  The health promotion program design depends on the goals of the health promotion program, the organization resources, and the community resources available.

Improving dietary practices, increasing exercise levels, managing stress or addressing work life balance issues, and reducing/eliminating tobacco use, are main strategies for preventing many of the most common avoidable chronic diseases.

The possibilities of how your company addresses these issues are endless and can range from increasing staff member awareness, which could include purchasing several flyers on a variety of topics, and measuring walking distances around your facility.

Other possibilities include establishing organizational support like funding a fulltime occupational health expert or building an on-site fitness center.

When well planned and based on your goals, any of these health promotion programs can help you succeed.  Refer below to Health Promotion Program Design Choices for more ideas.

Programs and policies that promote increased physical activity, smoking prevention and cessation, and healthy food selections are several examples.

Wellness Dimensions

Health Promotion is more than fitness.  In addition to fitness, the dimensions of optimal health include

o  Spiritual Dimension of Wellness

o  Emotional Wellness Dimension

o  Social Wellness Dimension

o  Intellectual Wellness Dimension

These Dimensions of Wellness are often depicted as a “life wheel” with examples of health components that include -

o  fitness,

o  nutrition,

o  purpose in life,

o  financial planning,

o  social connections and support systems,

o  stress management,

o  mind-body health,

o  career planning and

o  continued learning.

The key for individual health is keeping the “life wheel” in balance.  A robust health promotion program addresses most, when not all, of these dimensions.

Why Employee Wellness?

Staff Members spend a excellent deal of time on the job, and the reality is that our traditional work-week is increasing. In fact, the typical American now works about 47 hours per week.

Plus, technologies like modems, laptops, cellular phones, voice and email have blurred the work-life boundary.  These realities reduce the amount of time that the average individual can devote to wellness pursuits, and yet employees are expected to be at top performance when at work.

A recent study  by the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses found that company wellness or wellness programs are successful in helping staff members make positive health changes due to several factors such as convenience, environmental support, and coworker or social acceptance.

What is the Link between Wellness and the Workplace?

Programs and policies that promote healthful behaviors could make a big difference on employee wellness AND have an impact on the organization’s bottom line.   Studies have shown that for every dollar invested by businesss in corporate wellness/wellness programs, there were savings ranging from $1.49 to $4.91 with a median savings of $3.14*.

In business terms, that’s more than a 3 – 1 minimum return on investment – a number that is hard to ignore, and a best practice that should warrant serious consideration from organizations.

Indeed, a employee wellness literature review posted in Wellness Practitioner Journal found -

o  19 studies found a 28.3% reduction in sick time

o  16 studies demonstrated a 5.6 – 1 return on investment

o  23 showed a 26.1 percent reduction in health care costs

o  4 found a 30% reduction in direct medical and workers’ compensation claims

There is little doubt that a comprehensive health promotion program targeted to meet a company’s specific needs can reduce costs by decreasing absenteeism, lowering health care expenditures, decreasing worker turnover, and increasing productivity.

o  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2003

The Wellness Program management world is evolving quickly. Each month, there are new research findings that support the premise that Wellness Programs and disease management have a long-term impact on healthcare costs.

A lot of large businesses that began Health Promotion Programs three to five years ago are showing savings in health, disability, and workforce compensation costs. Small to mid-size businesses are watching all this and wondering where to start with wellness.

Getting executive management support and budget approval is one of the challenges at the starting of a Wellness Program. This is the case because Wellness Programs could be expensive, averaging $150-300 per employee each year in big organizations.

Most of the savings are not realized for a number of years. This long-term investing is hard for corporations on the move.

The key to success for Health Promotion Programs is to take a strategic approach. Here are ten steps to consider when beginning a Health Promotion Program.

1. Start with executive management. Without executive management support, a wellness strategy can fall flat. Start with the health of your executive team and discover your wellness champions at the top of the business.

2. Analyze the problem. Look at your healthcare claims and analyze the trends. Which conditions are driving your medical, disability, and workers’ compensation claims and which are modifiable? What is worked and what has not as a result far? What is the long-term impact of doing nothing?

3. Hold an initial wellness meeting. Invite your key stakeholders both inside and outside the business. Ask your broker to facilitate the meeting and invite key health providers including health, disability, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), fitness, and occupational nursing.

Review claims and utilization data and identify key areas of concern. Look at current offerings and see how they can be tailored to the needs of the population.

4. Consider both healthy and unhealthy staff. Since 85 percent of claims are ordinarily attributed to 15 percent of claimants, it is essential to reach those with the most expensive conditions while also reaching individuals  who are at risk for developing preventable illnesses in the future.

Voluntary health promotion programs such as lunchtime wellness workshops miss many of the individuals  who need them most. Consider health promotion programs that are population-wide or target intact workgroups. Health Promotion incentives help but don’t motivate everybody.

5. Be certain to set short-term goals for the wellness programs. Be certain to set some realistic short-term goals based on your key areas of concern. Are there any plan design changes that could have an immediate impact on spending? Are there some programmatic actions that could have immediate results?

6. Find out what workers are thinking. Hold some focus groups to determine where people  are with wellness. What is working? What isn’t? Just how much interest do people  have in the Health Promotion Programs? What obstacles and barriers are workers experiencing when they try to change behavior?

7. Be certain you’ve a high-impact Staff Member Assistance Program (EAP). Your first wellness dollars should go into upgrading your Staff Member Assistance Program (EAP). A highly utilized Staff Member Assistance Program (EAP) can provide a foundation for all of your future wellness activities.

A good Worker Assistance Program (EAP) is a trusted link to the hearts and minds of personnel.  At no additional cost, the Worker Assistance Program (EAP) can provide needed follow-up coaching and personal attention for personnel who are working on modifiable health behaviors or involved in disease management (DM) programs.

Nutritionists, fitness, pregnancy, and stress management specialists are all part of a high-value Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

8. Make certain to set three to five year objectives for healthcare savings and measure them. Get help from your broker and insurance carrier help you on long-term objectives for your health, disability, and staff members compensation plans.

Establish program metrics that will help you to measure Return On Investment (ROI). Go beyond participation rates, completion rates and program satisfaction. Measure changes in readiness, changes in behavior, and changes in risk factors. Establish rigorous methods to measure healthcare savings over the long term.

9. Be certain to set goals for organizational health. Consider the more intangible benefits of a health promotion program and quantify them whenever possible. Include employee turnover rates, cost of new hires, employee morale, benefit satisfaction data, and employer of option issues in establishing goals. Establish ways to measure success in these areas.

10. Add specifics to your short and long-term plan. Include a program strategy, a communication strategy, and an incentive strategy that will fit with your corporate culture. Focus on integration of related components along a health continuum with communications that are focused, simple, and human.

Establish a budget that includes key components such as consumer education, wellness, health risk appraisals, and regular biometric screens.

The workplace organizational culture and environment are powerful influences on behavior and this needs to be put to use to assisting staff to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Benefits to Wellness Programs include -

o  Losing weight

o  Better fitness

o  Increased stamina

o  Reduced levels of stress

o  Enhanced wellness, self-image and self-esteem

Companys can also benefit from Health Promotion Programs. According to recent research, companys’ benefits are -

o  Increased recruitment and retention of healthful workers

o  Reduced health care costs

o  Lowered rates of disease and injuries

o  Lowered employee absenteeism

o  Enhanced staff member relations and morale

o  Increased productivity

o  Weight reduction

o  Increased physical fitness

o  Better stamina

o  Reduced amounts of stress

o  Enhanced wellness, self-image and self-esteem

Businesss can also benefit from Health Promotion Programs. According to recent research, corporations’ benefits are -

o  Better recruitment and retention of healthy staff members

o  Lowered healthcare costs

o  Lowered rates of disease and injuries

o  Lowered worker absenteeism

o  Increased worker relations and morale

o  Enhanced productivity

A United States  Department of Health and Human Services report revealed that at workplaces with physical activity programs as components of their Health Promotion Programs have -

o  Reduced health care costs by 20 to 55%

o  Decreased short-term sick leave by six to 32 percent

o  Improved productivity by two to 52%

Thanks to modern medicine, life expectancy for Americans has continually increased. Precisely how much we enjoy these additional years, notwithstanding, depends greatly on how we have lived our lives.

If our quality of life is to remain high so that we can fully enjoy these extra years, we must practice good eating habits, be active and refrain from using tobacco products.

Furthermore, stress, distractions and the pressures of the job can take its toll on the staff member, which makes it important that a health promotion program is implemented.

Today, all across America, Canada, Europe and Asia, top corporate Wellness Programs are being used to help improve employee conditions at work and reduce the cost of employee healthcare.

Some of the top Health Promotion Programs currently in use today include -

Wellness Programs – Health Risk Assessments (HRAs) (HRAs)

Health Risk Assessment (HRA) is a top Wellness Program currently in use globally. Organizations that implement it determine the safety and health concerns of staff by the assessment of appropriateness of the facilities and equipment against the needs of the staff.

It can, for example, guide the company into determining how much air quality within an office room affects the users and then help the assessment team to come up with the measures necessary to correct the problem.

An HRA can also evaluate the level of exposure staff have to certain hazardous or hazardous materials and practices.

Wellness Programs – Immunizations.

This is not always practiced in every country since there are regions where government sponsored immunization shots are available. Nevertheless, it’s also become an important component of the top Health Promotion Programs in many companies in North America.

Immunization shots, such as those used to combat flu, for instance, are offered to employees for free.

Worker Assistance Programs (EAPs)

Staff Member Assistance Programs (EAPs) consist of a wide variety of services. It can range from providing educational resources to workforce regarding health issues to sponsoring health services and medical care. In many organizations, medical and insurance have also become a staple part of their benefits system.

Weight Management Programs

This is another health promotion program that corporations use, specifically those that offer in-house commissary or cafeteria services. Instead of serving richer, high-calorie fare, cafeterias offer choices for a healthier diet, typically in the form of low-calorie foods and sugar substitutes.

Worker Health Promotion Newsletters – Health Education Programs

One of the top Health Promotion Programs that organizations can begin is a self-powered tool using a newsletter to promote wellness, coupled with a visible campaign.

The campaign could  be done periodically and focus on a specific topic, such as smoking hazards, cancer, stress, carpal tunnel syndrome, safety in the worksite, etc.

The newsletter in itself can be an effective means to deliver information to workforce or members of an organization but it’s far from perfect. Some workforce, for instance, may not peruse the newsletter in its entirety or even pay attention to it.

If the issues outlined in the newsletter are promoted through an active and highly visible campaign, it will be easier to maximize positive results.

Physical Fitness and Fitness Programs

Another top wellness program for companies is one that involves physical activities. Companies often sponsor exercise-related events such as marathons and organization sports programs to encourage staff members to remain fit or lose excess weight. In mid- to large-sized companies, companies may even pay for health and fitness center memberships or in-house exercise facilities.

Wellness Program Incentives.

Some of the top Health Promotion Programs implemented by companies involve incentive rewards. This involves company-sponsored programs that reward staff members for achieving specific wellness objectives.

Participation in health campaigns and signing up for Wellness Programs are two of the most commonly rewarded schemes. Rewards can range from special recognitions to points (for bigger rewards) to specific gifts. In several cases, cash may also be used.

Notwithstanding, incentive systems have had mixed reactions and levels of success. But it continues to be one of the top choices among corporations who are willing to modify it to fit their unique needs.

Wellness Programs – Group Activities

In many businesses, businesses take advantage of peer pressure in order to encourage personnel to participate in Wellness Programs. This is currently one of the favorite staff member Wellness Programs currently in use today and growing in popularity.

Peer pressure is often leveraged to help promote competitions referring to corporate wellness and to persuade staff members to be active in company-sponsored wellness fairs.

With the rising cost of health care, wellness programs simply make sense. So where does the problem come in? Let us examine the topic from both perspectives.

Health Promotion Programs –  the Good

o  A sampling of corporate returns on investment for health promotion programs –  Bank of America –  600%; General Motors – 370%; Pepsico –  300%; Citibank –  465%; and the Washoe County School District leading the pack at a whopping 1,560%. (Campbell,J., Wellness Improvement Professionals, www.wellnessimprovementexperts.com, Albuquerque, New Mexico.)

o  Organizations with health promotion programs have realized a 28% reduction in sick leave, a 26% reduction in adjunctive health care costs and a 30% reduction in disability and staff members compensation costs. (Health Affairs, Volume 21, No.2, March, 2002.)

o  The Washoe county School District in Northern Nevada realized a $15.60 return on investment for every dollar spent as a result of a 20% reduction in absenteeism. (Hardy,A. (2005).  At the Top of the Class. WELCOA’s Absolute Advantage Magazine, 5(1), 14-20.)

o  Wellness programs provide the structure, encouragement, incentives and ongoing support that many person need in order to make lifestyle changes.

o  Workers also realize returns on their efforts. FiServ, a financial services technology corporation, gave staff members who filled out a health risk appraisal a meaningful discount on their medical insurance premium. (Holland, Kelley, the New York Times, July 22, 2007.)

Health Promotion Programs –  the Bad

The flip side of the argument centers on basic human rights. Do we want/need our corporation to tell us to eat our veggies or lose 30 pounds? A number of corporations are doing just that and at least one lawsuit has resulted because of it.

o  Three hundred corporations have requested assistance from a national employment and labor law firm to institute more aggressive health promotion programs.(Cornwell, Lisa, Associated Press, Albuquerque Journal, September 10,2007.)

o  Clarian Health, based in Indianapolis, Will begin decreasing worker paychecks by $10.00 for every worker who’s a Body Mass Index (BMI)  of greater than 29.9 because not enough employees were utilizing their wellness services.(Cornwell, Lisa, Associated Press, Albuquerque Journal, September 10,2007.)

o  Scott Rodrigues filed a suit against his prospective corporation, Scotts Miracle-Gro, because he believed the corporation’s antitobacco use policy violated his civil rights.  The corporation has a policy against hiring workforce who smoke and Mr. Rodrigues’drug screen was positive for nicotine.(Holland, Kelley, the New York Times,July 22,2007.)

o  Worker advocates are concerned that health discrimination might not be covered below the American Citizens with Disabilities Act.(Cornwell, Lisa, Associated Press, Albuquerque Journal, September 10,2007.)

Penalizing personnel by hitting them hardest where it hurts the most,their pocketbook, doesn’t appear to be a favorable approach to molding human behavior.

Such tactics may result in increased resentments and retaliation, primarily in the form of absenteeism and presenteeism (decreased productivity on the job.) Voluntary, incentive-based wellness programs, like the one in the Washoe County School District, can and do produce results.

A positive attitude by senior level management along with an opportunity for staff members to have a stake in the decision-making may yield the greatest dividends to both corporation and worker.

The motivation and resolve needed to change unhealthful lifestyle habits can best be derived from the basic tenets of encouragement, respect and support.

o  Justifications for having a wellness fair

o  Health risk assessments

o  Make certain to help for high-risk population –  smokers, obese staff

o  Early detection of diabetes, heart disease risk factors (high cholesterol, high blood pressure)

Health Fair Participation – Identify your audience

o  Employees only, whole family, retirees?

o  Community involvement? Theme?

Health Fair Time Line

o  Be sure to set a date and time Allow 4-6 months of planning time

Wellness Fair Developing

o  Identify health-related screenings, tests, other activities you’ll offer Identify educational literature and other learning opportunities health fair will provide Include any “fun” activities, or food/beverage needs for the fair

Health Fair Location and Logistics

o  Consider location large enough to accommodate the biggest volume of people  at “peak time” periods

o  Determine how booths/stations will be set up

Health Fair Providers

o  Target relevant health/safety-related community and corporate vendors to provide services, educational materials, incentives and giveaways

Health Fair Marketing and Advertising

o  Determine marketing tools to be used to inform employees/participants (posters, mailings, e-mail)

o  Determine any incentives or giveaways that’ll be included in the fair or used to encourage participation in the fair

Health Fair Scheduling

o  Coordinate timing and events with staff and/or volunteers

Wellness Fair Personnel

o  Schedule appropriate specialists Doctor or similar healthcare personnel to provide patient consultation for review of blood draw lab results

o  Nurse(s) to administer immunizations

o  Administrative/all-purpose individual to facilitate paper work, finger sticks and to provide general assistance

o  Pharmacist or pharmacist assistant if appropriate Dietitian for nutritional counseling suggested personnel designated for health fairs

Footnotes

1 the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation via Reuters Health E-Line.

2 Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, (9/11/03)

3 www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/press/archive/lower_cost.htm

4 “Is Stress Nibbling Away at Your Bottom Line?” By Stephen Alper, Nov. 15, 2002.

5 Health Promotion in the Worksite, Michael P. O’Donnell, page 415.

6 http – //www.bmpcoe.org/bestpractices/internal/dayto/dayto_6.html

o  The more substantial the incentives,

o  The higher the success rate.

Incentives can range from tokens of achievement, such as t-shirts, water bottles and sports equipment, to more substantial financial awards, such as cash incentives or copay vouchers for the successful completion of a wellness program.

Nationwide Insurance is seeing results from a small incentive program initiated by one of the company’s onsite nurses.  To encourage lunchtime walking, the employee has informally launched a “shoelace program” modeled after the karate-belt color system.

Staff Members progress through the color scale until they reach “black-lace” status.  The reward system has resulted in more staff members making commitments to walk during their lunch hour.

At the high end of the reward spectrum, some corporations pay cash to employees who meet wellness objectives. LuK, Inc. offers employees $250 for kicking the tobacco habit and remaining smoke free for 12 months.

For logging fitness points that add up to 10 miles a month, workforce are eligible for health assessments, which could lead to reward amounts of up to $225.

The most effective motivator, as reported by Gordian research, comes through linking participation in health promotion programs directly to insurance premiums. Doing so obviously demonstrates to personnel the positive effects of wellness on their own healthcare costs.

Usually, the first step in linking wellness programming to insurance coverage is lowering deductibles for wellness care or eliminating deductibles altogether. By adding this benefit, businesses can encourage staff to undertake routine screenings and other procedures to respond to medical problems before they become chronic.

Early detection benefits both patient health and business health care costs.

Incentivizing wellness program participation with healthcare credits

More frequently, businesss are going beyond increased wellness care coverage and looking to demonstrate the importance of wellness by linking participation to employees’ bottom lines.

Worthington Industries has lately rolled out a wellness program that allows employees to eliminate their portion of the insurance premium by enrolling in a Healthful Options wellness program.

During the first year of the Healthful Choices program, personnel and their spouses complete Personal Health Assessments and biometric screenings to determine their levels of health risks.

Nurses, dietitians and exercise experts are available to help moderate- and high-risk participants develop individual action plans for improved health through the use of educational materials, behavior modification, telephone help from third-party program health coordinators, and formal health management programs.

By completing the assessments, staff earn their full premium credit. Because some plans at Worthington require no staff member contribution, a cash award takes the place of a credit in those cases.

During year two of the wellness program, the wellness bar is raised slightly.  To continue to receive the wellness credit, participants in the moderate- to high-risk category will be required to work at establishing objectives with third-party health coordinators.

Year three raises the bar again, requiring participants to show progress in meeting goals and to continue to work with health coordinators to reach goals.

After year three, Worthington Industries employees will be on the wellness track.  The company believes that’ll mean a healthier workforce and cost savings for employees and the company.

The well being of Worthington staff members is the foundation of this wellness program, and both staff members and the corporation are expected to benefit from the long-term advantages of the Healthful Options Health Promotion Program.

While Worthington has taken a broad approach to wellness, other corporations have found success in offering incentives in specific areas. Longaberger, for example, offers a discount on healthcare policies for staff members who don’t use tobacco.

An individual employee who doesn’t use tobacco saves $7 per bi-weekly pay. for tobacco-free personnel with family coverage whose families are also tobacco-free, the savings increases to $14 per pay.

The next step –  Penalizing harmful behaviors

As it stands, health care is the only type of insurance that does not focus on penalizing for behaviors that put the insured party at risk. With health care costs rising so dramatically, that could soon change.

Just as an accident likely raises auto insurance premiums, increasing premiums for those who engage in unhealthful behaviors is a possible next step in corporations’ attempts to manage health care costs.

Reports that staff would support this type of action are stacking up. One Ohio employer conducted an informal survey that indicated staff would consider it a morale improve if health-conscious staff were relieved of some of the burden of subsidizing care for staff who engage in behaviors that negatively affect their health.

Whether or not this type of health promotion program gains popularity, one thing is sure –  the need to control the rise in healthcare costs is becoming ever more pressing.

Take the first step

No matter what the strategy, from offering staff members health resources to providing incentives for healthful behaviors, companys have a real opportunity to improve morale and productivity, decrease absenteeism and control healthcare costs through wellness.

The first step is committing to taking one, whatever size effort is appropriate for your business.  Big strides start with small steps.

As part of an early intervention program, Honda staff who are feeling pain can receive a massage of the affected area during work time.

Stretching programs are another effective tool in injury prevention. As reported by the Best Practices in Manufacturing Web site, Dayton Parts, Inc. (DPI) in Harrisburg, Pa., conducted research that revealed approximately 80 percent of all manufacturing injuries occurred within the first two hours of each shift.

After implementing a program that required production workforce to stretch for 10 to 15 minutes at the beginning of their shifts, they saw a dramatic reduction in injuries.

While the DPI program costs about $75,000 a year to operate, and other business programs, it’s assisted bring the annual cost of workers’ compensation from $700,000 to $200,000 each year.6

To help prevent lengthy absences and reduce workers’ compensation claims, Honda instituted a work recovery program. Through the program, employees who’ve had an injury can work in a modified jobâ.”getting better.

Staff Members in the program spend their work days receiving physical conditioning to elevate overall fitness, physical therapy to restore functionality, health education and nutrition counseling.  The program is based on data that shows fewer work days are lost when an staff member stays connected to the work environment.

The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, www.ohiobwc.com, provides a “10-Step Corporation Plan” as a guide for corporations in providing wellness programs that aim to reduce injuries.  The plan includes information on safety and health programs to prevent occurrences of on-the-job accidents, including -

Staff Member involvement – to ensure the success of any organization health promotion program, workforce must participate in the safety and health-management process.

This could be done through safety and health audits, accident examinations, or by forming safety and health involvement teams, focus groups or committees.

Orientation and training plan – Conduct orientation and training sessions to educate staff members on the corporation’s safety policies.

These sessions should include procedures for the safe use of machinery and tools, chemical hazards and how to prevent contact or exposure, specific job/task safe practices, and hazard recognition and prevention.

Communication – Open communication keeps workers informed and provides suggestions and feedback on the effectiveness of the company’s health promotion program.

Through memos, bulletin boards and staff meetings, important health and safety information can be conveyed throughout the business, keeping all senior level management staff and staff knowledgeable about the company’s safe practices.

The business plan also outlines incentives for post-injury procedures, including -

Medical treatment and return-to-work practices – arly return-to-work strategies help injured or ill workers return to work in a timely manner.

Corporations should establish a disability management policy to help injured or ill employees obtain quality medical treatment, making their transition back to work quick and effortless.

Timely notification of claims – Employers should document worksite injuries immediately after they occur and promptly send that documentation to a claims handler.

Rapidly providing claim information demonstrates care and concern for the injured employee, prevents delays and confusion with the claim process, and reduces the potential for abuse or needless litigation.

Record keeping – Internal documents should be kept to record work-time injuries and to assess the success of the company’s safety efforts.

Business audits, surveys and injury or disease reports can all be used to analyze which safety practices and policies have proven successful, and what areas of wellness need improvement.