Employee Wellness Newsletter : What is a Employee Wellness Program?

A Employee Wellness Program is an accross the board program to help and support employees in implementing healthier lifestyles.  This could possibly include rising employee awareness on health topics, scheduling behavior modification programs, and/or implementing employer policies that support health-related objectives.  Programs and policies that promote increased physical activity, tobacco use prevention and cessation, and healthy meal selections are a few examples.  

Dimensions of Wellness

Wellness is more than just physical fitness alone.  In addition to physical fitness, the ranges of good health include:

   • Spiritual Wellness,
   • Emotional Dimension of Wellness,
   • Social Dimension of Wellness,
   • Intellectual Dimension of Wellness

These dimensions are frequently depicted as a “life wheel” with examples of health dimensions that include fitness, diet, purpose in life, financial planning, social connections & backing systems, stress management, mind-body health, career planning and continued learning.   The key behind individual health is keeping the “life wheel” in balance.  A accross the board workplace wellness program addresses most, if not all, of these dimensions.

Why Workplace Wellness Programs?

staff members invest a whole lot of time on the job, and the bottom line is that our traditional work-week is increasing.  In fact, the typical American now labors about 47 hours every week.  Additionally, items such as modems, laptops, cell phones, voice and email have confused the line between life and work.  These realities diminish the amount of time that the average person is able to devote to health & wellness pursuits, and yet staff members are expected to be at top performance when at work.

A current study conducted by the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses found that workplace wellness or Employee Health Promotion Programs are efficacious in assisting employees to make positive health changes due to several factors such as convenience, environmental backing, and co-worker or social acceptance.  

What’s the Link between Wellness and the Workplace?

Programs and policies that reward healthy behaviors can make a big difference on employee wellness AND have an influence on the company’s bottom line.  Studies show that for each dollar invested by employers in Worksite Health Promotion Programs/wellness programs, there were savings between $1.49 to $4.91 with a average savings of $3.14*.  In company vocabulary, that’s more than a 3:1 minimum ROI – a number that is difficult to disregard, and a best practice that must warrant serious consideration from employers.  In fact, a Worksite Health Promotion Program literature review posted in Health Promotion Practitioner Journal observed:

   • 19 studies found a 28.3% reduction in sick time
   • 16 studies shown a 5.6:1 ROI
   • 23 showed a 26.1% decrease in medical costs
   • 4 observed a 30 percent decline in direct health care and workers’ compensation claims

There is little doubt that a all-inclusive wellness program targeted to meet an enterprise’s specific needs can save money by decreasing absenteeism, decreasing medical care expenditures, decreasing employee turnover, and expanding productiveness.

• The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2003