Making the Case for Wellness Programs.

Major advantages of healthy employees include -

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.