Company Health and Wellness : Making the Case for Workplace Health Promotion Programs

Major advantages of healthy staff members include:

• Decreased Healthcare costs
• Diminished Injuries
• Reduced Absenteeism
• Boosted Morale and Loyalty
• Higher Productivity
• Reduced Use of Healthcare Benefits
• Reduced Workers’ Comp/Disability
• Positive Image in Community
• Lowered Turnover
• Improved recruitment for skilled staff members

What is NOT Having a Workplace Wellness Program Costing Your Organization?  

Consider the health risk factors that are exacerbating chronic diseases for adults:

• 59% of Americans are overweight or obese
• Greater than 60% of Americans do not get regular exercise
• More than 75 percent of American citizens do not consume the minimum recommendations for fruits and vegetables
• Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death and the # 1 cause of death in smokers
• 26% of staff members stated they were frequently or very frequently burned out or stressed by their job  

Health Care expenditures are Growing:  Health Care costs are at a record level of $1.7 trillion with no signs of leveling out, let alone going down.  The average expense of annual medical spending is over $5,000 per person and with dependents almost $10,000.  Recent data shows that medical related expenditures now cost North Carolina companies thousands of dollars per employee, per year.

Most Illnesses Can Be Prevented:  Although it sounds unrealistic, experts indicate that avoidable illness makes up 60 percent – 70 percent of the entire burden of illness in the U.S..   In North Carolina, it is estimated that more than 53 percent of all deaths are avoidable, and that 2/3 of all avoidable deaths are due to tobacco use, a sedentary lifestyle, and poor diet.

Stress Levels are On the Rise:  As corporation resources diminish and businesses adopt cheaper work practices, the effects of absenteeism and productivity lost have an increased impact.  In a new national poll, 78 percent of the population described their jobs as stressful, and most believe that stress levels have risen over The previous 10 years.  In addition, high levels of corporation stress are able to negatively affect a corporation by increasing injuries, absenteeism, and health care costs while decreasing productiveness.  Simple solutions such as stress management education, flexible work schedules, quality social interaction, and increased participation in corporation decision-making are able to better stress levels in the workplace.

What is the Upfront Cost and Time Investment for a Worksite Wellness Program?

The cost is dependent upon the type of Company Health Promotion Program implemented.  There are several options to encourage employee health with advantages and disadvantages of each.  The program design is dependent upon the objectives and goals of the wellness program, the organization resources, and the area resources available.  

Improving nutrition, expanding physical activity levels, managing stress or addressing work life balance problems, and lowering/eliminating tobacco use, are primary strategies for preventing many of the most common avoidable chronic diseases. The possibilities of how your employer addresses these problems are endless and can range from expanding employee awareness, which may include purchasing a few pamphlets on a variety of topics, and calculating walking distances around your facility, to instituting employer backing such as funding a full-time occupational health professional or building an onsite fitness center.  

When well-planned and based on your goals/objectives, any of these programs have the potential to help you succeed.  Refer below to Company Health Promotion Program Design Options for additional ideas.