Company Health and Wellness : What is a Company Health Promotion Program?

A Workplace Health Promotion Program is a multi-faceted program to assist and support staff members in adopting healthier lifestyles.  This can include rising employee awareness on health topics, scheduling behavior modification programs, and/or adopting organization policies that support health-related objectives.  Programs and policies that encourage increased physical movement, tobacco use prevention and cessation, and healthy meal selections are a few examples.  

Dimensions of Wellness

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

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

These dimensions are often portrayed as a “life wheel” with examples of health dimensions that include fitness, diet, purpose in life, financial planning, social well-being & support systems, stress management, mind-body health, career planning and constant learning.   The key for individual health is keeping the “life wheel” in balance.  A all-inclusive workplace wellness program addresses most, if not all, of these dimensions.

Why Worksite Wellness Programs?

staff members invest a great deal of time on the job, and the fact of the matter is that our traditional work-week is increasing.  In fact, the average American now labors about 47 hours per week.  In addition, innovations such as modems, laptop computers, cell phones, voice and email have blurred the line between life and work.  These realities diminish the amount of time that the average person is able to spend on health & wellness pursuits, and yet staff members are predicted to be top of their game when at work.

A current study by the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses observed that workplace wellness or Employee Wellness Programs are successful in assisting staff members to make beneficial health changes due to several factors such as convenience, environmental reinforcement, and co-worker or social acceptance.  

What’s the Link between Wellness and the Workplace?

Programs and policies that reward healthy behaviors have the potential to make a sizable difference on employee wellness AND have an influence on the business’s bottom line.  Studies have shown that for every dollar invested by employers in Company Wellness Programs/wellness programs, there were savings ranging from $1.49 to $4.91 with a median savings of $3.14*.  In business jargon, that’s more than a 3:1 minimum ROI – a number that is hard to disregard, and a best practice that must warrant serious consideration from employers.  In fact, a Company Wellness Program literature review posted in Health Promotion Practitioner Journal saw:

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

There is little doubt that a accross the board wellness program targeted to meet an enterprise’s specific needs can save money by reducing absenteeism, reducing healthcare costs, reducing employee turnover, and expanding productiveness.

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