Posts from — August 2009

1. Undertake a utilization assessment – While companies cannot get medical information on individual employees, insurance providers will supply companies with reports that detail patterns and rates of employee use for things such as physician visits, hospital stays and prescription drug use. This information is essential for a business to set a benchmark of its current health risk status. Data from human resources(HR) can be integrated with benefits information to provide a complete picture of employees’ health-related costs. Then, companies can determine the specific level of behavior transformation necessary to result in cost savings. The utilization assessment helps a business identify the areas in which it ought to focus its Corporate Health Promotion Program to reap the greatest benefits.

2. Build a employer case – Once a utilization assessment is in place, organizations are able to quantify the Healthcare cost savings that will result from specific levels of lifestyle transformation and risk reduction. This can be done by setting goals/objectives in terms of reductions in identifi able insurance utilization, attendance or disability variables, or by aiming for reductions in health risks and projecting the associated cost savings. Effective estimates factor in the cost of the Worksite Wellness Programs as well as the necessary internal marketing efforts that will surround the program. Says Betty-Jo Saenz, American Healthcare Strategy lead for Motorola, “When we started our programs, our focus was on the 20% of workers that made up 80% of the costs. We’ve discussed that, and now we’re paying attention to those who are active and Finding Wealth Through Wellness 8 keeping them healthy. Wherever you are on the continuum, there are opportunities.”

3. Develop a cross-functional wellness team – Businesses need to identify potential team members who can be champions of wellness within the corporation. It is important that the team is representative of the demographic and functional diversity of staff members so that it can credibly address any specific needs groups may have. This team will serve as the voice and face for the Corporate Wellness Program within the corporation. Best practice companies integrate members from human resources(HR), communications, corporation development and upper management. Using the utilization analysis as a model, the wellness team should evaluate what programs would be most effective within each particular corporate culture, aligning health-risk priorities with initiatives that staff members will be receptive to.

4. Build buy-in from senior staff – The most effective Worksite Wellness Programs have support from the highest levels of a employer. Backing from management, both in words and in action, sends the message that Worksite Wellness Programs are a priority for a employer. The utilization analysis can be a powerful tool to build the employer case for Worksite Wellness Programs and convince executives that initiatives are worthy of investment and attention. Meaningful wellness-related messages are integrated into employer discussions and aligned with corporate objectives.

5. Establish a complete Employee Engagement plan – The most brilliantly conceived Employee Wellness Program is meaningless if no employees participate. Effective wellness talks emphasize both health and monetary benefits at the personal and employer level. According to a 2004 survey by Towers Perrin, only 28 percent of employees say their employer communicates about Healthcare problems other than cost. In addition, wellness-related information should be a part of existing employer talks efforts and not coupled solely with benefits talks. This helps elevate the significance of Employee Wellness Programs and align initiatives with employer objectives.

Additionally, talks around Workplace Wellness Programs can share personal success stories and supply company progress updates. Successful employers not only use existing talking channels to generate discussion around activities, but also consider more interactive tools like message boards, forums, blogs and wikis. This helps personalize initiatives and allows for the sharing of best practices within the company.

A lot companies involve healthcare experts to advise in the construction, communication and support of the program. The use of outside authorities such as these will broaden the credibility of the Corporate Health Promotion Programs as well as combat skepticism from staff members who may view the employer’s motives as merely selfserving.

Another strategy available to businesses is to brand their Company Wellness Program. This move can increase the visibility and acceptance of the offering. Branded wellness programs are most common when businesses are also promoting an external campaign around Company Wellness Programs. An example of this is PepsiCo, which launched its HealthRoads Company Wellness Program internally along with a consumer campaign, Smart Spot, that puts special labels on healthier food and drink options.

These efforts are more effective when they are not owned solely by the internal communications department, but rather when managers serve as leaders of, as well as participate in, Worksite Health Promotion Programs within businesses. This establishes more immediate accountability and motivation.

6. Measure constantly and consistently – At every step of implementation, a Corporate Wellness Program must be able to demonstrate its value to a company. Corporate Wellness Programs must be designed to allow companies to set benchmarks and evaluate behavior modification. Measurement ought to consider not only quantitative health measures, but also qualitative measures of stress and employee engagement. Less than 10% of companies do extensive management of health care cost, employee health risk status or employee satisfaction with benefit offerings, and less than half of companies do any measurement in these areas at all.16

Assessment is only useful if a employer explicitly specifies what data would constitute success. Potential measures of success comprise:

• Participation rates
• Greater employee engagement
• Lowering of risk status
• Lowering of direct health costs
• Diminished absenteeism
• Reduced disability claims

Motorola’s Saenz advises administrators of Employee Wellness Programs to track as many measures as possible from the start, even if management only requires one, because it is very difficult to retrieve data later. She notes that even if leadership begins by looking at participation rates, they will eventually want to know about reductions in claims and costs.

Frequent measurement is the only way to build substructure among management and employees. Nearly half of companies feel a lack of useful data is a top barrier to their ability to manage employee health, and at least 20% of companies do not know how effective existing Workplace Wellness Programs are regarding various outcomes. Employers ought to administer utilization analyses each year and reevaluate Workplace Wellness Program priorities based upon changes. In Addition, progress ought to be shared with the wider business community to build substructure for initiatives. Managers and executives throughout a corporation are likely to substructure a program that can prove increased productivity among employees. Effective Workplace Wellness Programs are designed to be fl exible so they can respond to changes in both corporation goals/objectives and larger health variations.