Posts from — September 2010

Conducting an Worker Fitness Challenge at your workplace is a fun and arousing way to increase awareness among workers about the importance of starting and sustaining an exercise program.

It’s a concentrated effort in which to engage them in exercise for a specific time period that, hopefully, will help them begin a healthy habit that’ll last a lifetime.

Nonetheless, it is important to practice wellness year-round. This section provides a extensive list of Health Promotion Program ideas that have been implemented within health promotion programs.

All ideas presented in this section have been successful for one or both of the entities. Each activity/idea may be used as a stand-alone event, even when you do not conduct a fitness contest, or may be held in conjunction with your Worker Fitness Contest.

You might want to choose some ideas you think will work for your personnel or think of others and start your initiative to create a better state of health.

Studies have repeatedly demonstrated that extensive health promotion programs, or Health Promotion Programs, can lower health care and insurance costs, lower absenteeism, and improve performance and productivity.

Other benefits demonstrated in studies include improved ability to attract and retain key personnel, greater worker allegiance, and improved public image of the organization.

Health Care and Insurance Costs

A number of studies provide evidence of lower medical and insurance costs for participants in health promotion programs, in particular health promotion programs involving exercise.

For $30 per person, the Bank of America conducted a health promotion program for retirees using a risk assessment questionnaire, self-care books and other mailed materials. Insurance claims were lowered an average of $164 a year in this group while they increased $15 for the control group.

Since they were able to document meaningful changes in risk behavior, they anticipate greater savings in future years.

Pacific Bell’s FitWorks participants claim $300 less per case for a one-year savings of $700,000. Savings for conditions related to a sedentary lifestyle are $722 per case.

Coca Cola announced a reduction in healthcare claims with a fitness plan alone, saving $500 per staff member a year for the employees (60%) who joined their HealthWorks fitness program.

Prudential Insurance Corporation reports that the organization’s major health costs dropped from $574 to $312 for each participant in its health promotion program.

Lowered Absenteeism

Absenteeism has been shown to be impacted by company health promotion and health promotion programs.  The evidence indicates a meaningful reduction in absenteeism and resultant dollars saved as a result of staff member exercise plans.

Pacific Bell’s FitWorks health promotion program decreased absent days .8% to save $2 million in one year. FitWorks members also spent 3.3 days less on short-term disability for an additional savings of $4.7 million.

Focusing wellness efforts on high-risk personnel can lead to better results. A national manufacturing corporation reports a decrease of 12.2 percent in disease days for these personnel.

A two-year study by the DuPont Business of the effect of its extensive health promotion program on absences among workforce reports that blue-collar workforce at intervention sites had a 14% decline in disability days versus 5.8% decline for controls. There were a total of 11,726 fewer net disability days.

Increased Performance, Productivity and Morale

A number of businesss with health promotion programs report documented improvement in job attitude, work performance, energy level, and/or overall morale among health promotion program participants–all crucial factors in enhancing productivity.

A Johnson and Johnson study found that staff member attitude changes were greater at wellness intervention sites with significant positive attitude changes noted in the categories of organizational commitment, supervision, working conditions, job competence/security, and pay/benefits.

In a Canadian government study, the Canada Life Assurance Business experimental group realized a 4 percent increase in productivity after beginning an staff member fitness program, compared to the control group.

Furthermore, 47 percent of wellness program participants stated that they felt more alert, had better rapport with their peers, and typically enjoyed their work more.

Swedish investigators found that mental performance was significantly better in physically fit staff members than in non-fit workers. Fit staff members committed 27% fewer errors on tasks involving concentration and short-term memory, as compared with the performance of non-fit workers.

The Bottom Line

The following sample of corporate wellness wellness program results have been stated by individual businesss -

Company –  Dollars Saved/Dollars Spent

o  Bank of America (Fries) –  $5.96/$1

o  PacBell –  $3.10/$1

o  Wisconsin School District Insurance Group –  $4.47/$1

o  Prudential Insurance –  $2.90/$1

o  Bank of America (Leigh) –  $4.73/$1

o  General Mills –  $3.50/$1

Summary

There is compelling evidence that a sizable portion of the billions of dollars currently spent by businesss on health-related costs is preventable by means of health promotion programming.

Well-planned, robust wellness programs (wellness programs and staff member wellness programs) have been proven to be cost-effective, in particular when the wellness programming is matched to the medical problems of the specific staff member

Free Wellness Programs and Inexpensive Health Management Alternatives

Start a free health promotion program or run a successful health promotion program in the office for little or no cost to your corporation.  The benefits of company health promotion at work are many.

The articles on wellness program have generated a selection of questions, primarily from wellness providers but also from businesses trying to start their own wellness programs. There are a number of things to do to implement a successful wellness program at work.

Suggestions for Beginning a Free or Cheap Wellness Program

Before beginning a affordable or free wellness program for your corporation, learn more about what staff members want. Survey staff members to learn more about their wellness concerns.

Keep the survey confidential to protect employees’ identities. Typically the most popular company health promotion topics are tobacco use cessation, losing weight concerns and heart and cholesterol health.

Look for Company Health Promotion Freebies

Find out who’ll come in for free to talk to workers and explore partnerships with outside agents related to corporate health promotion.

For example, contact a local branch of a well-known weight reduction company and ask when someone can come in and talk to staff. Look for agencies that are willing to come in and talk about topics related to wellness at no cost to staff, in exchange for something from you.

Find Corporate Health Promotion Partnerships

Working with a losing weight company to set up a speaking engagement for workforce is the perfect opportunity to explore a potential wellness partnership.

The weight loss company might say that when 10 personnel join the health promotion program, they’ll hold weekly meetings at company headquarters for the people  who joined.  The weight loss group also might offer company personnel a discount when several people  join the health promotion program.

Nonprofits an Untapped Health Management Resource

There are also plenty of nonprofit agencies who’d be thrilled to visit a business to discuss health management. But it’s up to you to offer them something in return.

For  instance, if the MS Society came in and talked about the signs of MS, the business could offer to organize an MS walk (in keeping with business health management objectives, right?), or an auction with worker and company-donated items where the proceeds go to MS.

The people  at the nonprofit agencies would be happy to open a dialog with your company and to talk about what they’d want in return for a speaking engagement. In many cases, they will not need anything at all for a first meeting.

Gathering Data and Analyzing Health Promotion Program Results

Accumulating data and reviewing  results of a health promotion program could be tricky because of HIPPA laws. Nonetheless, when at least 10 staff members joined the weight reduction program, or 20 people  participate daily in the all-new “Let’s Walk a Mile at Lunch” program, that sort of progress can speak strongly to senior-level management.

And, business successes will potentially give management more incentive to provide money for additional health management and health promotion programs in the future.

Small business wellness programs are catching on. A well-designed wellness program can increase productivity, improve morale and vitality, reduce stress, decrease absenteeism, and control preventable health care costs within an organization.

The beauty of it’s that you’re simply assisting personnel to make smart choices so the costs of starting a wellness program are minimal compared to the benefits.

Worker health is a major concern for small organization owners. In a small shop, even several sick staff can disrupt the flow of the worksite and bring the operation to a standstill.

Instead of sitting back and hoping for the best, some owners are taking the matter of worker health into their own hands by starting worker wellness programs. Here is how they work . . .

Overview of employee health promotion programs

Staff Member wellness programs are programs initiated by the business to improve the overall health of their labor force and to help individual workers overcome specific health-related hurdles.

These health promotion programs can be offered in a selection of formats –  In mandatory staff training sessions, as voluntary seminars, or through a third-party provider offering a wide-range of employee assistance programs.

In every case, notwithstanding, the employer foots the bill for the health promotion programs because an investment in worker health is a organization investment that directly impacts the company’s bottom line.

Why offer staff member wellness programs?

Apart from the obvious concern for the health of your staff, there are a few other reasons why worker wellness programs make sense for small companies. Right off the bat, your company will benefit from the lowered level of absenteeism that goes hand in hand with a healthy workforce.

Wellness programs will also reduce the number of injuries that occur in the workplace, not just from accidents, but also from repetitive motion and other recurring sources.

Since even a minor blip in employee attendance can have a big impact on a small company, a more reliable workforce will inevitably translate into a smoother work cycle and a more extensive bottom line.

Health Promotion Program Features

Wellness programs can cover a broad range of health-related topics. Based on your employees’ needs, it is entirely up to you to determine the type of health promotion programming you want to offer.

Nevertheless, most staff member health promotion programs offer some at least some health promotion programs in the following areas -

o  Nutrition. Diet can significantly impact an employee’s ability to do their job effectively. Nutritional programs educate staff about food choices and equip them to make healthy dietary choices.

o  Physical Fitness. In addition to diet, exercise is an important factor in a healthful lifestyle. Wellness programs frequently provide workers with opportunities to incorporate exercise into their daily lives.

o  Use of tobacco Cessation. Statistics prove that smokers tend to fall ill more frequently than their non-tobacco use colleagues. Since sick workers disrupt the worksite, tobacco use cessation programs are a no-brainer for both companys and workers.

o  Physiological Testing. A lot of companys offer physiological as a regular part of their health promotion programs. Cholesterol tests, blood pressure (BP) screenings, and other simple exams can provide early warning signs for additional serious problems.

o  Stress Management. Stress itself takes a toll on staff. Notwithstanding, stress is also linked to other health problems such as depression, cardiovascular illness, diabetes, and obesity. Health promotion programs that help staff deal with stress improve not only the psychological health of your staff, but their physical health as well.

Begin a Wellness Program for Your Employees Today

The benefits to beginning a health promotion program are many.

Several employee health promotion tips to get workforce began on the path to a healthier lifestyle -

1. Look around, and determine when personnel lead a healthy lifestyle before starting an employee health promotion program.

o  Just how many workforce dash outside at lunch for a smoke break?

o  Would a smoking cessation program help?

o  How often do the junk food-laden vending machines have to be replenished?

o  Is anyone exercising or taking benefit of local walking trails as part of their healthful living goals?

The answers to these questions will give businesses a better idea of the employee wellness program that is right for them.

2. Survey personnel to determine their healthful lifestyle habits.

o  Are they exercising regularly?

o  Eat three square meals a day?

Have regular physicals? Really? Then what planet are they on?

Because we would love to visit! A health promotion program benefits most corporations because staff members don’t have the time or energy to stay on top of wellness concerns at work or when they leave the office to go home.

3. Give health promotion programs a large kick-off with a healthful living “fair.” Make available staff members free flu shots, blood pressure (BP) checks, cholesterol screenings, body/fat ratio assessments, use of tobacco cessation programs and free mammograms- and contact the local hospital, because there’s plenty more where this came from.

Corporations keep their workforce hopping during the week. Provide workforce a chance to amp up their healthful lifestyle on the business dime. A wellness program is an added benefit that workforce get for working for the company!

4. Incent to live- offer money for workers to lose weight, commit to a tobacco use cessation program and normally enjoy a healthier lifestyle.

Be certain to encourage humankind’s innate competitive nature by offering prizes for wellness worker “winners.” And, encourage a healthier lifestyle by sponsoring employees who want to enter a local 5K for charity race, run a marathon or play a sport.

Health Promotion Program Introduction

The last ten years has brought major changes in employer attitudes toward wellness programs. Interest in self-help and self-care programs has increased as growth in healthcare costs have encroached substantially into profits.

Changes in the organizational structures of healthcare facilities, specifically the growth of the for-profit healthcare sector, and the need to contain costs are changing the ways in which purchasers of healthcare plans are viewing their own efforts toward provision of worksite healthcare programs and facilities.

Projections for the next decade indicate that health promotion programs will continue to become important factors in the provision of health care, including prevention activities, for both government and private industry.

In businesses with existing health promotion programs, administrative rationale for sponsoring these activities ranged from improving employee health (28%) to improving employee morale (9.7%).

Programs include interventions associated with safety, health risk appraisal, smoking cessation, blood pressure (BP) control, nutrition programs and stress management. Benefits cited range from improved health and productivity to reducing healthcare costs.

Demographics of the U.S.  Workforce

o  110 million American Citizens were in the civilian labor force in 1981; by the year 2000 the civilian labor force is expected to be almost 140 million.

o  44 percent of the 1984 labor force was female; 10 percent was Black.

o  The median age of the workforce is 32 years and is expected to elevate to 32 years by 2030.

o  57.9 percent of all staff work in corporations with between 2 and 500 employees; 45 percent work in corporations with fewer than 100 staff.  An additional 7.5 million American Citizens are self-employed and 3 million are farmers.

o  18 percent of all wage and salaried workers in 1985 were union members.            

o  45% of all employees are employed in offices.            

Prevalence of Company Wellness Activities

Based on a 1985 survey, nearly 66% of workplaces with 50 or more employees had employee wellness activities in 1985.  The frequency of workplace-based activities by selected categories in 1985 was -

Wellness Program Activities

Smoking Control          35.60%

Health Risk Assessment (HRA)    29.50%

Back Care             28.60%

Stress Management       26.60%

Exercise             22.10%

Off the Job Accidents    19.80%

Nutrition             16.80%

Blood Pressure Control    16.50%

Weight Control          14.70%

Worksite size is the strongest indicator of wellness program prevalence.

Most personnel believe the benefits of their employee health promotion activities outweigh the costs, even though few formal investigations exist.

The most frequently cited reason for beginning wellness programs and perceived benefit from programs is improved worker health.

At most workplaces with activities (85.4%), all staff are eligible to participate. 30% of workplaces with activities offer them to corporation dependents, and an equal% offer them to retirees.

When worksites seek outside health promotion program assistance, they turn to voluntary, not-for-profit companies (57.1%), private for-profit providers-consultants (50%), local hospitals (44%), and insurance companies (43%).

Tobacco use Cessation Programs

Tobacco use related medical problems cost U.S. companies $26 billion annually in lost productivity and $7 to $8 billion in tobacco-related health care costs.

Staff Members who smoke are 50 percent more likely to be hospitalized than nonsmokers, have 2 times as many job-related accidents as nonsmokers and have absenteeism rates approximately 50 percent higher than nonsmokers.

Individuals  who smoked an average of one or more packs of cigarettes per day had 118% higher medical expenditures than nonsmokers.

76 percent of current smokers and 80 percent of former smokers and nonsmokers feel that companies should restrict tobacco use to certain areas.

In 1985, 65% of smokers, 85% of nonsmokers and 78% of former smokers, felt that smokers should refrain from smoking in the presence of nonsmokers.

In 1986, 17 states had laws regulating tobacco use in offices or workplaces either in government-controlled offices or offices of private staff.

Examples of tobacco use cessation intervention program used by companies include -

o  offering nonsmokers a discount of health and life insurance;

o  compensating full or partial fees for tobacco use cessation programs;

o  providing cessation programs on corporation or shared time;

o  offering cash payments to quitters after 6 of 12 smoke-free months;

o  participating in national quit use of tobacco days; and

o  Adopting a smoke free corporation policy and setting deadlines for starting the policy.

Fitness Programs

An active 55-year-old man can lead as vigorous a lifestyle as a sedentary 35-year-old.

Differences in work-related activity has been shown to yield a two- to three-fold difference in cardiovascular deaths between active workforce and their more sedentary counterparts.

In addition to bettering strength, balance, and flexibility, fitness plans may reduce  the probability of back injuries among certain occupational groups.

93 million workdays in the United States are lost annually as the result of back problems.

Research findings support the notion that workplace fitness plans improve fitness and help reduce other health risks, although results related to improved productivity are weak as a result of lack of methods for accurately measuring productivity.

A very small proportion of worksites have on-site fitness facilities.

The majority of workers sponsored fitness programs involve skills training like aerobic dance, low impact aerobics, weight training, preand post-natal exercise classes, and walking/jogging groups.

Many companies subsidize worker participation in community “Ys,” fitness centers or other community programs if no onsite facilities are available.

Workplace fitness programs may reduce costs to companys by reducing worker healthcare claims and expenditures.

People  whose weekly exercise was equivalent to climbing less than five flights of stairs or walking less than a half mile, spent 114 percent more on health claims than those who climbed at least 15 flights of stairs or walked 1 1/2 miles weekly.

Health care costs for obese individuals  are roughly 11% higher than those for thin individuals .

Nutrition and Weight Control

One-third of the USA  population is obese to the extent of lowering their life expectancy.

Improvements in eating habits may reduce  the risk of serious health problems such as high blood pressure and cholesterol levels and is instrumental in the control of non-insulin-dependent diabetes.

The worksite offers several advantages for nutrition education; support and influence of peers and management, availability of a daily eating situation, and opportunities for follow-up and monitoring.

Worksite nutrition programs could be grouped in 6 broad categories -

o  cafeteria programs;

o  multi-component programs;

o  weight control programs;

o  cholesterol reduction programs;

o  programs for pregnant and lactating women; and

o  other nutrition education topics.

Men are less likely to take part in weight-loss programs than are female workers.

Stress Management

Estimates suggest that 50% to 80% of doctor visits could be attributed to psychosomatic or stress-related origins.

Company pays many of the costs related to staff member stress, both directly in the form of healthcare costs and in lower productivity.

Job factors which are associated with stress include -

o  not authorizing workforce to take part in decisions about the work process;

o  positions which require more or less skill than the employee has;

o  changes in work demands;

o  lack of clarity about expectations and standards; and

o  conflict with coworkers or supervisors.

Most workplace stress management programs are implemented thus of requests from staff members.

Stress management programs focus on three kinds of skills –  relaxation skills, coping skills, and interpersonal skills.

Workplace stress management programs are often delivered in one of three formats -

o  workshops conducted by trained experts;

o  self-learning tools; and

o  personal teaching to assist with self-assessment, planning for changes, learning new skills and responding to life crises.

The two major techniques used in workplace stress management programs are -

o  Teaching people  to reduce the negative physical effects of stress; and

o  Teaching people  to recognize and control sources of stress at work and in personal life.

Seat Belt Usage

Motor car accidents are the biggest single cause of lost work time and on-the-job fatalities of U.S. business.

Motor car accidents account for 27 percent of all work-related deaths and 45 million days of lost work yearly.

More than 36 percent of the 11,300 accidental work deaths in 1983 involved automobiles.

Workers who routinely fail to use seat belts may spend up to 54% more days in the hospital.

Traffic accidents caused about 3 times as many days of restricted activity as any other type of disability.

Motor car crashes cost $15.2 billion in lost productivity, 88% of which is attributed to losses from workforce activities and future earnings.

In corporate settings where seatbelt policies, requiring use of belts by anybody riding in a business car or using a private car on business business, have been enforced, 60% to 90% use has been reported.

Incentive programs, accompanied by education and use requirement restrictions have resulted in 40 percent to 70 percent initial usage rates.

Factors influencing the sources of workplace seatbelt programs include -

o  Active commitment by management;

o  clearly defined and well enforced policy of required belt use on the job;

o  positive incentives; and

o  ongoing education and training programs.

Case Studies of Wellness Programs

Based on an extensive evaluation of its extensive employee wellness program, LIVE FOR LIFE, Johnson and Johnson stated the break-even point for the program occurs in year 3 and by year 5 they have a net benefit of $316 per employee. Their year 9 projected benefit is $677 per employee.

Staff Members at four Johnson and Johnson corporations who were exposed to the wellness program increased their daily energy expenditure in vigorous activity by 104% compared to an increase of 33% among employees at corporations that were offered only an annual medical screen.

Participants in the United Methodist Publishing House’s wellness program submitted more claims (1.14 per participating employee and .82 for the control in 1984, 1.44 and 1.3 respectively in 1985), but the typical cost per claim was less for participants ($316 for participants and $567 for control, in 1984, $262 and $602 respectively in 1985, $270 and $566 respectively in the first four months of 1986).

The United Methodist Publishing House attributes some lower than projected use in health care costs for 1985 ($902,116 projected with actual costs $142,884) to the health promotion program even though the results aren’t conclusive.

In 1985, the Adolph Coors Corporation conducted a telephone interview of a random sample of its 10,000 staff members to determine changes in health practices since the introduction of an employee health promotion program 4 years earlier.

The sample of 495 personnel was stratified to match the business profile for age, sex and job description.

The survey reported that 65 percent of respondents began exercising in the last 4 years, 37 percent had improved their diets, 20 percent were regular users of the wellness center, 9 percent had stopped use of tobacco as the result of the organization’s use of tobacco cessation program and regular participants of the wellness center miss an average of 1.96 workdays annually because of illness or injury compared to 3.08 days for non-participating workers.

The Coors Company also achieved a cost savings from a cardiac rehabilitation program that was implemented in 1981. In 1980 employees were out of work 7.2 months after a heart attack or bypass operation.

In 1984, cardiac patients were out an average 1.9 months saving $152,000 in lost work time and in 1985 cardiac patients missed an average of 2.6 months, saving $125,000 that year.

Corporate Exercise Programs Improve Worker Wellness

Instituting a wellness program improves the health of workers, reduces staff member absenteeism and saves the business money, too. Learn more about starting an staff member wellness program in the office.

Advantages of Health Promotion Programs

o  A corporation investment of $100-$150 per employee annually to take part in an employee wellness program can save businesses $300 to $450 for each employee every year, according to Ron Goetzel, Director, Cornell Univ. Institute for Health and Productivity Studies.

The savings can take a few years to actualize, says Goetzel, and are seen in decreased health expenditures.

o  The Health Promotion Councils of America stated a $24 return for every $1 spent on a company wellness program for small companies.

o  As reported by a 2005 survey by the Art of Wellness, companies who instituted employee health promotion programs realized a 30 percent reduction in medical and absenteeism costs in less than four years.

A successful health promotion program starts with corporation leaders. Corporation owners ought to lead by example, taking part in their organization’s corporate exercise program and working closely with a wellness coach.

Corporation leaders should make certain staff are well alert to their wellness efforts, posting weight reduction results or tobacco use cessation results on corporation intranet or bulletin boards for everyone to see.

Employee Wellness Programs that Really Work

o  Make sure to encourage employees to kick begin their own wellness programs by visiting their physician. A complete physical should include information about blood sugar, cholesterol levels and general health.

o  Target specific health-related concerns in a employee exercise program. Information about how to fight obesity, tobacco use, alcoholism and drug abuse should be at the forefront of an worker health promotion program, along with related conditions.

o  Hire a wellness coach to instruct employees on how to lead a healthful lifestyle.

o  Reward workers for participating in company wellness programs. Let workers accrue wellness points that they can redeem for prizes.

Make the prizes healthful, too- a free massage, private training session with the organization’s wellness coach or health food gift certificate encourages even healthier lifestyle options.

o  Acknowledge employee health promotion leaders in corporation newsletters, in posted bulletins and on the corporation intranet.

Business Health Promotion Programs Yield Big Results

For corporation owners who want to raise worker participation in a corporation health promotion program, consider Johnson and Johnson’s approach.

Faced with only 26 percent of workforce participating in their staff member health promotion program, Johnson and Johnson offered workforce a $500 discount on medical insurance costs when they completed a health risk profile.

The number of workers participating in the Johnson and Johnson staff exercise initiative jumped after they offered the incentive — to more than 93 percent.

Ron Goetzel encourages those looking to pitch a employee fitness initiative to company leaders to use basic facts about the benefits of employee wellness programs as part of their argument.

Keep it simple, and share results from other company’s staff member health promotion program success stories.

Five reasons to have a wellness program

1   The United States spends more dollars on health care than any other nation yet we are not the world’s healthiest

o  Largely sedentary   

o  Smoking is still popular   

o  Stress is at epidemic levels (WHO)   

o  Alcohol continues to take its toll on Americans   

2   Much of the illness in the United States is preventable

o  Tobacco and alcohol are leading causes of death   

o  As much as 70% of the cost of health care is driven by avoidable illness   

3   Healthcare costs continue to rise

o  Health Care premiums continue to rise and to be passed on to the employee   

o  Health Care cost are typically the number one benefit cost to most employers    

4   The workplace is an ideal setting to address health and well being

o  Most Americans work   

o  Poor health habits take a toll on American business   

o  Employers have a vested interest in health related issues.   

5   Research validates that health promotion programs can improve health, save money, and even produce a Return On Investment.

o  Aldana,S.G. (1998). Financial impact of corporate wellness and methodological quality of the evidence.  The Art of Wellness. Vol 2, Number 1.   

o  Wilson, M.G. (1996). A robust review of the effects of corporate wellness on health related outcomes –  an update.  The American Journal of wellness. Vol 10, Number 6.   

o  Wilson, M.G. (1996). A robust review of the effects of company health promotion on health related outcomes –  an update.  The American Journal of wellness. Vol 11, Number 2.   

o  Chapman, L.S. Proof Positive –  an analysis of the cost-effectiveness of corporate health promotion. 3rd ed. Seattle –  Summex Company, 1996.   

o  Pelletier, K.R. A review of the health and cost-effective outcomes studies of robust wellness and disease avoidance programs at the worksite –  1993-1995 Update.  The American Journal of Health and Promotion. Vol. 10, Number 5.   

Key Components of a Wellness Program

Physical Wellness – Focuses on the development, maintenance, or improvement of one’s fitness

Sample Physical Health Promotion Programs / Seminars

o  Annual medical testing

o  Regular physical activity

o  Good safety habits

Emotional Health Promotion – Focuses on all aspects of mental fitness

Sample Emotional Health Promotion Programs / Workshops

o  Stress management workshops

o  Dealing with aging

o  Addictive behaviors

o  Parenting

Financial Health Promotion – Focuses on improving the quality of life of employees by assisting families and person in becoming financially stable

Sample Financial Health Promotion Programs / Seminars

o  Financial management

o  Savings and Investing

o  Credit and Purchasing

o  Insurance and Estate Planning

Spiritual Health Promotion – Focuses on promoting a healthy inner self

Sample Spiritual Health Promotion Programs / Seminars

o  Make certain to encourage daily devotional readings

o  Give regular service opportunities

o  Give a daily/weekly/monthly chapel (meditation) time during work hours

Nutritional Health Promotion – Will meet the needs of the personnel through group and individual nutritional services

Sample Nutritional Health Promotion Programs / Seminars

o  Individual nutritional Assessment

o  Individual and group counseling

o  Educational classes

o  Weight loss health promotion programs

Many businesss, as part of their efforts to contain rising health care costs, are starting health promotion programs variously described as wellness, lifestyle programs, health and productivity management, population health management and, simply, health promotion programs.

The purpose of this article is to consider whether such health promotion programs improve health. If so, do they in turn reduce utilization of healthcare services and reduce healthcare expenditures?

The popular media have done much to promote the concept of corporate wellness. Last year, In Business –  Madison1 magazine printed a story accompanied by a table reporting an impressive range of Return On Investment -

Return on Investment (Per dollar Return On Investment (ROI) for lifestyle programs)

o  Coors $6.15

o  Kennecott $5.78

o  Equitable Life $5.52

o  Citibank $4.56

o  General Mills $3.90

o  Travelers $3.40

o  Motorola $3.15

o  PepsiCo $3.00

o  Unum Life $1.81

Source –  2004 T.E. Brennan Corporation, as reported

Would these ROIs stand up to rigorous empirical analysis of the data? What factors produce such disparate returns among these health promotion programs? and does the published literature, subject to peer review of scientific methods, support the ROIs reported here?

Health and Productivity Management

Disease and injury associated with an unhealthful lifestyle or modifiable risk factors is announced to account for at least 25 percent of staff member health care expenditures.

The most meaningful of these risk factors are stress, tobacco use, overweight or obesity, lack of exercise, excessive alcohol use, and poor nutritional habits.

Over the past two decades, a selection of groups at the local, state, and national levels have promoted the theory that health risk reduction and care management programs can improve employee health, and that workplace health education, health risk management, and benefit counseling should complement standard health insurance benefits.

The intensity of wellness programs range from bulletin board, brochure or newsletter information to on-site fitness facilities, health risk reduction classes, and personal lifestyle change coaching.

Health promotion programs today often include a health risk assessment  to evaluate each staff member’s modifiable risk factors of illness. Program coordinators then target interventions to those that are at increased risk through personal communications and individual follow-up.

Comprehensive wellness programs might include courses on health risk reduction and job safety, fitness and exercise activities, health and fitness center memberships, and reductions in co-payments or premiums for staff members who adhere to advised biometric testing guidelines.

Along with this, some employers are restructuring health benefits and encouraging employees’ cost-sensitivity when accessing health care.5 These changes are intended to reduce employees’ need for and utilization of health care, yielding reduced group health care costs.

Demonstrated reductions in health care expenditures should then provide corporations with a powerful bargaining chip in negotiating lower medical insurance premiums during future terms.

Evidence basis –  A range of Return On Investment (ROI) estimates

The empirical research has produced results as varied as the well-liked media on ROI. Nevertheless, evidence continues to grow that well-designed and well-resourced wellness and disease prevention programs provide multi-faceted payback on investment.

Peer-reviewed evaluations and meta analyses show that Return On Investment is achieved through improved employee health, lowered benefit expense, and enhanced productivity.

o  Goetzel and colleagues, in their meta-analysis of two dozen articles summarizing economic investigations of health and productivity management programs, found an typical return of $3.14 per $1 invested in traditional health promotion programs.  The Return On Investment estimates for the individual health promotion programs ranged from $1.49 to $13.7,

o  Aldana reviewed 72 articles and concluded that wellness programs achieve an typical Return On Investment (ROI) of $3.48 when considering health care costs alone, $5.82 per $1 when examining absenteeism, and $4.30 when both outcomes are considered.

o  Ozminkowski and collagues conducted a 38 month case study of 23,000 participants in Citibank, N.A.’s health promotion program and reported that within a 2 year period, Citibank realized a Return On Investment (ROI) between $4.56 and $4.73.10

Follow-up studies found improvements in the risk profiles of participants, with the high-risk group bettering more than the “usual care” group1 so of more intensive health promotion programming.

o  Chapman’s 2004 meta-evaluation of 42 studies, ranking overall validity of the studies, reports cost-benefit ratios from $2.05-$4.64.

In addition to immediately quantifiable cost reductions, scientists have stated a variety of spin-off benefits –  greater productivity, intellectual capacity, and reductions in disability12 and absenteeism.9,13,14,15

Such wellness programs might also have positive effects on staff member perceptions of the business and staff member morale, even among nonparticipants.  These outcomes go beyond savings in direct health care costs to provide non-health related Return On Investment.

Tailoring health promotion program to maximize Return On Investment Wellness programs aim to reduce the health risks of workers at high risk while maintaining the health status of those at low risk.

A variety of disease management (DM) interventions are available to fit the specific risk profiles of various worksites. Insurers and organizations now seek to calibrate their interventions in order to achieve optimal risk reduction and costeffectiveness.

In 2001, Univ. of Michigan scientists reported on stable trends in health care costs for over 2 million current and former personnel in an 18 year data set.

The mean cost increase per risk factor gained ($350) was found to be more than double the mean cost decrease per eliminated risk factor ($150).

In other words, increases in costs when groups of workers moved from low risk to high risk were much greater than the decreases in costs when groups moved from high risk to low risk. Their conclusion –  Programs designed to keep healthful people healthful will likely provide the greatest return on investment.

On the other hand, Pelletier’s meta-analysis and other health promotion program evaluations18 suggest that individualized risks reduction for high-risk workforce within the context of robust health promotion programming is the critical element in achieving positive clinical and cost outcomes in workplace interventions.

Dose-Response?

A few factors may affect the impact of various wellness programs and the ultimate Return On Investment (ROI), including cultural and environmental factors, workforce demographics, level of participation and longevity of the wellness program.

Most cost-benefit studies have been conducted in large companies with more than fifty workers. But scientists have shown that similar results may be acquired by small companies with as few as five workers actively involved in a well-managed health promotion program.

Various studies also suggest that even relatively modest levels of participation can achieve substantial health promotion program impact. Contrary to reports by the well-liked media that such health promotion programs require more than 70% participation, published reports of at least one case showed positive ROI with 51% participation.

Length of intervention appears to be a more salient variable –  an impact on healthcare costs normally requires three-to five years of health promotion programming.

Future developments

Despite the abundance of positive wellness program examinations, a few caveats remain. Negative results are less likely to be stated or published, therefore biasing the ROI upward.

Uncertainty persists regarding the specific impact of the various wellness program components. But as these wellness programs take hold, further research and evaluation will enable fine-tuning of wellness program investments.

Meanwhile, the preponderance of data and the strength of the published research stand in favor of a positive Return On Investment for health promotion programs.

In fact, the company case for such health promotion programs is now well enough defined that some insurance agents offer discounted rates to companies that institute or subscribe to health promotion programs.

Future questions will focus on how to best to combine extensive and focused interventions, the intensity of elements, and how to calibrate the dose-response model to achieve a target Return On Investment.

Here, corporations, staff, and scientists will need to collaborate to define mutual objectives as for both clinical and cost outcomes.

Sources -

1. In Business –  Madison. Madison, WI –  September 2004. p. 39.

2. Anderson DR, Whitmer RW, Goetzel RZ, Ozminkowski RJ, Wasserman J, Serxner S. Health Enhancement Research Organization Committee. American Journal of Wellness 2000; 15(1) –  45-52.

3. Manning J. Wellness movement gains ground among businesses, health insurers. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. August 19, 2004.

4. Chapman LS. Specialist opinions on “best practices” in employee wellness (WHP).  The Art of Wellness Newsletter, July/August 2004 – 1-6.

5. Fronstin, P, and Werntz, R. EBRI Issue Brief No. 267, March 2004. Washington, DC – Worker Benefits Research Institute (EBRI).

6. Powell C. Professionals urge corporations to promote worker wellness strategies. Akron Beacon Journal. October 25, 2004.

7. Goetzel RZ, Juday TR, Ozminkowski RJ. AWHP’s Workplace Health, Summer, 1999.

8. Goetzel, RZ. Absolute Advantage. Washington DC – Wellness Councils of America. Vol 1(8); 2002.

9. Aldana SG. American Journal of Wellness 2001; 15(5) –  296-320.

10. Ozminkowski RJ, Dunn RL, Goetzel RZ, Cantor RI, Murnane J, Harrison M. American Journal of Wellness 1999; 14(1) –  31-43.

11. Ozminkowski RJ, Goetzel RZ, Smith MW, Cantor RI, Shaughnessy A, Harrison M.  The impact of the Citibank, N.A. J Occup Environ Med. 2000; 42(5) –  502-511.

12. Serxner S, Gold D, Anderson D, Williams D. J Occup Environ Med. 2001; 43(1) –  25-29.

13. Riedel JE, Lynch W, Baase C, Hymel P, Peterson KW. American Journal of Wellness 2001; 15(3) –  167-191.

14. Edington MD, Karjalainen T, Hirschland D, Edington DW. AAOHN J. 2002 Jan; 50(1) –  26-31.

15. Aldana SG, Pronk NP. J Occup Environ Med. 2001 Jan; 43(1) –  36-46.

16. Pelletier KR. American Journal of Wellness. 2001; 16(2) –  107-16.

17. Edington DW. American Journal of Health Promotion 2001; 15(5) –  341-349.

18. Leatherman S, Berwick D, Iles D, Lewin LS, Davidoff F, Nolan T, Bisognano M. Health Affairs 2003; 22(2) –  17-30.

19. Erfurt JC, Holtyn K. J Occup Med 1991; 33(1) –  66-73.

20. Serxner S, Anderson DR, Gold D. American Journal of Wellness. 18(4) –  1-6, iii, 2004 Mar-Apr.

21. Serxner SA, Gold DB, Grossmeier JJ, Anderson DR.

As corporations today continue to compete in the global economy, cost containment strategies will be increasingly important. Controlling the rising cost of staff member ill health is becoming a priority for corporate leaders.

The emerging corporate culture in the U.S.  is one which has an staff member population centered in health, safety and wellness.

Developing a corporate strategy for wellness and disability management makes good company sense.  The following eight-step process ensures a strategic, integrated, needs-driven and results-oriented approach.

The following process works best in organizations with strong leadership and a long-term commitment to worker health.

1. Identify Your Wellness Program Champion

This individuals must be a leader in your company and a strong advocate of health. Typically this is an individual who actively pursues his or her own personal quest for optimal health.

The wellness program champion must have the resources and authority to drive the program forward.  The program champion’s key role is to ensure the strategic plan for health is aligned with the corporation’s organization goals, strategic focus and organizational values.

For  instance if the business promotes that “our strength is our individuals ” the health promotion program must demonstrate how programs will nurture and protect that valuable resource.

2. Form Your Health Promotion Strategy Team

The Health Promotion Strategy Team ought to include decision makers and stakeholders from areas of the company that can influence health and the company’s bottom line.

These areas could include; finance, HR, training and development, health services, compensation and benefits, employee assistance services (EAP), advertising, facilities, safety and health, rehabilitation, cafeteria or food services and the union. A team of six to eight representatives is recommended.

The role of the Strategy Team is to develop and implement the strategic plan, look for opportunities to promote health, ensure the wellness program is integrated into key areas of the organization, streamline efforts, maximize organization resources and wellness program examination.

3. Complete an Organizational Health Audit

The purpose of an Organizational Health Audit is to evaluate your existing health promotion programs and services, physical environment and policies and procedures that support health.

It’s also important to look at your organizational culture or “how things are done” around the business.

Members of the Strategy Team complete the Audit independently and then meet to discuss their examination. During the examination process, health issues and opportunities are discussed in preparation for the development of the strategic plan.

4. Analyze Your Corporation’s Cost Pressures

Cost pressures are identified by investigating  a number of areas including; benefit costs, Worksite Safety Insurance Board (WSIB) claims, drug usage, type of paramedic claims, absenteeism data and employee assistance program (EAP) utilization.

This process helps to target areas that can be positively impacted by a wellness program and to provide a baseline for reviewing  change.

5. Conduct a Health Risk Assessment (HRA) or Worker Needs and Interest Survey

The next step is to determine your staff member’s health risks, interests and readiness to change. A confidential health risk assessment can accomplish many objectives.

It provides a baseline from which to measure personal lifestyle changes, provides staff with relevant health information, motivates staff to take charge of their health and assists in health promotion program planning.

Most health risk assessments provide individual reports and a corporate report identifying high-risk areas in the corporation.

Many businesses prefer to administer personalized needs and interest survey to evaluate employee needs.  The benefit of this approach is that the corporation can gather information on the employees’ perceived health promotion program needs and interests.

This information may be incorporated into the strategic plan. Administering a recent survey also has the added benefit of fostering a sense of staff member ownership to the health promotion program.

6. Develop Your Strategic Plan for Wellness

The strategic plan should incorporate information accumulated from the Organizational Health Audit, your corporation’s cost pressures, and health risk assessment data or employee survey results.

The strategic plan ought to include your wellness program mission, three or four objectives and a few wellness programs under each objective.  The strategic plan provides a framework to encourage, support and evaluate “best health practices.”

It’s also important that the plan align itself with the vision, objectives and objectives of the company.

The sample strategic plan that follows was created for blue jeans maker Levi Strauss and Co. (Canada) Inc. Levi Strauss and Co.’s mission statement and aspirations (how workforce interact with each other in a company environment) guided the development of the plan.

Levi Strauss and Co.’s aspirations include the following statement –  Above all, we want satisfaction from accomplishments and friendships, balanced personal and professional lives, and to have fun in our endeavors.

The wellness program plan included a number of components to ensure that it embraced this statement including the following -

1. A vision statement, which tied in with the company’s aspirations.

2.  An incentive system to encourage and reward the accomplishment of healthful milestones.

3. A recognition system to applaud success.

4. Friendly competitions between Levi Strauss and Co. locations to ensure a fun environment.

5. Opportunities to take part in small group educational health promotion programs to foster team support.

6. Initiation of support groups for staff members completing wellness programs (i.e. use of tobacco control support group).

7. Programs dealing with work and family balance.

Other information that was evaluated and used to create the plan included -

1. Business demographics

2. Focus groups

3. Cultural audit

4. Top drug report

5. employee assistance program utilization

6. Employee benefit services report

7. Health and dental claims

8. Operational performance summaries

9. Health risk appraisals

7. Put together a Corporation Case to Support Your Plan

Your company case for wellness provides the necessary details for approval at the upper management level.  The company case includes -

1.  The Strategic Plan for Health

2. A proposed health promotion program budget

3. Marketing strategies

4. Program leadership options

5.  An implementation plan

6. Investigation methodology.

In presenting the strategic plan it’s crucial that you highlight how the plan aligns itself with the strategic direction of the organization.

The wellness program budget ought to include educational resources, advertising costs, rewards and incentives, leadership costs and supplies.

Advertising strategies should address how the wellness program are going to be promoted and rolled out to various groups within the company i.e. decentralized locations, high risk personnel, older personnel.

Program leadership should address how volunteers are going to be used, internal resources  and whether advisors have been proposed. All play an equally important role in the implementation of your wellness program.

The health promotion program implementation plan should incorporate the following types of programs that help develop awareness of positive health practices, assist employees in making lifestyle changes and initiatives, which support long-term change.

Awareness wellness programs develop an awareness of the importance of healthful lifestyle practices and motivate staff members to take the next step. Examples of awareness wellness programs include posting educational posters, newsletter articles and brown bagger seminars.

Lifestyle change wellness programs are more extensive and longer in duration. They are designed to assist staff in changing behavior. Examples of lifestyle change wellness programs are nutrition education programs, stress management programs, back care classes and smoking control programs.

A supportive corporate environment encompasses everything from corporate policies and procedures, the physical environment and building a corporate culture that supports good health practices. Follow-up sessions and support groups for personnel that have completed 6-10 week health promotion programs also provide a supportive environment for long-term change.

Investigating the effectiveness of wellness is ongoing. A formal investigation must be conducted yearly and could include; re-administering steps three to five, health promotion program participation statistics and a year end survey to revisit “soft” issues like morale, health promotion program satisfaction and future health promotion program direction.

8. Solicit Input and Communicate Your Plan

Employee input is critical to the long-term success of your wellness program.  An Employee Advisory Committee must be formed to roll out the plan. Another key responsibility of this team is to solicit feedback from all levels of the business to ensure buy-in.

Front line Manager’s Information Sessions and focus groups are also important. This group needs to buy-in to the notion that they play a key role in supporting positive health practices.

Regular meetings are recommended with front line managers to receive ongoing input, address issues and orient new managers.

Conclusions

The World Health Corporation’s definition of health is “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of illness and infirmity.”

In order for us to develop healthful worksites, health promotion programs must have a health promotion program champion, have worker ownership, be upper management supported, results driven and strategically aligned with the overall organization goals of the organization.

Wellness program that embrace these qualities will have a positive impact on an organization’s bottom line. Canadian research points to many case studies where onsite health promotion programs have resulted in reduced absenteeism, lower claims and increased productivity.

Organizations who’ve embraced wellness as part of “how they do business” have one thing in common. They demonstrate a commitment to their most valuable resource â.” their people .

They understand the increased pressures associated with downsized businesses, a rapidly changing worksite, an aging work force and the challenge of balancing work and family obligations.  And they share a common belief that healthful workforce are happier, absent less and more productive.

References -

Design of Wellness Programs by Michael P. O’Donnell. 1995. Published by the American Journal of Wellness.

Pro Fit-ability by Veronica Marsden. Group Healthcare Management. May 1997.

Meeting Expectations by Laura Mensch. Staff Member Health and Productivity. August 1999

7 Steps to Health Promotion by Daphne Woolf and Veronica Marsden. Group Health Care Management. February 1996.

Published in the Journal of Health Promotion for Northern Ireland, Issue 9, March 2000