Health and Wellness Leads : The Case for Corporate Health Promotion Programs

Major advantages of healthy workers include:

• Reduced Health Care expenditures
• Reduced Injuries
• Lowered Absenteeism
• Increased Morale and Loyalty
• Increased Productivity
• Diminished Use of Healthcare Benefits
• Reduced Workers’ Comp/Disability
• Positive Image in Community
• Reduced Turnover
• Improved recruitment for able staff members

What is NOT Having a Workplace Health Promotion Program Costing Your Organization?  

Let us look at the health risk factors that are contributing to chronic diseases for adults:

• 59 percent of American adults are overweight or obese
• Greater than 60 percent of American adults do not get regular exercise
• Greater than 75% 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 reported they were often or very often burned out or stressed by their work  

Medical Care expenditures are On the Rise:  Medical Care costs are at a record high of $1.7 trillion with no signs of holding steady, let alone going down.  The average cost of yearly medical care spending is over $5,000 per person and with dependents almost $10,000.  Recent data shows that medical care related expenditures now cost North Carolina organizations thousands of dollars per employee, per year.

Most Illnesses Can Be Avoided:  Although it sounds unbelievable, experts insist that avoidable illness makes up 60% – 70% of the entire burden of illness in the U.S..   In North Carolina, it is estimated that more than 53% of all deaths are avoidable, and that 2/3 of all avoidable deaths are due to tobacco use, physical inactivity, and poor nutrition.

Stress Levels are Rising:  As employer resources become less and organizations adopt leaner work practices, the effects of absenteeism and productivity lost have an increased effect.  In a current nationwide poll, 78% of the population described their jobs as stressful, and most believe that stress levels have risen over The previous decade.  To make matters worse, high levels of employer stress can negatively affect a employer by growing injuries, absenteeism, and healthcare costs while decreasing productivity.  Simple solutions such as stress management education, flexible work schedules, quality social interaction, and increased participation in employer decision-making can improve stress levels in the workplace.

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

The expense depends on the type of Corporate Health Promotion Program implemented.  There are several options to reward employee health with advantages and disadvantages of each.  The program design depends on the goals/objectives of the wellness program, the company resources, and the community resources available.  

Enhancing dietary practices, increasing physical exercise levels, managing stress or approaching work life balance issues, and reducing/eliminating tobacco use, are primary strategies for preventing many of the most common preventable chronic diseases. The possibilities of how your employer deals with these issues are endless and can range from increasing employee awareness, which may include purchasing a few brochures on a variety of topics, and calculating walking distances around your facility, to implementing employer support such as funding a full-time occupational health consultant or building an onsite fitness center.  

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