A Health and Wellness Program is an organized program to help workers in establishing healthier lifestyles.  This can include enhancing employee awareness on health topics, providing behavior change initiatives, and/or establishing business policies that support health-related goals.  Programs and policies that promote increased physical activity, tobacco use prevention and cessation, and healthy food selections are a few examples.

What are the Dimensions of Wellness?

Wellness means more than just being physical fit.  The Dimensions of Wellness may include:

• Spiritual Dimension of Wellness,
• Emotional Dimension of Wellness,
• Social Dimension of Wellness
• Intellectual Dimension of Wellness and
• Physical Dimension of Wellness.

The dimensions of wellness are sometimes shown as a “wellness wheel” with examples of wellness components that include physical fitness, nutrition life purpose, financial planning, support systems & social connections, stress management, mind-body health, career planning and continued learning.   The key to individual wellness is maintaining a balanced “wellness wheel”.  A comprehensive Wellness Program addresses most, if not all, of these dimensions of wellness.

Why Provide a Health and Wellness Program?

Workers spend a great deal of time working, and research show that our traditional work-week is getting longer.  In fact, the typical American now works almost 47 hours per week.  Plus, modern technology such as laptops, cell phones, email and voice have blurred the boundary between work-life and home-life.  These realities lower the amount of time that the average American is able to devote to health and wellness activities, and yet workers are expected to be at peak performance when on the job.

A study by the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses found that Workplace Health Promotion Programs are successful in helping workers make positive health changes due to several factors such as environmental support, convenience and social or co-worker acceptance.

What is the Connection between Health and Wellness and the Workplace?

Workplace Health Promotion Programs and Policies that promote healthy behaviors can make a significant impact on employee wellness AND have an impact on the company’s bottom line.  Research indicates that for every dollar invested by companies in health and wellness programs, there were savings ranging from $1.49 to $4.91 with the average wellness program ROI being $3.14*.

In businesses terms, that’s more than a 3:1 minimum wellness ROI – a number that is difficult to ignore, and a best practice that should garner serious consideration from companies.  In fact, a Health and Wellness Program literature review posted in Health Promotion Practitioner Journal found:

• 19 research studies found a 28.3% reduction in sick leave
• 16 research studies demonstrated a 5.6:1 return on investment
• 23 demonstrated a 26.1% reduction in health care costs
• 4 demonstrated a 30% reduction in direct health care and workers’ compensation claims

There is little doubt that a Health and Wellness Program targeted to meet a company’s specific needs can save money by decreasing absenteeism, decreasing medical costs, decreasing employee turnover, and enhancing productivity.

For help in starting a Health and Wellness Program or to get a free wellness proposal you can visit www.WellnessProposals.com or www.InfiniteWellnessSolutions.com

* US Department of Health & Human Services, 2003

You should take note of these interesting Corporate Health and Wellness Program Statistics:

Some 25 percent of U.S. corporations were running Corporate Health and Wellness Programs in 1996.
Corporate Health and Wellness Program Statistics depict a savings of $2.30 to $10.10 for every $1 spent on Corporate Health and Wellness Programs.
Coca-Cola’s physical fitness program recouped $500 per year per worker, despite the fact that only 60% of their staff was enrolled.
A Ipsos-Reid Corporate Health and Wellness Program statisics paper in 2004 found the three major preventable causes of staff absenteeism to be mental health (anxiety and/or depression), stress and a bad relationship with a supervisor.
Corporate Health and Wellness Program Statistics from Prudential Insurance reveal a benefit expense of $312 per individual enrolled in their wellness system, but $574 per non-enrolled worker.
At the Coors Brewing Co., Corporate Health and Wellness Program Statistics illuminate a savings of $5.50 per $1 spent on physical fitness, with a positive side-effect of participant absenteeism dropping by 18%.