“Corporate Health and Wellness Programs” – what does that phrase mean to you? To many of us, it evokes an array of ambivalent thoughts — the health club membership we barely used, the nagging ankle injury from last year’s corporation picnic, the backaches, the bratwurst we had for lunch, the love handles and of course, the fad diets that failed us or that we failed. Usually, Corporate Health and Wellness Programs is a guilt trigger that causes us to feel remorse about our bodies and the health management we know we should be doing for them.

Unfortunately we live in a society where our survival is dependent on sitting at a desk, not hunting game, picking berries and sprinting away from wolves. We also live in such luxury, nutritionally, that we can gain weight steadily without being wealthy. Cardiovascular disease, obesity and poor dietary habits cause most of the heath issues that weigh down worker attendance and erode a company’s productivity.

Ironically the poorest societies in the world – the ones furthest from the conveniences of modern life – often boast the healthier, most physically hardy members. And as for the animal kingdom — don’t look there for commiseration. In the wild, it is extremely rare to find an animal that suffers from our kind of wellness issues.

Pharmaceutical dependency degrades Health and Wellness

It doesn’t help that U.S citizens are descending into a deadly love affair with drugs — and drug testing won’t help you with these drugs.

For example, Greg Critser’s book Generation RX details how U.S citizens spend about $180 billion dollars on Pharmaceuticals each year, with the estimated 2011 tally at a whopping $414 billion. The average number of Pharmaceuticals per United State citizens in 2004 stood at twelve.

Twelve! That means that your average worker is taking 14, 18, or even more than 20 medications in an attempt to improve their Health and Wellness.

Is this effective, though? Critser is not convinced that the drugs help U.S. health. In fact, he points out a bevy of negative consequences for America’s legal prescription medication addition, which include prescription medication interactions, liver damage, and the legions of people who now depend on drugs to deal with ordinary trials and stresses.

An business has the potential to improve Health

It’s not all bad news, though. Occupational Health Screenings and well-designed Corporate Health and Wellness Programs can help you fight the downward spiral for you and your workers. In fact, good Corporate Health and Wellness Programs – like a strong walking Corporate Health and Wellness Programs initiative – can literally save lives and reduce the symptoms that cause workers to turn to drugs in the first place.

Corporate Health and Wellness Programs are as close to a grand slam proposition as you’ll find, according to most researchers and Corporate Health and Wellness Program experts.

But if you have skeptics in your organization who are questioning the time and expense of beginning an Corporate Health and Wellness Program, you may be wary too. Aren’t worker Corporate Health and Wellness Programs subject to the adage “There’s no such thing as a free lunch”?

Corporate Health and Wellness Programs Don’t Have To Be Expensive

Fortunately, worker Corporate Health and Wellness Programs don’t require a big investment. Like any other corporate project, mismanagement and “death by committee” can inflate the cost of Corporate Health and Wellness Programs, but it’s hard to spend too much time and money on them. After all, Corporate Health and Wellness Programs are mostly informational in nature. Flyers, e-mails, maps, and Corporate Health and Wellness Program Health and Wellness Fairs can only cost so much. There’s no expensive, specialized Corporate Health and Wellness Program machinery.

Corporate Health and Wellness Program statistics on successful programs are particularly persuasive. Unlike many cost-saving measures, Corporate Health and Wellness Programs actually add to worker satisfaction – but they also reduce Medical Insurance premiums and worker absenteeism.

What are some common Corporate Health and Wellness Programs?

Corporate Health and Wellness Programs run the gamut, depending on your workplace demographic, from physical activity for health patients to nutritional initiatives that encourage workers to replace unhealthy snack foods with healthy fare like dried fruit and shelled nuts.

Here are some examples of Corporate Health and Wellness Programs:

• ergonomic safety
• cardiovascular disease education and testing
• worker safety
• Health Risk Appraisals
• walking Corporate Health and Wellness Programs
• drug testing

Corporate Health and Wellness Programs are designed to promote and support employee health and wellness through education and awareness programs primarily based at the worksite. The program is a win-win in that workers benefit from learning and staying well, and the employer has increased loyalty and less rates of absenteeism.

As companies become more aware of the importance of employee health on productivity, there is increased interest in encouraging and supporting healthy lifestyle choices. Employer costs for Corporate Health and Wellness Programs can rapidly be offset with fewer work-related injuries, improved attendance, less turnover, and increased morale.

Types of Corporate Health and Wellness Programs

Corporate Health and Wellness Programs: Lunch & Learn Wellness Presentations

The easiest Corporate Health and Wellness Programs are one’s where the employer arranges to have quarterly seminars during lunchtime on topics such as stress management, nutrition, and exercise. A local mental health clinic, hospital, or the Employee Assistance Program (Employee Assistance Program) may provide these. This type of corporate health and Corporate Health and Wellness Program is usually arranged through HR, the medical department, or the safety manager. Participation is generally voluntary.

Before determining topics for wellness seminars, it is a good idea to do some type of worker polling to see what topics people are interested in. This can be as simple as an e-mail to all staff asking for suggestions or as formal as having an outside group come in to conduct interviews and design a complete corporate health and Corporate Health and Wellness Program.

Corporate Health and Wellness Programs: Health Risk Assessments

]]> http://health-and-wellness-companies.com/wellness-library/corporate-health-and-wellness-programs/feed/ 0 http://health-and-wellness-companies.com/wellness-library/benefits-of-corporate-health-and-wellness-programs/ http://health-and-wellness-companies.com/wellness-library/benefits-of-corporate-health-and-wellness-programs/#comments Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:15:46 +0000 admin http://health-and-wellness-companies.com/?p=58 Benefits of Corporate Health and Wellness Programs

Introduction to Corporate Health and Wellness Programs

Risky health behaviors by workers cost a company. Changing those behaviors can save the employer money and raise the worker’s productivity.

Because work gives an worker a stable environment and support system, Corporate Health and Wellness Programs can have a great impact on lowering high-risk behaviors. This impact results in reduce health claims cost, less rates of absenteeism, and less short-term disability.

Corporate Health and Wellness Programs can include:

Awareness Rasing Activities: Health and wellness newsletters, health topics covered in payroll stuffers, healthy emails.

Health Risk Assessment: Employee health screenings, health fairs, health rist assessments.

Educational Programs: Lunch & Learn wellness seminars, guest speakers at staff meetings.

Skill Building: Healthy cooking demostrations, activity challenges, CPR instruction opportunites, stress management classes, weight management classes.

Interventions: Massage, smoking cessation, and skills to help you get the most out of your doctor visit.

Physical environment: Healthy items in the vending machines and cafeterias, clean air practices, ergonomics, bike racks, flex time, welllit stairways.

Assessment: Worker needs assessment, baseline Corporate Health and Wellness Program evaluation measures, ongoing Corporate Health and Wellness Program evaluation of overall effectiveness.

Why Provide Corporate Health and Wellness Programs

The typical employer spends about $8,000 a year on an employee’s medical care. This includes medical insurance, disability and worker’s compensation. As these costs climb, medical insurance is expected to rise at least 10 percent per year.

A 1999 study showed that organizations using Corporate Health and Wellness Programs had a ROI from $1.49 – $13 in benefits per dollar spent. The amount depended on the nature of the Corporate Health and Wellness Programs used. (S. Aldana, American Journal of Wellness, 2001; 15:296-320)

One study showed that a “stop smoking” element to Corporate Health and Wellness Programs can save between $404 -$40,829 per employee, depending on the age and sex of the worker.

The Corporate Health and Wellness Programs at Traveler’s Company included a self-care book, a newsletter, single-topic brochures, and videotapes. The Corporate Health and Wellness Programs saved the company $7.8 million in employee benefi t costs, decreased doctor visits, and it reduced rates of absenteeism by 1.2 days per worker per year. The estimated Corporate Health and Wellness Programs ROI was $3.40 per dollar spent.

In 1998, the Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO) reported a study of 46,026 workers from six large companies for three years. Employees with an inactive lifestyle had 10 percent higher costs; workers with depression had 70 percent higher costs.

Benefits of Corporate Health and Wellness Programs

Increased Productivity – The Canada Life Assurance Company realized a 4 percent increase in productivity after creating an employee fitness program.

Increased Job Satisfaction – According to employee opinion surveys conducted by the Silverstone Group about thier Corporate Health and Wellness Programs, workers’ morale increased, which helped support a more creative work environment.

Improved Recruitment & Retention – In the midst of a tight labor market, Corporate Health and Wellness Programs could be a important tool to draw new recruits.

Decreased Absenteeism – Canada Life Assurance Company’s rates of absenteeism dropped 42 percent among workers in the Corporate Health and Wellness Programs.

Decreased Workers Comp & Disability – In one year, Boeing Company’s number of back injuries decreased by 34 percent. Six million dollars was saved by tracking injuries as they occurred.

Managed Health Care Costs – Golden, Colorado Adolf Coors Company’s Corporate Health and Wellness Programs returned $6.19 for every dollar spent.