Posts from — May 2009

Major advantages of healthy employees include:

• Decreased Medical Care expenditures
• Reduced Injuries
• Reduced Absenteeism
• Boosted Morale and Loyalty
• Higher Productivity
• Reduced Use of Medical Care Benefits
• Reduced Workers’ Comp/Disability
• Positive Image in Community
• Reduced Turnover
• Improved recruitment for skilled employees

What is NOT Having a Worksite Wellness Costing Your Organization?

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

• 59 percent of American citizens are overweight or obese
• Greater than 60 percent of American citizens do not exercise regularly
• Greater than 75 percent of American citizens do not consume the minimum recommendations for fruits and vegetables
• Cardiovascular disease is the leading common cause of death and the primary cause of death in smokers
• 26 percent of employees stated they were often or very often burned out or stressed by their occupation

Medical Care expenditures are Increasing: Medical Care expenditures are at a record figure of $1.7 trillion with no signs of leveling out, let alone going down. The average cost of annual healthcare spending is over $5,000 per person and with dependents almost $10,000. Recent data shows that healthcare expenditures now cost North Carolina corporations thousands of dollars per employee, each year. Most Illnesses Can Be Avoided: Although it sounds unbelievable, experts state that preventable illness makes up 60 percent – 70 percent of the entire burden of illness in the U.S.. In North Carolina, it is estimated that more than 53 percent of all deaths are preventable, and that 2/3 of all preventable deaths are due to tobacco use, a sedentary lifestyle, and poor diet. Stress Levels are On the Rise: As organization resources diminish and corporations adopt leaner work practices, the effects of absenteeism and lost productivity have a more powerful influence. In a current national poll, 78 percent of the population described their jobs as stressful, and the majority felt that stress levels have risen over The last decade. Moreover, high levels of organization stress can adversely affect a organization by increasing injuries, absenteeism, and medical expenditures while decreasing work rate. Simple solutions such as stress management education, flexible work schedules, quality social interaction, and increased participation in organization decision-making can improve stress levels in the workplace.

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

The expense depends on the type of Worksite Wellness implemented. There are several options to promote employee health with pros and cons of each. The program design depends on the goals and objectives of the wellness program, the organization resources, and the community resources available. Improving dietary practices, building physical activity levels, managing stress or approaching work life balance problems, and reducing/eliminating tobacco use, are primary strategies for preventing many of the most common preventable chronic diseases. The possibilities of how your organization deals with these problems are endless and can range from building employee awareness, which may include purchasing a few handouts on a variety of topics, and quantifying walking distances around your facility, to adopting organization support such as funding a full-time occupational health professional or building an worksite fitness center. When well-planned and based on your goals and objectives, any of these programs can help you succeed. Refer below to Worksite Wellness Design Options for additional ideas.

A Worksite Wellness is an inclusive program to assist and support employees in adopting healthier lifestyles. This can include increasing employee awareness on health topics, scheduling behavior modification programs, and/or adopting organization policies that support health-related objectives. Programs and policies that promote increased physical activity, tobacco use prevention and cessation, and healthy meal selections are a few examples.

Dimensions of Wellness

Wellness is much more than fitness alone. In addition to physical fitness, the ranges of optimal health include:

• Spiritual Dimension of Wellness
• Emotional Dimension of Wellness
• Social Dimension of Wellness
• Intellectual Dimension of Wellness

These ranges are often illustrated as a “life wheel” with examples of health components that include fitness, diet, purpose in life, financial organization, social health & support systems, stress management, mind-body health, career planning and constant learning. The key behind personal health is keeping the “life wheel” in allignment. A inclusive wellness program addresses most, if not all, of these ranges.

Why Worksite Wellness ?

employees invest a whole lot of time working, and the fact of the matter is that our traditional work-week is increasing. In fact, the typical American now labors about 47 hours every week. Plus, items such as modems, laptops, cell phones, voice and email have made vague the line between life and work. These realities cut down on the amount of time that the average individual is able to spend on wellness and health pursuits, and yet employees are predicted to be top of their game when at work. A current study by the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses found that workplace wellness or Worksite Wellness are successful in supporting employees to make beneficial health changes due to several factors such as convenience, environmental support, and co-worker or social acceptance.

What’s the Link between Wellness and the Workplace?

Programs and policies that promote healthy lifestyles can make a sizable difference on employee wellness AND have an influence on the organization’s bottom line. Studies show that for each dollar invested by employers in Worksite Wellness /wellness programs, there were savings between $1.49 to $4.91 with a median savings of $3.14*. In organization jargon, that’s more than a 3:1 minimum return on investment – a number that is tough to ignore, and a best practice that must draw serious consideration from employers. In fact, a Worksite Wellness literature review published in Health Promotion Practitioner Journal found:

• 19 research studies found a 28.3 percent reduction in sick leave
• 16 research studies demonstrated a 5.6:1 return on investment
• 23 showed a 26.1 percent decrease in medical expenditures
• 4 found a 30 percent decrease in direct medical and workers’ compensation claims

There is little doubt that a inclusive wellness program optimized to meet a organization’s specific needs can save money by reducing absenteeism, reducing healthcare expenditures, reducing employee turnover, and building work rate. The United States Department of Health & Human Services, 2003