What are Worksite Wellness ?

The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports defines wellness as “a multidimensional state of being describing the existence of positive health in an individual as exemplified by quality of life and a sense of wellbeing.” Wellness looks beyond the current guide of treating disease and focuses on preventive actions and healthier lifestyles. Worksite Wellness , also frequently referred to as Worksite Wellness , serve as a complement to existing insurance-based health benefit programs and can take many forms and address a myriad different potential health conditions. They are a powerful strategy to promote positive lifestyle changes that can result in significant cost savings for corporations. Examples of potential elements of a Worksite Wellness include: Health Risk Assessments / Employee Health Screenings – Health Risk Assessments (aka Health Risk Appraisals), evaluate the most prevalent lifestyle-related risks of an individual. HRAs often include screenings for Blood Pressure (BP), cholesterol, glucose levels and other health indicators. These analyses support important benchmarking measures that ideally will allow employees to prevent or decrease their risk of illnesses. Finding Wealth Through Wellness, As noted by Kathryn Krivy, director of Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Wellness Institute in Chicago, “Medically based Health Risk Assessments are a necessity because in order to affect change in your organization, you need to know what the problems are, and you just don’t know until you get the data.” Physical Activity and Weight Management – One of the most popular Worksite Wellness is for corporations to support access to a exercise facility, often on-Site. Other potential measures include offering healthier snack machines and cafeteria options, weight management support groups and fitness challenge programs. Some corporations, like hospital group Baptist Health South Florida, will even pay for employees to attend weight-loss courses such as Weight Watchers. Awareness and Education Programs – Many corporations hold events approaching the benefits of nutrition, safety or physical fitness, among other topics. Other options are to host a wellness fair or lead a disease-awareness campaign. Behavior Modification – This covers issues like smoking, wearing seat belts, and alcohol use. While many corporations will support assistance for employees looking to modify behavior, some corporations, like medical benefits administrator Weyco, Inc., mandate transformation, such as stopping smoking, as a condition of employment. Alternative Treatments – Other Worksite Wellness can include absorbing some or all of the costs for massages, stress-reduction activities like yoga or even herbal medicines.