Employer WellnessEmployer wellness programs and employer wellness consulting services

Wellness programs at the corporate level are beneficial, right? Wellness statistics clearly show that such wellness programs are not only cost-effective to the organization but can assist the staff member in developing a healthier lifestyle.

With the rising cost of healthcare, wellness programs simply make sense. So where does the problem come in? Let’s examine the topic from both perspectives.

Wellness Programs –  the Good

• A sampling of corporate returns on investment for wellness programs –  Bank of America –  600%; General Motors – 370%; Pepsico –  300%; Citibank –  465%; and the Washoe County School District leading the pack at a whopping 1,560 percent. (Campbell,J., Wellness Improvement Specialists, www.wellnessimprovementprofessionals.com, Albuquerque, New Mexico.)

• Businesses with wellness programs have realized a 28 percent reduction in sick leave, a 26 percent reduction in adjunctive healthcare costs and a 30 percent reduction in disability and staff members compensation costs. (Health Affairs, Volume 21, No.2, March, 2002.)

• the Washoe county School District in Northern Nevada realized a $15.60 return on investment for every dollar spent due to a 20 percent reduction in absenteeism. (Hardy,A. (2005). at the Top of the Class. WELCOA’s Absolute Advantage Magazine, 5(1), 14-20.)

• Wellness programs provide the structure, encouragement, incentives and ongoing support that many person need in order to make lifestyle changes.

• Staff Members also realize returns on their efforts. FiServ, a financial services technology company, gave employees who filled out a health risk (assessment|appraisal} a meaningful discount on their health insurance premium. (Holland, Kelley, the New York Times, July 22, 2007.)

Wellness Programs –  the Bad

The flip side of the argument centers on basic human rights. Do we want/need our employer to tell us to eat our veggies or lose 30 pounds? Some companies are doing just that and at least one lawsuit has resulted because of it.

• Three hundred businesses have requested assistance from a national employment and labor law firm to institute more assertive wellness programs.(Cornwell, Lisa, Associated Press, Albuquerque Journal, September 10,2007.)

• Clarian Health, based in Indianapolis, Will begin decling worker paychecks by $10.00 for every worker who’s a BMI  of greater than 29.9 because not enough employees were utilizing their wellness services.(Cornwell, Lisa, Associated Press, Albuquerque Journal, September 10,2007.)

• Scott Rodrigues filed a suit against his prospective corporation, Scotts Miracle-Gro, because he believed the corporation’s antiuse of tobacco policy violated his civil rights. the corporation has a policy against hiring staff members who smoke and Mr. Rodrigues’drug screen was positive for nicotine.(Holland, Kelley, the New York Times,July 22,2007.)

• Employee advocates are concerned that health discrimination may not be covered under the American Citizens with Disabilities Act.(Cornwell, Lisa, Associated Press, Albuquerque Journal, September 10,2007.)

Penalizing workers by hitting them hardest where it hurts the most,their pocketbook, doesn’t appear to be a favorable approach to molding human behavior.

Such tactics may lead to increased resentments and retaliation, mainly in the form of absenteeism and presenteeism (decreased productivity on the job.) Voluntary, incentive-based programs, such as the one in the Washoe County School District, can and do produce results.

A positive attitude on the part of management along with an opportunity for staff members to have a stake in the decision-making may yield the greatest dividends to both business and staff member.

The motivation and resolve needed to change unhealthy lifestyle habits can best be derived from the basic tenets of encouragement, respect and support.

Getting Began – Secure management support

• Justifications for having a wellness fair

• Health risk (assessment|appraisal}s

• Make sure to help for high-risk population –  smokers, obese workers

• Early detection of diabetes, heart illness risk factors (high cholesterol, high blood pressure)

Wellness Fair Participation – Identify your audience

• Workers only, whole family, retirees?

• Community involvement? Theme?

Wellness Fair Time Line  

• Make certain to set a date and time Allow 4-6 months of planning time

Wellness Fair Planning

• Identify health-related screenings, tests, other activities you’ll offer Identify educational literature and other learning opportunities wellness fair will provide Include any “fun” activities, or food/beverage needs for the fair

Health Fair Location and Logistics

• Consider location big enough to accommodate the largest volume of individuals  at “peak time” periods

• Determine how booths/stations will be set up

Health Fair Providers

• Target relevant health/safety-related community and corporate vendors to provide services, educational materials, incentives and giveaways

Health Fair Advertising

• Determine marketing tools to be used to inform employees/participants (posters, mailings, e-mail)

• Determine any incentives or giveaways that will be included in the fair or used to encourage participation in the fair

Health Fair Scheduling

• Coordinate timing and events with staff and/or volunteers

Health Fair Personnel

• Schedule appropriate experts Physician or similar healthcare personnel to provide patient consultation for review of blood draw lab results

• Nurse(s) to administer immunizations

• Administrative/all-purpose individual to facilitate paper work, finger sticks and to provide general assistance

• Pharmacist or pharmacist assistant when appropriate Dietitian for nutritional counseling suggested personnel designated for health fairs

Footnotes

1 the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation via Reuters Health E-Line.

2 Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, (9/11/03)

3 www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/press/archive/lower_cost.htm

4 “Is Stress Nibbling Away at Your Bottom Line?” By Stephen Alper, Nov. 15, 2002.

5 Wellness in the Workplace, Michael P. O’Donnell, page 415.

6 http – //www.bmpcoe.org/bestpractices/internal/dayto/dayto_6.html

According to Gordian Health Solutions, the effectiveness of wellness programs in improving health and reducing health care costs is directly linked to incentives –  

• the more substantial the incentives,
• the higher the success rate.

Incentives can range from tokens of achievement, like t-shirts, water bottles and sports equipment, to more substantial financial awards, like cash incentives or copay vouchers for the successful completion of a program.

Nationwide Insurance is seeing results from a small incentive program initiated by among the corporation’s onsite nurses. to encourage lunchtime walking, the staff member has informally launched a “shoelace program” modeled after the karate-belt color system.

Staff Members progress through the color scale until they reach “black-lace” status. the reward system has resulted in more workers making commitments to walk during their lunch hour.

At the high end of the reward spectrum, some businesses pay cash to workers who meet wellness goals. LuK, Inc. offers workers $250 for kicking the tobacco habit and remaining smoke free for 12 months.

For logging fitness points that add up to 10 miles a month, employees are eligible for health assessments, which may lead to reward amounts of up to $225.

The most effective motivator, according to Gordian research, comes through linking participation in wellness programs directly to insurance premiums. Doing so obviously demonstrates to workers the positive effects of wellness on their own healthcare costs.

Often, the first step in linking wellness programming to insurance coverage is lowering deductibles for wellness care or eliminating deductibles altogether. By adding this benefit, corporations can encourage workers to undertake routine screenings and other procedures to respond to health problems before they become chronic.

Early detection benefits both patient health and corporation health costs.

Incentivizing wellness program participation with health care credits

More frequently, businesss are going beyond increased wellness care coverage and looking to demonstrate the importance of wellness by linking participation to employees’ bottom lines.

Worthington Industries has lately rolled out a program that allows workers to eliminate their portion of the insurance premium by enrolling in a Healthy Options wellness program.

During the first year of the Healthful Choices program, staff members and their spouses complete Personal Health Assessments and health screenings to determine their levels of health risks.

Nurses, dietitians and exercise specialists are available to help moderate- and high-risk participants create individual action plans for improved health through the use of educational materials, behavior modification, telephone help from third-party program health coordinators, and formal health management programs.

By completing the assessments, staff members earn their full premium credit. Because some plans at Worthington require no staff member contribution, a cash award takes the place of a credit in those cases.  

During year two of the program, the wellness bar is raised slightly. to continue to receive the wellness credit, participants in the moderate- to high-risk category will be required to work at establishing goals with third-party health coordinators.

Year three raises the bar again, requiring participants to show progress in meeting objectives and to continue to work with health coordinators to reach objectives.

After year three, Worthington Industries workers will be on the wellness track. the company believes that’ll mean a healthier workforce and cost savings for workers and the company.

The well being of Worthington workers is the foundation of this program, and both workers and the business are expected to benefit from the long-term advantages of the Healthful Options Wellness Program.

While Worthington has taken a broad approach to wellness, other businesses have found success in offering incentives in specific areas. Longaberger, for example, offers a discount on healthcare policies for staff members who do not use tobacco.

An individual staff member who doesn’t use tobacco saves $7 per bi-weekly pay. for smoke-free employees with family coverage whose families are also smoke-free, the savings increases to $14 per pay.

The next step –  Penalizing harmful behaviors

As it stands, health care is the only type of insurance that doesn’t focus on penalizing for behaviors that put the insured party at risk. With health care costs rising so dramatically, that could soon change.

Just as an accident likely raises auto insurance premiums, increasing premiums for those who engage in unhealthful behaviors is a possible next step in companys’ attempts to manage health care costs.

Reports that workers would support this type of action are stacking up. One Ohio business conducted an informal survey that indicated workers would consider it a morale increase if health-conscious workers were relieved of some burden of subsidizing care for workers who engage in behaviors that adversely affect their health.

Whether or not this type of program gains popularity, one thing is sure –  the need to control the rise in health care costs is becoming ever more pressing.

Take the first step

No matter what the strategy, from offering staff members medical resources to providing incentives for healthful behaviors, corporations have a real opportunity to improve morale and productivity, decrease rates of absenteeism and control health care costs through wellness.

The first step is committing to taking one, no matter what size effort is appropriate for your organization.  Big strides start with small steps.

Preventing injuries is a high priority for businesss, especially in factory establishings such as Honda. That’s why the corporation offers a few programs-including line-site process analysiss -to identify potential hazards and help reduce the chance of injury.

As part of an early intervention program, Honda workers who are feeling pain can receive a massage of the affected area during work time.

Stretching programs are another effective tool in injury prevention. As reported by the Best Practices in Manufacturing Web site, Dayton Parts, Inc. (DPI) in Harrisburg, Pa., conducted research that revealed approximately 80% of all manufacturing injuries occurred within the first two hours of each shift.

After starting a program that required production staff members to stretch for 10 to 15 minutes at the beginning of their shifts, they saw a dramatic reduction in injuries.

While the DPI program costs about $75,000 a year to operate, along with other business programs, it has helped bring the annual cost of workers’ compensation from $700,000 to $200,000 per year.6

To help prevent lengthy absences and reduce workers’ compensation claims, Honda instituted a work recovery program. Through the program, employees who have had an injury can work in a adjusted job-getting better.

Employees in the program spend their work days receiving physical conditioning to increase overall fitness, physical therapy to restore functionality, health education and nutrition counseling. the program is based on data that shows fewer work days are lost when an staff member stays connected to the work environment.

The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, www.ohiobwc.com, provides a “10-Step Company Plan” as a guide for corporations in providing wellness programs that aim to reduce injuries. the plan includes information on safety and health programs to prevent occurrences of on-the-job accidents, including –

Employee involvement – to ensure the success of any company wellness program, workers must participate in the safety and health-management process.

This can be done through safety and health audits, accident investigations, or by forming safety and health involvement teams, focus groups or committees.

Orientation and training plan – Conduct orientation and training sessions to educate employees on the corporation’s safety policies.

These sessions ought to include procedures for the safe use of machinery and tools, chemical hazards and how to prevent contact or exposure, specific job/task safe practices, and hazard recognition and prevention.

Communication – Open communication keeps employees informed and provides suggestions and feedback on the effectiveness of the corporation’s wellness program.

Through memos, bulletin boards and staff meetings, important health and safety information can be conveyed throughout the organization, keeping all management staff and employees knowledgeable about the corporation’s safe practices.

The corporation plan also outlines incentives for post-injury procedures, including –

Medical treatment and return-to-work practices – arly return-to-work strategies help injured or ill staff members return to work in a timely manner.

Corporations should establish a disability management policy to help injured or ill workers obtain quality medical treatment, making their transition back to work quick and effortless.

Timely notification of claims – Corporations should document workplace injuries immediately after they occur and promptly send that documentation to a claims handler.

Quickly providing claim information demonstrates care and concern for the injured worker, avoids delays and confusion with the claim process, and reduces the potential for abuse or needless litigation.

Record keeping – Internal documents must be kept to record work-time injuries and to assess the success of the corporation’s safety efforts.

Corporation audits, surveys and injury or disease reports can all be used to analyze which safety practices and policies have proven successful, and what areas of wellness need improvement.

Dr. Moore of Nationwide maintains that immunization is the most cost-effective treatment in medicine. for example, vaccinating children against the influenza virus averages a savings (including health care costs, parents’ missed work, etc.) of up to $35 per vaccine recipient.

And professionals predict that estimate is low, because it does not take into account the rapid spread of the flu.

The American Association of Family Doctors’ Web site, www.aafp.org, offers a advised adult immunization schedule created by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

This schedule, tiered by age and chances of exposure, recommends diphtheria, tetanus, influenza, pneumonococcal, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, measles, mumps and rubella, varicella and meningococcal vaccinations.

Ideas to incorporate prevention and early detection –  

• Hold a health fair and invite organizations that provide screening services for such conditions as blood pressure, blood iron, cholesterol, BMI  and diabetes.

• Offer educational materials about well-baby care and immunizations.

• Select healthcare coverage plans that include wellness check-ups and immunizations.

• Offer onsite mammograms for staff members.

• Sponsor on-site flu shots to coincide with flu season.

Advantages of Stress Reduction Programs

While stress cannot be eliminated from life, or even from the workplace, coping skills may be developed with relative ease. Stress management skills lead to decreased absenteeism and more effective, more productive workers.

Because stress has been proven to contribute to such physical conditions as ulcers, high blood pressure (BP) and stroke, stress reduction has a direct impact on bettering physical health.

Studies have shown that heart patients who attend stress management programs have 42% lower health care costs. Other studies have documented a 50% reduction in medical services use when stress management programs are employed.

Further, Worker Assistance Program (EAP) specialists estimate that 20% of any workforce is affected by personal problems that can influence work performance.

Stress reduction tactics to consider –  

• Offer on-site yoga or meditation classes.

• Organize support groups among staff members.

• Sponsor stress management courses during the workday.

• Offer an employee assistance program that includes both counseling and referral.

• Offer on-site counseling for employees in the case of a work-related trauma, such as the death of a peer.

Advantages of Prenatal Care and Breastfeeding

The old proverb “an ounce of avoidance is worth a pound of cure” is in particular relevant to when applied to preventive measures taken during pregnancy, when several additional ounces of birth weight can save a child’s life.

During pregnancy, simple precautions can help avoid catastrophic results; giving up smoking, for example, drastically lowers the risk of miscarriage and pre-term labor.

The March of Dimes reports that when all women took adequate folic acid before conception and during pregnancy, the number of babies born with a neural tube defect could drop by as much as 70 percent.

The physical and emotional benefits of proper prenatal care to a mother and child are underscored by a strong company case for offering prenatal wellness benefits. Nationwide’s Chief Medical Director, Dr. Michael Moore, estimates costs to care for one baby delivered prematurely could approach $500,000.

First steps in fostering a prenatal program –  

• Invite the March of Dimes to present information about prenatal health at an staff member brownbag lunch or breakfast meeting.

• Hold prenatal care information courses for interested employees at lunch.

• Give educational materials about the effects of alcohol, drugs and tobacco use on an unborn child.

• Offer incentives for adopting healthy lifestyles during pregnancy.

• Offer prenatal programs and education as part of the company healthcare package.

Advantages of Use of tobacco Cessation Programs

Instances of respiratory diseases, cancer and other diseases could be decreased through use of tobacco cessation efforts. Smoking cessation programs can provide gigantic opportunities for improved health.

The American Cancer Society reports that use of tobacco staff members cost companies an typical of $1,429 per smoker per year in increased healthcare costs over non-use of tobacco staff members.

Starting a tobacco use cessation program costs an typical of $45 per employee per year, saving companies an typical of $1,383 per year for each employee who quits tobacco use. Additionally, the American Cancer Society reports that smokers are absent from work 50% more often than nonsmokers.

They are also 50% more likely to be hospitalized and have 15% higher disability rates. Tobacco use reduces onthe- job productivity as well. Workers who take four 10- minute use of tobacco breaks a day work more than a month less per year than workers who don’t take smoke breaks.

Places to start with use of tobacco cessation programs –  

• Create a “buddy” program to provide encouragement for those who commit to stop tobacco use.

• Offer lung capacity tests at corporation wellness fairs.

• Consider reimbursement for smoking cessation tools –  nicotine gum, patches and inhalers.

• Limit smoking areas in the workplace.

• Present on-site tobacco use cessation sessions.

Advantages of Nutrition Programs

Nutrition directly impacts almost every aspect of physical and mental health. A healthy diet can help protect against such conditions as heart illness, diabetes, arthritis, stroke, certain cancers and depression. Obesity, which is among the most common conditions linked to diet, affects a record number of Americans.

The American Journal of Wellness estimates the cost of obesity to United States  company to exceed $12.5 billion in health care, sick leave, and life and disability insurance.

Moreover, one study reports that obesity raises healthcare costs by 36 percent and medication costs by 77 percent. to offset the health risks of obesity and poor diet, many corporations have committed to assisting employees ensure proper nutrition and undertake weight control programs.

Popular nutrition programs –  

• Provide staff members with educational materials or classes on proper nutrition provided by a registered dietitian.

• Offer onsite Weight Watchers meetings or other weight control programs.

• Give nutritious and health conscience meal options in the cafeteria and vending machines.

• Obviously post nutrition information for all cafeteria and vending machine items.

• Offer low cost, healthy, take-home dinner choices for workers and their families.

• Draw attention to healthful consuming habits by providing token incentives, such as pencils or ID holders, for achieving five fruits or vegetable servings a day for a week.

Nutrition programs in action

While many companies address weight control through fitness initiatives, companies are increasingly focusing on nutrition through separate programming. Recognizing the productivity increase and reduced medical expenditures that come with maintaining a healthy weight, many companies might help pay for obesity treatments for staff members.

For  instance, to improve the health of dangerously obese workers, drug maker Wyeth reportedly pays for stomach-shrinking surgeries that carry price tags of up to $40,000.

A 2003 Society of Human Resource (HR) Management study shows that 24 percent of employers offer weight loss programs. In Ohio, Honda offers an on-site, registered dietitian who provides individual or group consultations on weight management. Body fat analysis and Body Mass Index  measurements are available to employees at any time.

At Grange Insurance’s Columbus headquarters, the cafeteria chef examines meals and provides workers basic nutrition information, including Weight Watchers points.

A lot of businesses partner with the American Cancer Society to offer nutrition information through the “5-ADay” program, which provides companys free signage and educational materials about the importance of consuming five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

The program also offers a fruit and vegetable “frequency card” that gives workers a free portion of fruit or vegetables after he or she has purchased a preset number.

Benefits of Fitness Programs

Exercise lowers weight, lowers risks of heart attack and stroke, helps to control blood pressure (BP) and diabetes, and improves mood. Studies increasingly show that exercise might also help reduce the occurrence of certain types of cancer.

Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Avoidance (CDC) lately documented another major advantage –  exercise improves the health of the nation’s medical care expenditures.3 As reported by the CDC, physically active person incur $865 less per year in medical costs than inactive people .

Dr. Michael Moore, vice president and chief medical director at Nationwide Insurance in Columbus, maintains that exercise is the most effective tool in health maintenance. “When you could prescribe exercise in a pill, it would be the number-one prescribed treatment in the world,” he said.

In step with Dr. Moore’s prescription, nearly one-third of U.S.  corporations help employees pay for fitness club memberships, as reported by an Associated Press report. Subsidizing fitness club memberships is just one way corporations encourage active lifestyles.

Well-liked fitness-forward initiatives –  

• Begin a corporation softball or volleyball league.

• Compile and distribute information about opportunities to join athletic groups in your community.

• Offer partial or complete reimbursement for exercise facility memberships.

• Hold aerobics, karate, yoga or other kinds of fitness courses on-site.

• Give extended lunch hours for employees who commit to lunchtime fitness plans.

• Introduce an on-site fitness facility that is free, or available at a nominal cost, to staff members and their families.

• Conduct on-site health fairs that include fitness demonstrations and promote fitness activities and resources.