Posted by Employer Wellness | Posted in Employer Wellness | Posted on 05-08-2010
Major benefits of healthy staff members include –
• Lower Health Care Costs
• Decreased Injuries
• Lowered Absenteeism
• Increased Morale and Loyalty
• Higher Productivity
• Lowered Use of Healthcare Benefits
• Lowered Workers’ Compensation / Disability
• Positive Perception in Community
• Reduced Turnover
• Better recruitment for skilled employees
What’s NOT having a Wellness Program costing your company?
Consider the health risk factors that are increasing chronic conditions for adults –
• 59 percent of adults are overweight or obese
• More than 60 percent of American adults do not exercise regularly
• More than 75% of adults don’t consume the minimum recommendations for fruits and vegetables
• Heart illness is the most common cause of death and the leading cause of death in smokers
• 26% of workers reported they were often or very often burned out or stressed by their work
Health Care Costs are Increasing – Health Care costs are at a record high of $1.7 trillion with no signs of holding steady let alone decreasing. The average cost of annual healthcare spending is over $5,000 per person and with dependents nearly $10,000.
Recent data shows that health care related expenses now cost North Carolina businesses thousands of dollars per staff member, per year.
Most Diseases can be Avoided – Although it sounds unbelievable, professionals indicate that avoidable disease makes up 60 percent – 70 percent of the entire burden of disease in the U.S.
In North Carolina, it’s estimated that more than 53 percent of all deaths are preventable, and that 2/3 of all preventable deaths are due to tobacco use, physical inactivity, and poor nutrition.
Stress Levels are Increasing – as business resources become less and companies adopt leaner work practices, the effects of absenteeism and productivity lost have a greater impact.
In a recent national poll, 78% of American Citizens described their jobs as stressful, and the majority felt that stress levels have become worse over the last 10 years. Moreover, high levels of organizational stress can negatively affect a company by increasing injuries, absenteeism, and health care costs while decreasing productivity.
Simple solutions like stress management education, flexible work schedules, quality social interaction, and increased participation in company decision-making can improve stress levels in the workplace.
What’s the Upfront Cost and Time Investment for a Wellness Program?
The cost depends on the type of Wellness Program implemented. There are a few choices to promote staff member health with advantages and disadvantages of each. The program design depends on the objectives of the wellness program, the company resources, and the community resources available.
Improving dietary practices, increasing physical activity levels, managing stress or addressing work life balance issues, and reducing/eliminating tobacco use, are primary strategies for preventing many of the most common avoidable chronic diseases.
The possibilities of how your business addresses these issues are endless and can range from increasing staff member awareness, which could include buying a few pamphlets on a selection of topics, and measuring walking distances around your facility.
Other possibilities include establishing organizational support such as funding a fulltime occupational health expert or building an on-site health club.
When well planned and based on your goals, any of these programs can help you succeed. Refer below to Wellness Program Design Choices for additional ideas.