Employer WellnessEmployer wellness programs and employer wellness consulting services

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.

Wellness program means different things to different businesses. Effective wellness programs can be as simple as bringing bushel baskets of fresh fruit into break rooms to encourage better eating. They can be as comprehensive as building fitness facilities on-site or paying for obesity treatments.

A driving factor behind the push toward wellness spans organizations of all kinds, sizes and cultures –  that is, healthcare expenses are spilling over the corporate belt buckle.

The annual cost of medical services in the United States is rising at seven times the rate of inflation. and the rise in medical costs is one boom pundits expect our economy to sustain.1

This trend makes it increasingly challenging for businesss to maintain current levels of insurance coverage. In 2003, healthcare inflation forced 65% of corporations to increase employees’ share of medical costs.

Seventy-nine percent of large firms said they will increase workers’ share of health costs in 2004.2 But with lost benefits and increased financial burdens come lost morale and productivity.

Businesss are searching for another way. While businesses cannot control many of the supply-side elements contributing to rising healthcare costs-malpractice insurance rates, the nursing shortage-they can help curb demand. That’s why efforts are being redirected from illness to wellness.

The case for wellness is supported by an ever growing body of evidence demonstrating the high costs associated with controllable health risks –

• One study reports that obesity raises healthcare costs by 36 percent and medication costs by 77 percent.  

• Michigan officials estimate physical inactivity cost the state nearly $8.9 billion in 2002, a cost estimated to be largely borne by businesss through insurance premiums and lost productivity.

• the not-for-profit National Committee for Quality Assurance reports that the estimated typical cost for postnatal care for women who didn’t receive prenatal care was $2,341 more than for women who had. and the indirect costs of unhealthy behavior can be just as high.

Data shows that healthier employees are more productive, spending more time at work and showing increased “presenteeism,” or productivity, while there. Further, healthier employees use fewer medical services.

The five leading causes of death in the USA – heart illness, cancer, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary illness and diabetes –  are directly linked to unhealthy lifestyles. Obviously, encouraging healthy habits presents an opportunity to improve employees’ well being, reduce the need for healthcare services and help control costs.

Offering worker wellness benefits – big or small – represents an intersection between corporate social responsibility and responsibility to stakeholders. Between worker health and corporate health. It’s often the right thing to do for staff members and employers.

Research by Traveler’s Corp. shows a $3.40 return for every dollar invested in Wellness Programs. for a lot of companies, the option to offer employee wellness benefits is easy-one where conscience and pragmatism align.

The challenge arises in selecting  the programs that will deliver the most impact based on trends in your employees’ health risks and medical claims costs.

From large companies to the corner deli, business owners welcome ways to improve productivity, lower absenteeism and cut costs. Likewise, wellness programs can range from modest to elaborate.

In deciding where to focus a corporation’s limited resources, looking at costs, benefits and best practices is a good starting point. This section profiles six aspects of wellness and explores their benefits to staff members and companys.

When it comes to working wellness into your workforce, you want someone who knows the ins and outs of wellness, and who can counsel staff members and provide main care – all within the context of the current regulatory and legal environment.

AAOHN’s survey stated that more than half of staff members (61 percent) want to receive wellness information from a healthcare specialist, like a consultant or an on-site occupational health nurse (OHN), compared to  brochures or  brochures (18 percent) or human resources staff (15 percent).

OHNs can develop, implement and evaluate components of work site wellness programs like screening programs, exercise/fitness courses, stress management, smoking cessation, nutrition and weight control programs, as well as chronic disease management programs.

Plus, OHNs can help employees navigate through complicated health plans and may even serve as a triage point between employees and their personal healthcare providers.

Workers might refrain from seeing their healthcare provider when it means time away from work, inconvenient parking, waiting time in the office and co-pays.

In situations where staff members are under treatment for chronic diseases like heart disease, on-site nurses can routinely monitor risk factors like blood pressure (BP) or cholesterol on a regular basis.

It’s often easier for an worker to ask an onsite nurse for information about symptoms or prescription medication than it’s to schedule a follow-up visit to a personal health care provider.

Benefits realized by corporations include enhanced employee morale and retention, a recruitment advantage, increased productivity and lowered time away from work.

In companies with a safety department, the OHN can evaluate and address work-related health issues, including participation in workstation evaluations to correct potential ergonomic problems, and proactively addressing muscle strains by developing stretching programs and involving workers in leading stretches.