Posted by Employer Wellness | Posted in Employer Wellness | Posted on 23-08-2010
Corporate Fitness Programs Improve Employee Wellness
Instituting a wellness program improves the health of workers, decreases employee absenteeism and saves the company money, too. Learn more about beginning an employee wellness program in the office.
Benefits of Wellness Programs
• A corporation investment of $100-$150 per worker annually to participate in an worker wellness program can save companies $300 to $450 for each worker every year, according to Ron Goetzel, Director, Cornell University Institute for Health and Productivity Studies.
The savings can take a few years to actualize, says Goetzel, and are seen in reduced health expenditures.
• the Wellness Councils of America announced a $24 return for every $1 spent on a business wellness program for small companies.
• According to a 2005 survey by the Art of Wellness, businesses who instituted staff member wellness programs realized a 30 percent reduction in medical and absenteeism costs in less than four years.
A successful wellness program starts with corporation leaders. Business owners should lead by example, taking part in their corporation’s corporate fitness program and working closely with a wellness coach.
Corporation leaders should be certain employees are well aware of their wellness efforts, posting weight loss results or use of tobacco cessation results on company intranet or bulletin boards for everybody to see.
Employee Wellness Programs that Really Work
• Be certain to encourage staff members to kick begin their own wellness programs by visiting their doctor. A complete physical should include information about blood sugar, cholesterol levels and general health.
• Target specific health-related concerns in a corporate fitness program. Information about how to fight obesity, smoking, alcoholism and drug abuse ought to be at the forefront of an staff member wellness program, along with related conditions.
• Hire a wellness coach to instruct workers on how to lead a healthy lifestyle.
• Reward employees for participating in company wellness programs. Let employees accrue wellness points that they can redeem for prizes.
Make the prizes healthful, too- a free massage, private training session with the corporation’s wellness coach or health food gift certificate encourages even healthier lifestyle options.
• Acknowledge employee wellness leaders in company newsletters, in posted bulletins and on the company intranet.
Corporation Wellness Programs Yield Big Results
For business owners who want to elevate worker participation in a business wellness program, consider Johnson and Johnson’s approach.
Faced with only 26 percent of workers participating in their staff member wellness program, Johnson and Johnson offered workers a $500 discount on health insurance costs when they completed a health risk profile.
The number of employees participating in the Johnson and Johnson corporate fitness program jumped after they offered the incentive — to more than 93 percent.
Ron Goetzel encourages those looking to pitch a corporate fitness program to corporation leaders to use basic facts about the benefits of staff member wellness programs as part of their argument.
Keep it simple, and share results from other corporation’s employee wellness program success stories.