Wellness Program Blog

Employee Health and Wellness Programs are crucial to improving the health of our nations. Most adults spend more of their waking hours at work than anywhere else, making it a excellent venue for promoting healthful habits. The worksite organizational culture and environment are powerful influences on behavior and this needs to be put to use as a means of assisting staff members to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Benefits to Employee Health and Wellness Programs include:

• Weight reduction
• Improved physical fitness
• Increased stamina
• Lower levels of stress
• Increased well-being, self-image and self-esteem

 

Employers can also benefit from Employee Health and Wellness Programs. According to recent research, employers’ benefits are:

 

• Enhanced recruitment and retention of healthy staff members
• Reduced healthcare costs
• Decreased rates of illness and injuries
• Reduced worker rates of absence
• Improved worker relations and morale
• Increased productivity

 

A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report revealed that at worksites with physical activity initiatives as components of their Employee Health and Wellness Programs have:

 

• Reduced healthcare costs by 20 to 55 percent
• Reduced short-term sick leave by six to 32 percent
• Increased productivity by two to 52 percent

 

Thanks to modern medicine, life expectancy for Americans has continually increased. How much we enjoy these additional years, however, depends greatly on how we have lived our lives. If our quality of life is to remain high so that we can fully enjoy these extra years, we must practice good eating habits, be active and refrain from using tobacco products.

 

Who needs Employee Health and Wellness Programs? If you work in an office or a worksite or are a member of an company who spends a considerable amount of time at work, you will benefit from a well-designed worker Employee Health and Wellness Program. Employees spend a minimum of about 200 hours a month at work – a considerable amount of time.

 

Furthermore, stress, distractions and the pressures of the job can take its toll on the worker, which makes it important that a Employee Health and Wellness Program is implemented. Today, all across America, Canada, Europe and Asia, top Employee Health and Wellness Programs are being used to help improve worker conditions at work and reduce the cost of worker healthcare.

 

Some of the top Employee Health and Wellness Programs currently in use today include:

 

Health Risk Assessments (HRAs)

 

Health Risk Assessment is a top Employee Health and Wellness Program currently in use globally. Organizations that implement it determine the safety and health concerns of workers by the assessment of appropriateness of the facilities and equipment against the needs of the staff members.

 

It can, for example, guide the company into determining how much air quality within an office room affects the users and then help the assessment team to come up with the measures necessary to correct the problem. An HRA can also evaluate the level of exposure workers have to certain hazardous or dangerous materials and practices.

 

Immunizations

 

This isn’t always practiced in every country since there are regions where government sponsored immunization shots are available. However, it has also become an important component of the top Employee Health and Wellness Programs in many businesses in North America.

 

Immunization, flu shots, such as those used to combat flu, for example, are offered to workers for free.

 

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)

 

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) consist of a wide variety of services. It can range from providing educational resources to staff members regarding health issues to sponsoring health services and medical care. In many businesses, medical and insurance have also become a staple part of their benefits system.

 

Weight Management Programs

 

This is another Employee Health and Wellness Program that businesses use, particularly those that offer in-house commissary or cafeteria services. Instead of serving richer, high-calorie fare, cafeterias offer options for a healthier diet, usually in the form of low-calorie foods and sugar substitutes.

 

Employee Wellness Newsletters – Health Education Programs

 

One of the top Employee Health and Wellness Programs that businesses can implement is a self-powered tool using a newsletter to promote wellness, coupled with a visible campaign. The campaign may be done periodically and focus on a specific topic, such as smoking hazards, cancer, stress, carpal tunnel syndrome, safety in the workplace, etc.

 

The newsletter in itself can be an effective means to deliver information to staff members or members of an company but it is far from perfect. Some staff members, for example, may not read the newsletter in its entirety or even pay attention to it. If the issues outlined in the newsletter are promoted through an active and highly visible campaign, it will be easier to maximize positive results.

 

Physical Fitness and Exercise Programs

 

Another top health promotion program for businesses is one that involves physical activities. Companies often sponsor exercise-related events such as marathons and company sports initiatives to promote staff members to remain fit or lose excess weight. In mid- to large-sized businesses, businesses may even pay for gym memberships or in-house exercise facilities.

 

Employee Health and Wellness Program Incentives

 

Some of the top Employee Health and Wellness Programs implemented by businesses involve incentive rewards. This involves company-sponsored initiatives that reward staff members for achieving specific wellness goals. Participation in health campaigns and signing up for Employee Health and Wellness Programs are two of the most commonly rewarded schemes. Rewards can range from special recognitions to points (for bigger rewards) to specific gifts. In a few cases, cash may also be used.

 

However, incentive systems have had mixed reactions and levels of success. But it continues to be one of the top choices among businesses who are willing to modify it in order to fit their unique needs.

 

Group Activities

 

In many businesses, businesses take advantage of peer pressure in order to encourage workers to participate in Employee Health and Wellness Programs. This is currently one of the favorite worker Employee Health and Wellness Programs currently in use today and growing in popularity. Peer pressure is often leveraged to help promote competitions and to persuade staff members to be active in company-sponsored health fairs.

 

Employee Health and Wellness Programs at the corporate level are beneficial, right? Wellness statistics clearly show that such Employee Health and Wellness Programs are not only cost-effective to the organization but can assist the worker in developing a healthier lifestyle. With the rising cost of healthcare, Employee Health and Wellness Programs simply make sense. So where does the problem come in? Let’s examine the topic from both perspectives.

 

Employee Health and Wellness Programs: The Good

• A sampling of return on investment for Employee Health and 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%. (Campbell,J., Wellness Improvement Experts, www.wellnessimprovementexperts.com, Albuquerque, New Mexico.)
• Companies with Employee Health and 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 workers 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 rates of absence. (Hardy,A. (2005). At the Top Of The Class. WELCOA’s Absolute Advantage Magazine, 5(1), 14-20.)
• Employee Health and Wellness Programs provide the structure, encouragement, incentives and ongoing support that many people need in order to make lifestyle changes.
• Employees also realize returns on their efforts. FiServ, a financial services technology company, gave staff members who filled out a health risk assessment a significant discount on their medical insurance premium. (Holland, Kelley, The New York Times, July 22, 2007.)

 

Employee Health and 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 businesses 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 aggressive Employee Health and Wellness Programs.(Cornwell, Lisa, Associated Press, Albuquerque Journal, September 10,2007.)
• Clarian Health, based in Indianapolis, Will start decreasing worker paychecks by $10.00 for every worker who has a Body Mass Index (BMI) of greater than 29.9 because not enough staff members were utilizing their wellness services.(Cornwell, Lisa, Associated Press, Albuquerque Journal, September 10,2007.)
• Scott Rodrigues filed a suit against his prospective employer, Scotts Miracle-Gro, because he believed the company’s antismoking policy violated his civil rights. The company 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.)
• worker advocates are concerned that health discrimination may not be covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act.(Cornwell, Lisa, Associated Press, Albuquerque Journal, September 10,2007.)

 

Penalizing staff members by hitting them hardest where it hurts the most,their pocketbook, does not appear to be a favorable approach to molding human behavior.

Such tactics may result in increased resentments and retaliation, primarily in the form of rates of absence and presenteeism (decreased productivity on the job.) Voluntary, incentive-based initiatives, 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 employer and worker.The motivation and resolve needed to change unhealthy lifestyle habits can best be derived from the basic tenets of encouragement, respect and support.

Getting Started – Secure management support

• Justifications for having a Wellness Fair

• Health risk assessments

• Help for high-risk population: smokers, obese staff members

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

 

Wellness Fair Participation – Identify your audience

• Employees only, whole family, retirees?

• Community involvement? Theme?

 

Wellness Fair Time Line 

• 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

 

Wellness Fair Location & Logistics

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

• Determine how booths/stations will be set up

 

Wellness Fair Vendors

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

 

Wellness Fair Marketing

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

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

 

Wellness Fair Scheduling

• Coordinate timing and events with staff and/or volunteers

 

Wellness 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 vaccinations

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

• Pharmacist or pharmacist assistant if 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 Health Promotion 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 Employee Health and Wellness Programs in improving health and decreasing healthcare costs is directly linked to incentives: the more substantial the incentives, the higher the success rate. Incentives can range from tokens of achievement, such as t-shirts, water bottles and sports equipment, to more substantial financial awards, such as cash incentives or copay vouchers for the successful completion of a program.

 

Nationwide Insurance is seeing results from a small incentive program initiated by one of the company’s onsite nurses. To promote lunchtime walking, the worker has informally launched a “shoelace program” modeled after the karate-belt color system. Employees progress through the color scale until they reach “black-lace” status. The reward system has resulted in more staff members making commitments to walk during their lunch hour.

 

At the high end of the reward spectrum, some businesses pay cash to staff members who meet wellness goals. LuK, Inc. offers staff members $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, staff members are eligible for health assessments, which can result in reward amounts of up to $225.

 

The most effective motivator, according to Gordian research, comes through linking participation in Employee Health and Wellness Programs directly to insurance premiums. Doing so clearly demonstrates to staff members 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, businesses can promote staff members to undertake routine screenings and other procedures to respond to health problems before they become chronic. Early detection benefits both patient health and employer health costs.

 

Incentivizing Employee Health and Wellness Program participation with healthcare credits

 

More frequently, employers are going beyond increased wellness care coverage and looking to demonstrate the importance of wellness by linking participation to staff members’ bottom lines. Worthington Industries has recently rolled out a program that allows staff members to eliminate their portion of the insurance premium by enrolling in a Healthy Choices Employee Health and Wellness Program.

 

During the first year of the Healthy Choices program, staff members and their spouses complete Personal Health Assessments and medical screenings to determine their levels of health risks. Nurses, dietitians and exercise specialists are available to help moderate- and high-risk members develop 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 initiatives. By completing the assessments, staff members earn their full premium credit. Because some plans at Worthington require no worker 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, members in the moderate- to high-risk category will be required to work at setting goals with third-party health coordinators.

 

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

 

After year three, Worthington Industries staff members will be on the wellness track. The company believes that will mean a healthier workforce and cost savings for staff members and the company. The well being of Worthington staff members is the foundation of this program, and both staff members and the company are expected to benefit from the long-term advantages of the Healthy Choices Employee Health and 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 worker who doesn’t use tobacco saves $7 per bi-weekly pay. For tobacco-free staff members with family coverage whose families are also tobacco-free, the savings increases to $14 per pay.

 

The next step: Penalizing harmful behaviors

 

As it stands, healthcare is the only type of insurance that doesn’t focus on penalizing for behaviors that put the insured party at risk. With healthcare costs rising so dramatically, that could soon change. Just as an accident likely raises auto insurance premiums, increasing premiums for those who engage in unhealthy behaviors is a possible next step in employers’ attempts to manage healthcare costs.

 

Reports that staff members would support this type of action are stacking up. One Ohio employer conducted an informal survey that indicated staff members would consider it a morale boost if health-conscious staff members were relieved of some of the burden of subsidizing care for staff members 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 healthcare costs is becoming ever more pressing.

 

Take the first step

 

Whatever the strategy, from offering staff members health resources to providing incentives for healthy behaviors, employers have a real opportunity to improve morale and productivity, reduce rates of absence and control healthcare 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 employers, especially in factory settings such as Honda. That’s why the company offers several initiatives—including line-site process evaluations —to identify potential hazards and help reduce the chance of injury. As part of an early intervention program, Honda staff members who are feeling pain can receive a massage of the affected area during work time.

 

Stretching initiatives are another effective tool in injury prevention. According to the Best Practices in Manufacturing Web site, Dayton Parts, Inc. (DPI) in Harrisburg, Pa., conducted research that revealed approximately 80 percent 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 Employee Health and Wellness Program costs about $75,000 a year to operate, in conjunction with other company initiatives, 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, workers who have had an injury can work in a modified 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 information that shows fewer work days are lost when an worker stays connected to the work environment.

 

The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, www.ohiobwc.com, provides a “10-Step Business Plan” as a guide for businesses in providing Employee Health and Wellness Programs that aim to reduce injuries. The plan includes information on safety and health initiatives to prevent occurrences of on-the-job accidents, including:

 

worker involvement – To ensure the success of any Employee Health and Wellness Program, staff members 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 staff members on the company’s safety policies. These sessions should 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 staff members informed and provides suggestions and feedback on the effectiveness of the Employee Health and 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 staff members knowledgeable about the company’s safe practices.

 

The company 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 workers return to work in a timely manner. Companies should establish a disability management policy to help injured or ill staff members obtain quality medical treatment, making their transition back to work quick and effortless.

 

Timely notification of claims – Employers 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, prevents delays and confusion with the claim process, and reduces the potential for abuse or needless litigation.

 

Record keeping – Internal documents should be kept to record work-time injuries and to assess the success of the company’s safety efforts. Corporation audits, surveys and injury or illness reports can all be used to analyze which safety practices and policies have proven successful, and what areas of health and 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 healthcare costs, parents’ missed work, etc.) of up to $35 per vaccine recipient. And experts predict that estimate is low, because it doesn’t take into account the rapid spread of the flu.

 

The American Association of Family Physicians’ Web site, www.aafp.org, offers a recommended 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 wellness fair and invite organizations that provide testing services for such conditions as blood pressure, blood iron, cholesterol, body mass index (BMI) and diabetes.
• Offer educational materials about well-baby care and vaccinations.
• Choose healthcare coverage plans that include wellness check-ups and vaccinations.
• Offer onsite mammograms for staff members.
• Sponsor onsite flu vaccinations to coincide with flu season.

Benefits of Stress Reduction Programs

 

While stress cannot be eliminated from life, or even from the workplace, coping skills can be developed with relative ease. Stress management skills lead to decreased rates of absence and more effective, more productive staff members. Because stress has been shown to contribute to such physical conditions as ulcers, high blood pressure and stroke, stress reduction has a direct impact on improving physical health.

 

Studies have shown that heart patients who attend stress management initiatives have 42 percent lower healthcare costs. Other studies have documented a 50 percent reduction in medical services use when stress management initiatives are employed. Further, Employee Assistance Program (EAP) experts estimate that 20 percent of any workforce is affected by personal problems that can influence work performance.

 

Stress reduction tactics to consider:

 

• Offer onsite yoga or meditation classes.
• Organize support groups among staff members.
• Sponsor stress management classes during the workday.
• Offer an employee assistance program that includes both counseling and referral.
• Offer onsite counseling for staff members in the case of a work-related trauma, such as the death of a co-worker.

Benefits of Prenatal Care and Breastfeeding

 

The old adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is particularly relevant to when applied to preventive measures taken during pregnancy, when a few extra ounces of birth weight can save a child’s life. During pregnancy, simple precautions can help avoid catastrophic results; giving up smoking, for instance, drastically reduces the risk of miscarriage and pre-term labor.

 

The March of Dimes reports that if 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 worker brownbag lunch or breakfast meeting.
• Hold prenatal care information classes for interested staff members at lunchtime.
• Offer educational materials about the effects of alcohol, drugs and smoking on an unborn child.
• Offer incentives for adopting healthy lifestyles during pregnancy.
• Offer prenatal initiatives and education as part of the company healthcare package.

Benefits of smoking Cessation Programs

 

Instances of respiratory diseases, cancer and other illnesses can be decreased through smoking cessation efforts. smoking cessation initiatives can provide huge opportunities for improved health.

 

The American Cancer Society reports that smoking staff members cost businesses an average of $1,429 per smoker per year in increased healthcare costs over non-smoking staff members. Implementing a smoking cessation program costs an average of $45 per worker per year, saving businesses an average of $1,383 per year for each worker who quits smoking. Additionally, the American Cancer Society reports that smokers are absent from work 50 percent more often than nonsmokers. They are also 50 percent more likely to be hospitalized and have 15 percent higher disability rates. smoking decreases onthe- job productivity as well. Employees who take four 10- minute smoking breaks a day work more than a month less per year than workers who don’t take smoke breaks.

 

Places to start with smoking cessation initiatives:

 

1. Start a company policy prohibiting tobacco use anywhere on the property.
2. Offer prompts/posters to support no tobacco use policy.
3. Policy supporting participation in smoking cessation activities during duty time (flex-time).
4. Offer counseling through an individual, group, or telephone counseling program onsite.
5. Offer counseling through a health plan sponsored individual, group, or telephone counseling program.
6. Offer cessation medications through medical insurance.