Studies have repeatedly determined that all-inclusive Company Wellness Programs, or Company Wellness Programs, can decrease medical care and insurance costs, lower absenteeism, and better effectiveness and productivity. Other advantages determined in studies include improved ability to attract and retain key personnel, greater employee allegiance, and improved public perception of the company.
Health Care and Insurance costs
A number of studies offer evidence of decreased medical and insurance costs for participants in Company Wellness Programs, particularly wellness programs involving physical activity.
For $30 per person, the Bank of America healthcare claims with an physical activity program alone, saving $500 per employee per year for the workers (60%) who joined their HealthWorks physical activity program. Prudential Insurance Business reports that the company’s major medical costs dropped from $574 to $312 for each colleague in its wellness program.
Decreased Rates of Absenteeism
Rates of Absenteeism has been determined to be impacted by wellness programs. The evidence indicates a significant decline in absenteeism and resultant dollars saved as a result of employee fitness programs.
Pacific Bell’s FitWorks program decreased absent days .8 percent to save $2 million in one year. FitWorks members also spent 3.3 days less on short-term disability for an additional savings of $4.7 million.
Focusing Company Wellness efforts on elevated-risk workers is able to lead to better results. A national manufacturing company reports a decline of 12.2% in illness days for these workers.
A 2-year study by The DuPont Corporation of the effect of its all-inclusive Company Wellness on absences among workers reports that blue-collar workers at intervention sites had a 14% decline in disability days vs. 5.8% decline for controls. There were a total of 11,726 fewer net disability days.
Enhanced Performance, Productivity and Morale
A number of employers with Company Wellness Programs report documented improvement in job attitude, work effectiveness, energy level, and/or overall morale among program participants–all essential factors in enhancing productivity.
A Johnson & Johnson study observed that employee attitude changes were greater at Company Wellness intervention sites with significant positive attitude changes noted in the categories of company commitment, supervision, on the job conditions, job competence/security, and pay/benefits.
In a Canadian government study, the Canada Life Assurance Business experimental group realized a 4% growth in productivity after starting a company physical activity program, compared to the control group. Further, 47% of program participants stated that they felt more alert, had better rapport with their co-workers, and generally enjoyed their work more.
Swedish investigators saw that mental effectiveness was significantly better in physically fit workers than in non-fit workers. Fit workers committed 27% fewer errors on tasks involving concentration and short-term memory, as compared with the effectiveness of non-fit workers.
The Bottom Line
The following sample of Company Wellness Programs wellness program results have been stated by individual employers:
Business: Dollars Saved/Dollars Spent
• Bank of America (Fries): $5.96/$1
• PacBell: $3.10/$1
• Wisconsin School District Insurance Group: $4.47/$1
• Prudential Insurance: $2.90/$1
• Bank of America (Leigh): $4.73/$1
• General Mills: $3.50/$1
Summary
There is mounting evidence that a large portion of the billions of dollars now being spent by employers on health-related costs is avoidable by means of Company Wellness Programs. Well-planned, all-inclusive Company Wellness Programs (Company Wellness Programs and Company Wellness Programs) have been determined to be cost-effective, particularly when the Company Wellness Programs is matched to the health problems of the specific employee.
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