Wellness Program Blog

Business Fitness Programs Plans Improve Employee Health and Wellness

Instituting a Company Wellness  improves the health of workers, decreases employee absenteeism and saves the company money, too. Learn more about initiating an Company Wellness  in the office.

Benefits of Company Wellness Programs

• A company cost of $100-$150 per employee each year to take part in an Company Wellness  can save employers $300 to $450 for each employee 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 decreased health expenditures.
• The Wellness Councils of America stated a $24 return for every $1 spent on a Company Wellness  for small employers.
• According to a 2005 survey by The Art of Health Promotion, employers who instituted Company Wellness Programs realized a 30% decline in medical and absenteeism costs in less than 4 years.

A efficacious Company Wellness  starts with Upper Management. Business owners ought to lead by example, taking part in their company’s physical activity program and working closely with a wellness coach. Upper Management ought to make sure workers are cognizant of their wellness efforts, posting weight loss results or smoking cessation results on company intranet or bulletin boards for everyone to see.

Company Wellness Programs that Truly Work

• Urge workers to kick start their own wellness programs by visiting their doctor. A complete physical ought to include information about blood glucose, blood lipids levels and general health.
• Target specific health-related problems in a corporate physical activity program. Information about how to fight obesity, smoking, alcoholism and drug abuse ought to be at the forefront of an Company Wellness , along with related conditions.
• Hire a wellness coach to instruct workers on how to lead a healthy lifestyle.
• Reward workers for participating in company wellness plans. Let workers accrue health and wellness points that they can redeem for prizes. Make the prizes healthy, too- a no cost massage, personal training session with the company’s wellness coach or health food gift certificate encourages even healthier lifestyle choices.
• Acknowledge employee health and wellness leaders in company newsletters, in posted bulletins and on the company intranet.

Company Wellness Programs Yield Big Results

For company owners who want to increase employee participation in a Company Wellness , consider Johnson & Johnson’s approach. Faced with only 26% of workers participating in their employee health and wellness program, Johnson & Johnson offered workers a $500 discount on health care insurance costs if they completed a health risk profile. The number of workers participating in the Johnson & Johnson company physical activity program jumped after they provided the incentive — to more than 93%.

Ron Goetzel encourages those looking to pitch a corporate physical activity program to Upper Management to use basic facts about the advantages of Company Wellness Programs as part of their argument. Keep it simple, and share results from other company’s employee wellness plan success stories.