A Company Wellness is a multi-faceted program to assist and support workers in starting healthier lifestyles. This can include growing employee awareness on health topics, scheduling behavior modification programs, and/or starting company policies that support health-related objectives. Programs and policies that encourage increased physical exercise, tobacco use prevention and cessation, and healthy food selections are a few examples.
Dimensions of Wellness
Wellness is much more than fitness alone. In addition to physical fitness, the scope of ideal health include:
• Spiritual Wellness,
• Emotional Wellness,
• Social Wellness,
• Intellectual Wellness
These ranges are often illustrated as a “life wheel” with examples of health dimensions that include fitness, nutrition, purpose in life, monetary health, social wellness & support systems, stress management, mind-body health, career planning and continued learning. The key behind personal health is keeping the “life wheel” in balance. A across the board workplace wellness program addresses most, if not all, of these ranges.
Why Company Wellness Programs?
workers invest much time on the job, and the bottom line is that our traditional work-week is growing. In fact, the typical American now labors about 47 hours every week. In addition, items such as modems, laptops, cell phones, voice and email have confused the work-life boundary. These realities decrease the amount of time that the average person is able to devote to health and wellness pursuits, and yet workers are predicted to be extremely efficient when at work.
A current study by the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses saw that workplace wellness or Company Wellness Programs are efficacious in helping workers to make positive health changes due to several factors such as convenience, environmental support, and co-worker or social acceptance.
What’s the Connection between Wellness and the Workplace?
Programs and policies that encourage healthy lifestyles can make a tremendous difference on employee wellness AND impact the company’s bottom line. Studies show that for each dollar invested by employers in Company Wellness Programs/wellness programs, there were savings ranging from $1.49 to $4.91 with a average savings of $3.14*. In company terms, that’s more than a 3:1 minimum ROI – a number that is tough to overlook, and a best practice that ought to draw serious consideration from employers. In fact, a Company Wellness literature review posted in Health Promotion Practitioner Journal saw:
• 19 different studies saw a 28.3% decrease in sick leave
• 16 different studies determined a 5.6:1 ROI
• 23 showed a 26.1% decline in medical costs
• 4 saw a 30% decline in direct medical and workers’ compensation claims
There is little doubt that a all-inclusive wellness program designed to meet an enterprise’s specific needs can save money by reducing absenteeism, lowering medical care costs, lowering employee turnover, and increasing productivity.
• The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2003
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