Conducting an Employee Fitness Challenge at your workplace is a fun and exciting way to raise awareness among staff members about the significance of beginning and sustaining an physical activity program. It is a concentrated effort in which to engage them in physical exercise for a specific time period that, hopefully, will help them start a healthy habit that will last a lifetime.
Nevertheless, it is valuable to take part in wellness year-round. This section supplies a accross the board list of Corporate Health Promotion Program ideas that have been implemented within wellness programs.
All ideas presented in this section have been thriving for one or both of the entities. Each activity/idea can be used as a stand-alone event, even if you do not conduct a fitness contest, or can be held in conjunction with your Employee Fitness Contest.
You may want to choose some of the ideas you believe will work for your employees or come up with others and begin your plan to create a better state of health.

Research studies have repeatedly established that comprehensive Employee Health Promotion Programs, or Employee Health Promotion Programs, have the potential to lower healthcare and insurance expenditures, cut down on absenteeism, and improve effectiveness and productivity. Other advantages established in studies include improved ability to attract and retain key personnel, greater employee allegiance, and improved public perception of the company.

Healthcare and Insurance expenses

A number of studies offer evidence of decreased medical and insurance expenditures for participants in Corporate Wellness Programs, particularly wellness programs involving physical activity.

For $30 per person, the Bank of America implemented a Company Wellness Program for retirees using a risk assessment questionnaire, self-care books and other mailed materials. Insurance claims were reduced an average of $164 per year in this group while they increased $15 for the control group. Since they were able to document significant changes in risk behavior, they anticipate greater savings in future years.

Pacific Bell’s FitWorks participants claim $300 less per case for a one-year savings of $700,000. Savings for conditions related to a sedentary lifestyle are $722 per case.

Coca Cola stated a reduction in medical|medical|medical care|healthcare} claims with an exercise program alone, saving $500 per employee per year for the employees (60%) who joined their HealthWorks exercise program. Prudential Insurance Business reports that the business’s major medical expenditures dropped from $574 to $312 for each colleague in its wellness program.

Decreased Absenteeism

Absenteeism has been shown to be impacted by wellness programs. The evidence indicates a significant decline in absenteeism and resultant dollars saved as a result of employee physical activity programs.

Pacific Bell’s FitWorks program diminished absent days .8 percent to save $2 million in one year. FitWorks members also invested 3.3 days less on STD for an additional savings of $4.7 million.

Focusing Employee Wellness Program efforts on elevated-risk staff members has the potential to lead a better outcome. A national manufacturing employer reports a decline of 12.2% in illness days for these staff members.

A 2-year study by The DuPont Corporation of the effect of its comprehensive Employee Health Promotion Program on absences among employees reports that blue-collar employees 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 Corporate Health Promotion Programs report documented improvement in job attitude, work effectiveness, energy level, and/or overall morale among program participants–all vital factors in enhancing work rate.

A Johnson & Johnson study observed that employee attitude changes were greater at Workplace Health Promotion Program intervention sites with significant positive attitude changes noted in the categories of corporation commitment, supervision, working conditions, job competence/security, and pay/benefits.

In a Canadian government study, the Canada Life Assurance Employer experimental group realized a 4 percent growth in productiveness after starting a organization fitness program, compared to the control group. Further, 47 percent of program participants published that they felt more alert, had better rapport with their co-staff members, and generally enjoyed their work more.

Swedish investigators observed 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 deconditioned workers.

The Bottom Line

The following sample of Worksite Health Promotion 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 compelling evidence that a large portion of the billions of dollars currently spent by employers on health-related costs is preventable by means of Corporate Wellness Programs. Well-planned, comprehensive Corporate Wellness Programs (Corporate Wellness Programs and Corporate Wellness Programs) have been shown to be cost-effective, particularly when the Corporate Wellness Programs is matched to the health problems of the specific employee.

Free Workplace Health Promotion Programs and Low Cost Health Management Alternatives

Establish a no cost Company Wellness Program or run a successful health management program in the office for little or no expense to your company. The benefits of workplace wellness and learning how to start a health management program at work are numerous. The articles on health management have generated a variety of questions, mostly from wellness providers but also from companies trying to start their own wellness workplace programs. There are a number of things to do to start a successful health management program at work.

Suggestions for Starting a Free or Low Cost Workplace Wellness Program

Prior to starting an inexpensive or free wellness program for your organization, learn more about what employees want. Survey employees to learn more about their wellness concerns. Keep the survey confidential to safeguard employees’ identities. Typically the most popular workplace wellness issues are tobacco cessation, weight loss concerns and heart and cholesterol health.

Look for Workplace Health Promotion Program Freebies

Find out who will come in for no cost to talk to workers and look into partnerships with outside agents involved with workplace wellness. For example, contact a local branch of a well-known weight loss organization and ask if someone has the potential to come in and talk to workers. Look for agencies that are willing to come in and talk about topics related to wellness at no expenditure to workers, in exchange for something from you.

Find Company Wellness Program Partnerships

Working with a weight loss business to set up a speaking engagement for staff members is the perfect opportunity to explore a potential wellness partnership. The weight loss business may say that if ten staff members join the program, they will hold regular gatherings at business headquarters for the people who joined. The weight loss group also might offer business staff members a discount if several people join the program.

Nonprofits an Untapped Health Leadership Resource

There are also plenty of nonprofit agencies who would be thrilled to visit a corporation to discuss health management. But it’s up to you to offer them something in return. For example, if the MS Society came in and talked about the signs of MS, the corporation might offer to organize an MS walk (in keeping with corporation health management objectives and goals, right?), or an auction with employee and corporation-donated items where the proceeds go to MS. The people at the nonprofit agencies would be glad to open a dialog with your corporation and to talk about what they would want in return for a speaking engagement. In countless cases, they won’t need anything at all for a first meeting.

Gathering Data and Reviewing Workplace Health Promotion Program Results

Gathering data and analyzing results of a Company Wellness Program has the potential to be tricky because of HIPPA laws. Nonetheless, if at least ten workers joined the weight loss program, or 20 people participate daily in the all-new “Let’s Walk a Mile at Lunch” program, that sort of progress has the potential to speak strongly to senior staff. And, business successes will potentially give senior staff more incentive to support money for additional health management and Company Wellness Programs in the future.

Small corporation wellness programs are catching on. A well-designed wellness program is able to improve productivity, boost morale and vitality, reduce stress, reduce absenteeism, and control avoidable healthcare expenditures within a corporation. The beauty of it is that you’re simply assisting employees to make smart choices so the expenditures of launching a wellness program are minimal compared to the benefits.

Employee health is a primary issue for small employer owners. In a small employer, even a few sick staff members are able to disrupt the flow of the workplace and bring the operation to a standstill.

Rather than sitting back and hoping for the best, some small employer owners are taking the matter of employee health into their own hands by launching Employee Wellness Programs. Here’s how they work.

Overview of Worksite Wellness Programs

Employee wellness programs are programs initiated by the business to better the overall health of their labor force and to help individual employees overcome specific health-related hurdles. These programs have the potential to be offered in a variety of formats: In mandatory employee training meetings, as voluntary seminars, or through a third-party provider offering a wide-range of Employee Assistance Programs.

In every case, however, the organization picks up the bill for the programs because an investment in employee health is a organization expenditure that directly impacts the organization’s bottom line.

Why offer Employee Health Promotion Programs?

Apart from the obvious issue for the health of your employees, there are several other reasons why Company Health Promotion Programs make sense for small companies. From the get-go, your company will profit from the lowered level of absenteeism that goes hand in hand with a healthy workforce.

Worksite Wellness Programs will also reduce the number of injuries that occur in the workplace, not just from accidents, but also from repetitive motion and other recurring sources. Since even a minor blip in worker attendance has the potential to have a large impact on a small employer, a more reliable workforce will finally translate into a smoother work cycle and a more robust bottom line.

Corporate Health Promotion Program Features

Workplace Wellness Programs can cover a broad range of health-related topics. Based on your employees’ needs, it’s entirely up to you to determine the kind of programming you wish to offer. Nevertheless, most Workplace Wellness Programs offer some at least some programs in the following areas:

• Nutrition. Diet has the potential to significantly impact an employee’s ability to do their job effectively. Nutritional programs educate staff members about meal options and equip them to make healthy dietary choices.
• Physical Fitness. In addition to diet, physical activity is an important factor in a healthy lifestyle. Corporate Wellness Programs commonly provide workers with opportunities to incorporate physical activity into their daily lives.
• Smoking Cessation. Statistics prove that smokers tend to fall ill more generally than their non-smoking peers. Since sick staff members disrupt the workplace, tobacco cessation programs are a no-brainer for both employers and staff members.
• Physiological Testing. Many employers offer physiological as a regular part of their wellness programs. Cholesterol tests, Blood Pressure screenings, and other simple exams are able to provide early warning signs for more weighty concerns.
• Stress Management. Stress itself takes a toll on workers. Nonetheless, stress is also linked to other health problems such as depression, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. Company Wellness Programs that help workers deal with stress improve not only the mental health of your workers, but their physical health, too.

Develop a Business Corporate Wellness Program for Your Workers Today

The advantages to starting a workplace health & wellness program are many.

A few corporate health and wellbeing tips to get staff members started on the path to a healthier lifestyle:

1. Look around, and determine if employees lead a healthy lifestyle before starting an Company Health Promotion Program. How many employees dash outside at lunchtime for a tobacco break? Would a tobacco cessation program help? How frequently do the junk food-laden snack machines must be replenished? Is anyone working out or taking advantage of local walking trails as part of their healthy living objectives? The answers to these questions will give companies a clearer idea of the Company Health Promotion Program that’s right for them.

2. Survey staff members to determine their healthy lifestyle habits. Are they working out regularly? Eat three square meals a day? Have regular physicals? Really? Then what planet are they on? Because we would love to visit! A corporate wellness program benefits most companies because staff members don’t have the time or energy to stay on top of health and wellness problems at work or when they leave the office to go home.

3. Give Employee Health Promotion Programs a sizable kick-off with a healthy living “fair.” Offer staff members no cost flu shots, Blood Pressure (BP) checks, cholesterol screenings, body/fat ratio assessments, tobacco cessation programs and no cost mammograms- and contact the local hospital, because there’s plenty more where this came from. Employers keep their staff members hopping during the week. Give staff members a chance to increase their healthy lifestyle on the employer dime. A corporate health and wellness program is an additional benefit that staff members get for working for the employer!

4. Incent to live- offer cash money for staff members to lose weight, commit to a tobacco cessation program and generally enjoy a healthier lifestyle. Promote humankind’s innate competitive nature by offering prizes for wellbeing and health employee “winners.” And, advocate a healthier lifestyle by sponsoring staff members who desire to enter a local 5K for charity race, run a marathon or play a sport.

Introduction to Company Wellness Programs

The last ten years has brought big changes in business attitudes toward Workplace Health Promotion Programs. Interest in self-help and self-care programs has increased as growth in healthcare expenditures have encroached substantially into profits. Changes in the business structures of healthcare facilities, in particular the growth of the for-profit healthcare sector, and the need to contain expenditures are changing the ways in which purchasers of healthcare plans are viewing their own efforts toward provision of workplace healthcare programs and facilities. Projections for the next decade indicate that workplace health programs will continue to become significant factors in the provision of healthcare, including prevention activities, for both government and private industry. In companies with existing Workplace Health Promotion Programs, administrative rationale for sponsoring these activities ranged from improving employee health (28%) to improving employee morale (9.7%). Programs include interventions associated with safety, health risk assessment, smoking cessation, Blood Pressure (BP) control, diet programs and stress management. Benefits cited range from improved health and productiveness to lowering healthcare expenditures.

Demographics of the American Workforce
• 110 million American citizens were in the civilian labor force in 1981; by the year 2000 the civilian labor force is predicted to be nearly 140 million.
• 44 percent of the 1984 labor force was female; ten percent was Black.
• The median age of the workforce is 32 years and is expected to rise to 32 years by 2030.
• 57.9 percent of all staff members work in employers with between 2 and 500 staff members; 45 percent work in employers with fewer than 100 staff members. An additional 7.5 million American citizens are self-employed and 3 million are farmers.
• 18 percent of all wage and salaried workers in 1985 were union participants.
• 45% of all workers are employed in offices.

Prevalence of Workplace Wellness Programs Activities

Based on a 1985 survey, almost 66% of worksites with 50 or more workers had Worksite Wellness Programs activities in 1985.  The frequency of workplace-based activities by selected categories in 1985 was:

Activity

Smoking Control       35.6%
Health Risk Assessment    29.5 percent
Back Care             28.6%
Stress Management       26.6 percent
Exercise             22.1%
Off the Job Accidents    19.8%
Nutrition             16.8%
Blood Pressure Control    16.5 percent
Weight Control          14.7 percent

Worksite size is the strongest indicator of program prevalence.

Most staff members believe the advantages of their Worksite Health Promotion Programs activities outweigh the costs, although few formal evaluations exist.

The most frequently cited reason for starting programs and perceived advance from programs is improved employee health.

At most worksites with activities (85.4%), all employees are eligible to participate. 30% of worksites with activities offer them to employer dependents, and an equal percent offer them to retirees.

When worksites seek outside program assistance, they turn to voluntary, not-for-profit corporations (57.1%), private for-profit providers-consultants (50%), local hospitals (44%), and insurance corporations (43%).

Smoking Cessation Programs

Smoking related health problems cost U.S. businesses $26 billion per year in lost productivity and $7 to $8 billion in tobacco-related medical expenditures.

Employees who use tobacco are 50% more likely to be hospitalized than people that do not use tobacco, have 2 times as many job-related accidents as people that do not use tobacco and have absenteeism rates approximately 50% higher than people that do not use tobacco.

People who used tobacco an average of one or more packs of cigarettes per day had 118% higher healthcare expenditures than non-smokers.

76% of current smokers and 80% of former smokers and nonsmokers feel that corporations should restrict smoking to certain areas.

In 1985, 65% of smokers, 85% of non-smokers and 78% of former smokers, felt that tobacco users must refrain from smoking in the presence of non-smokers.

In 1986, 17 states had laws regulating smoking in offices or workplaces either in government-controlled offices or offices of private staff members.

Examples of tobacco cessation intervention program used by employers include:

• making available non-smokers a discount of health and life insurance;
• paying full or partial fees for tobacco cessation programs;
• offering cessation programs on corporation or shared time;
• making available cash payments to quitters after 6 of 12 tobacco-free months;
• participating in national quit smoking days; and
• adopting a tobacco-free organization policy and setting deadlines for implementing the policy.

Physical Fitness Programs

An active 55-year-old man has the potential to lead as vigorous a lifestyle as a sedentary 35-year-old.

Differences in work-related exercise has been shown to yield a two- to three-fold difference in cardiovascular deaths between active staff members and their more sedentary counterparts.

In addition to improving strength, balance, and flexibility, exercise programs have the potential to lower the probability of back injuries among certain occupational groups.

93 million workdays in the United States are lost each year due to back problems.

Research findings support the notion that workplace exercise programs improve fitness and help reduce other health risks, although results related to improved productiveness are weak due to lack of methods for accurately quantifying productiveness.

A very small percentage of worksites have onsite physical fitness facilities.

The majority of workers sponsored fitness programs involve skills training such as aerobic dance, low impact aerobics, weight training, preand post-natal exercise classes, and walking/jogging groups.

Some organizations subsidize employee participation in area “Ys,” health clubs or other area programs if no onsite facilities are available.

Job Site physical activity programs may lower expenditures to employers by reducing employee health care claims and expenditures.

Participants whose weekly physical activity was equivalent to climbing less than five flights of stairs or walking less than a half mile, invested 114 percent more on health claims than those who ascended at least 15 flights of stairs or walked 1 1/2 miles weekly.

Healthcare costs for obese people are roughly 11 percent higher than those for thin people.

Nutrition and Weight Control

One-third of the U.S. population is obese to the extent of decreasing their life expectancy.

Improvements in eating habits can decrease the risk of genuine health issues such as elevated Blood Pressure and blood lipid levels and is instrumental in the control of non-insulin-dependent diabetes.

The workplace offers several advantages for nutrition education; support and impact of co-staff members and upper management, availability of a daily eating situation, and opportunities for follow-up and monitoring.

Worksite diet programs can be grouped in 6 broad categories:

• cafeteria programs;
• multi-component programs;
• weight control programs;
• cholesterol reduction programs;
• programs for pregnant and lactating women; and
• other diet education issues.

Men are less likely to take part in weight-loss programs than are female staff members.

Stress Management

Estimates suggest that 50 percent to 80 percent of physician visits have the potential to be attributed to psychosomatic or stress-related origins.

Organization pays many of the costs related to employee stress, both directly in the form of medical costs and in reduced productiveness.

Job factors which are associated with stress include:

• not allowing staff members to take part in decisions about the work process;
• positions which require more or less skill than the employee has;
• changes in work demands;
• lack of clarity about expectations and standards; and
• conflict with co-staff members or supervisors.

Most worksite stress management programs are implemented as a result of requests from employees.

Stress management programs focus on three types of skills: relaxation skills, coping skills, and interpersonal skills.

Job Site stress management programs are often delivered in one of three formats:

• sessions conducted by trained professionals;
• self-learning tools; and
• personal teaching to support  with self-assessment, planning for changes, learning new skills and responding to life crises.

The two primary techniques used in worksite stress management programs are:

• teaching people to reduce the harmful physical effects of stress; and
• teaching people to recognize and control sources of stress at work and in personal life.

Safety Belt Usage

Motor vehicle accidents are the largest single cause of lost work time and on-the-job fatalities of United States business.

Motor vehicle accidents account for 27 percent of all work-related deaths and 45 million days of lost work annually.

Greater than 36% of the 11,300 accidental work deaths in 1983 involved motor vehicles.

Employees who routinely fail to use seat belts may spend up to 54 percent more days in the hospital.

Traffic accidents caused about 3 times as many days of restricted activity as any other type of disability.

Motor vehicle crashes cost $15.2 billion in lost productiveness, 88 percent of which is attributed to losses from workforce activities and future earnings.

In work settings where safety belt policies, mandating use of belts by those riding in a employer vehicle or using a private vehicle for employer business, have been enforced, 60% to 90% use has been published.

Incentive programs, accompanied by education and use requirement restrictions have resulted in 40 percent to 70 percent initial usage rates.

Factors influencing the sources of worksite safety belt programs include:

• active commitment on the part of upper management;
• clearly defined and well enforced policy of necessitated belt use working;
• positive incentives; and
• ongoing education and training programs.

Case Studies of Worksite Health Promotion Programs

Based on an extensive evaluation of its all-inclusive employee Employee Health Promotion Program, LIVE FOR LIFE, Johnson & Johnson published the break-even point for the program occurs in year 3 and by year 5 they have a net benefit of $316 per employee. Their year 9 projected benefit is $677 per employee.

employees at four Johnson & Johnson employers who were exposed to the Worksite Health Promotion Program expanding their daily energy expenditure in vigorous activity by 104% compared to a rise of 33% among employees at employers that were provided only an yearly health screen.

Participants in the United Methodist Publishing House’s Employee Health Promotion Program submitted more claims (1.14 per participating employee and .82 for the control in 1984, 1.44 and 1.3 respectively in 1985), but the average cost per claim was less for participants ($316 for participants and $567 for control, in 1984, $262 and $602 respectively in 1985, $270 and $566 respectively in the first four months of 1986).

The United Methodist Publishing House attributes some of the reduced than projected use in healthcare expenditures for 1985 ($902,116 projected with actual expenditures $142,884) to the Worksite Wellness Program even though the results are not conclusive.

In 1985, the Adolph Coors Business conducted a phone interview of a random sample of its 10,000 staff members to determine changes in health practices since the introduction of an employee Employee Wellness Program 4 years earlier. The sample of 495 staff members was stratified to match the company profile in terms of age, sex and job description. The survey published that 65 percent of respondents started exercising in The last 4 years, 37 percent had improved their diets, 20 percent were regular users of the wellness center, 9 percent had stopped smoking as the result of the company’s tobacco cessation program and active participants of the wellness center miss an average of 1.96 workdays every year because of illness or injury compared to 3.08 days for non-participating staff members.

The Coors Business also saw a cost savings from a cardiac rehabilitation program that was implemented in 1981. In 1980 staff members were out of work 7.2 months after a heart attack or bypass operation. In 1984, cardiac patients were out an average 1.9 months saving $152,000 in lost work time and in 1985 cardiac patients missed an average of 2.6 months, saving $125,000 that year.

Corporation Exercise Programs Plans Improve Employee Health and Wellness

Instituting a Employee Health Promotion Program improves the health of staff members, decreases employee absenteeism and saves the business money, too. Learn more about initiating an Employee Health Promotion Program in the office.

Benefits of Employee Wellness Programs

• A organization expenditure of $100-$150 per employee each year to take part in an Worksite Health Promotion Program can save companies $300 to $450 for each employee every year, according to Ron Goetzel, Director, Cornell University Institute for Health and Productivity Studies. The savings are able to 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 Worksite Health Promotion Program for small organizations.
• According to a 2005 survey by The Art of Health Promotion, employers who adopted Workplace Wellness Programs realized a 30% decline in medical and absenteeism expenditures in less than four years.

A efficacious Workplace Health Promotion Program begins with Upper Management. Business owners should lead by example, taking part in their company’s physical activity program and working closely with a wellness coach. Upper Management should make sure employees are well alert to their wellness efforts, displaying weight loss results or tobacco cessation results on company intranet or bulletin boards for everyone to see.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs that Truly Work

• Urge workers to kick start their own wellness programs by visiting their doctor. A complete physical must include information about blood sugar, cholesterol levels and general health.
• Target specific health-related concerns in a corporate physical activity program. Information about how to fight obesity, smoking, alcoholism and drug abuse should be at the forefront of an Corporate Health Promotion Program, along with related conditions.
• Hire a wellness coach to instruct employees on how to lead a healthy lifestyle.
• Reward staff members for being active in corporation wellness plans. Let staff members accrue health & wellness points that they are able to redeem for prizes. Make the prizes healthy, too- a no cost massage, personal training session with the corporation’s wellness coach or health diet gift certificate encourages even healthier lifestyle choices.
• Acknowledge employee health & wellness leaders in employer newsletters, in posted bulletins and on the employer intranet.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs Give Big Results

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

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

5 reasons to have a wellness program

1.   The United States spends more dollars on health care than any other nation yet we are not the world’s healthiest
   • Largely sedentary
   • Tobacco use is still popular
   • Stress is at epidemic levels (WHO)
   • Alcohol continues to take its toll on American citizens

2.   Much of the illness in The United States is preventable
   • Tobacco and alcohol are leading causes of death
   • As much as 70 percent of the expenditure of health care is driven by preventable illness

3.   Healthcare costs continue to rise
   • Medical Care premiums continue to rise and to be passed on to the employee
   • Health Care expenses are usually the number one benefit cost to most employers

4.   The workplace is an ideal setting to address health and well being
   • Most Americans work
   • Poor health habits take a toll on U.S. Businesses
   • Employers have a vested interest in health related concerns.

5.   Research validates that Corporate Health Promotion Programs can better health, save money, and even produce a ROI.
   • Aldana,S.G. (1998). Financial impact of Corporate Health Promotion Programs and methodological quality of the evidence. The Art of Health Promotion. Vol 2, Number 1.
   • Wilson, M.G. (1996). A inclusive review of the effects of Workplace Health Promotion Programs on health related outcomes: An update. The American Journal of health promotion. Vol 10, Number 6.
   • Wilson, M.G. (1996). A comprehensive review of the effects of Employee Health Promotion Programs on health related outcomes: An update. The American Journal of health promotion. Vol 11, Number 2.
   • Chapman, L.S. Proof Positive: An analysis of the cost-effectiveness of worksite wellness. 3rd ed. Seattle: Summex Corporation, 1996.
   • Pelletier, K.R. A review of the health and cost-effective outcomes studies of comprehensive health promotion and disease prevention programs at the worksite: 1993-1995 Update. The American Journal of Health and Promotion. Vol. 10, Number 5.

   
Key Components of a Workplace Health Promotion Program

Physical Wellness - Focuses on the development, maintenance, or improvement of one’s physical fitness

Sample Physical Employee Wellness Programs / Workshops
• Annual health evaluation
• Regular physical activity
• Smart safety habits

Emotional Wellness - Focuses on all aspects of mental fitness

Sample Emotional Employee Health Promotion Programs / Workshops
• Stress management workshops
• Dealing with aging
• Addictive behaviors
• Parenting

Financial Wellness - Focuses on improving the quality of life of staff members by assisting families and people in becoming monetarily stable

Sample Financial Worksite Wellness Programs / Workshops
• Financial management
• Savings and Investing
• Credit and Purchasing
• Insurance and Estate Planning

Spiritual Wellness - Focuses on promoting a healthy inner self

Sample Spiritual Company Health Promotion Programs / Workshops
• Encourage daily devotional readings
• Give regular service opportunities
• Offer a daily/weekly/monthly chapel (meditation) time during work hours

Nutritional Wellness - Will meet the needs of the workers through group and individual nutritional services

Sample Nutritional Company Wellness Programs / Workshops
• Individual nutritional Assessment
• Individual and group counseling
• Educational classes
• Weight loss programs

Many employers, as part of their efforts to contain rising healthcare costs, are implementing workplace programs variously described as Corporate Health Promotion Programs, lifestyle programs, health and work rate management, population health management and, simply, wellness programs.

The purpose of this article is to consider whether such programs better health. If so, do they in turn lower utilization of medical care services and lower medical care expenditures?

The popular media have done much to promote the concept of corporation wellness. Last year, In Business: Madison magazine printed a story accompanied by a table reporting an impressive range of returns on investment (ROI):

Return on Investment (Per dollar ROI for lifestyle programs)
• Coors $6.15
• Kennecott $5.78
• Equitable Life $5.52
• Citibank $4.56
• General Mills $3.90
• Travelers $3.40
• Motorola $3.15
• PepsiCo $3.00
• Unum Life $1.81
Source: 2004 T.E. Brennan Employer, as published

Would these ROIs stand up to thorough empirical analysis of the data? What factors produce such disparate returns among these programs? And does the published literature, subject to peer review of scientific methods, support the ROIs published here?

Health and Productivity Leadership

Illness and injury associated with an unhealthy lifestyle or potentially-modifiable risk factors is reported to account for at least 25% of employee medical care expenditures. The most significant of these risk factors are stress, tobacco use, overweight or obesity, physical inactivity, excessive alcohol use, and poor nutritional habits. Over the past two decades, a variety of groups at the local, state, and national echelons have promoted the concept that health risk reduction and care management programs are able to better employee health, and that worksite health education, health risk management, and benefit counseling should complement standard healthcare insurance benefits.

The intensity of Company Wellness Programs range from bulletin board, pamphlet or newsletter information to workplace fitness facilities, health risk reduction classes, and personal lifestyle change coaching.3 Company Wellness Programs today often include a health risk assessment (HRA) to evaluate each employee’s modifiable risk factors of disease. Program coordinators then target interventions to those that are at increased risk through personal talks and individual follow-up.

Complete Employee Wellness Programs may include classes on health risk reduction and job safety, fitness and exercise activities, health club memberships, and reductions in co-payments or premiums for staff members who adhere to recommended health care assessment instructions.

Along with this, some employers are restructuring health benefits and encouraging employees’ cost-sensitivity when accessing medical.5 These changes are intended to decrease employees’ need for and utilization of medical, provideing reduced group medical costs. Demonstrated reductions in medical expenditures ought to then provide employers with a powerful bargaining chip in negotiating lower health insurance premiums during future terms.

Evidence basis: A range of ROI estimates

The empirical research has produced results as varied as the popular media on return on investment. Nonetheless, evidence continues to grow that well-designed and well-resourced Workplace Health Promotion Program and disease prevention programs support multi-faceted payback on expenditure. Peer-reviewed evaluations and meta analyses show that return on investment is achieved through improved worker health, reduced benefit expense, and enhanced work rate.

• Goetzel and colleagues, in their meta-analysis of two dozen articles summarizing economic evaluations of health and productivity management programs, saw an average return of $3.14 per $1 invested in traditional Corporate Health Promotion Programs. The ROI estimates for the individual programs ranged from $1.49 to $13.7,8
• Aldana reviewed 72 articles and concluded that Worksite Health Promotion Programs achieve an average return on investment of $3.48 when considering medical care expenditures alone, $5.82 per $1 when examining absenteeism, and $4.30 when both outcomes are considered.
• Ozminkowski and collagues conducted a 38 month case study of 23,000 participants in Citibank, N.A.’s health management program and stated that within a 2 year period, Citibank realized a ROI between $4.56 and $4.73.10  Follow-up studies saw improvements in the risk profiles of participants, with the high-risk group improving more than the “usual care” group11 as a result of more intensive programming.
• Chapman’s 2004 meta-assessment of 42 studies, ranking overriding validity of the studies, reports cost-benefit ratios from $2.05-$4.64.

In addition to immediately quantifiable expense reductions, researchers have reported a variety of spin-off benefits: greater work rate, intellectual capacity, and reductions in disability12 and absenteeism.9,13,14,15 Such programs may also have beneficial effects on employee perceptions of the company14 and worker morale, even among nonparticipants. 13 These outcomes go beyond savings in direct health care expenditures to offer non-health related ROI.

Tailoring program to maximize ROI Employee Health Promotion Programs aim to reduce the health risks of staff members at elevated risk while maintaining the health status of those at low risk. A variety of disease management interventions are available to fit the specific risk profiles of various worksites. Insurers and companies now seek to calibrate their interventions in order to achieve ideal risk reduction and costeffectiveness.

In 2001, University of Michigan researchers published on stable trends in medical costs for over 2 million current and former workers in an 18 year data set. The mean cost increase per risk factor gained ($350) was found to be more than double the mean cost decrease per eliminated risk factor ($150). In other words, increases in costs when groups of workers moved from low risk to high risk were much greater than the decreases in costs when groups moved from high risk to low risk. Their conclusion: Programs designed to keep healthy people healthy will likely support the greatest return on investment.

On the other hand, Pelletier’s meta-analysis16 and other program evaluations18 suggest that individualized risks reduction for high-risk employees within the context of accross the board programming is the vital element in achieving positive clinical and expense outcomes in worksite interventions.

Dose-Response?

Several factors might affect the impact of various programs and the ultimate return on investment, including cultural and environmental factors, workforce demographics, level of participation and longevity of the program.

Most cost-benefit research studies have been conducted in large organizations with more than fifty workers. But researchers have determined that similar results have the potential to be obtained by small organizations with as few as five workers actively involved in a well-managed program.

Various research studies also suggest that even relatively modest levels of participation can achieve substantial program influence. Contrary to reports by the popular media that such programs require more than 70% participation, published reports of at least one case showed beneficial ROI with 51% participation.

Length of intervention appears to be a more salient variable: an effect on medical expenditures generally requires three-to five years of programming.

Future developments

Despite the abundance of beneficial program evaluations, several caveats remain. Negative results are less likely to be reported or published, thus biasing the return on investment upward.

Uncertainty persists regarding the specific influence of the various program components. But as these programs take hold, further research and evaluation will enable fine-tuning of program investments.

Meanwhile, the preponderance of data and the strength of the published research stand in favor of a positive ROI for Workplace Wellness Programs. Indeed, the company case for such programs is now well enough defined that some insurance brokers offer discounted rates to businesses that institute or subscribe to wellness programs.

Future questions will focus on how best to combine accross the board and focused interventions, the intensity of elements, and how to calibrate the dose-response model to achieve a target return on investment. Here, employers, workers, and researchers will need to collaborate to define mutual goals in terms of both clinical and cost outcomes.

As corporations today continue to compete in the global economy, expense containment strategies will be increasingly important. Controlling the rising expense of employee ill health is becoming a priority for corporate leaders. The emerging corporate culture in America is one which has an employee population centered in health, safety and wellness.

Establishing a corporate plan for Company Wellness Programs and disability management makes great organization sense. The following eight-step process ensures a strategic, integrated, needs-driven and outcome-oriented approach.

The following process works best in corporations with strong leadership and a long-term responsibility to employee health.

1. Identify Your Company Health Promotion Program Champion

This person ought to be a leader in your organization and a strong advocate of health. Typically this is an individual who actively pursues his or her own personal quest for ideal health.

The program champion must have the resources and authority to propel the program forward. The program champion’s key role is to make sure the strategic plan for health is in line with with the corporation’s objectives, strategic focus and corporation values. By way of example if the organization promotes that “our strength is our people” the wellness program must verify how pushes will nurture and protect that significant resource.

2. Form Your Workplace Health Promotion Program Strategy Team

The Company Health Promotion Program Strategy Team should include decision makers and stakeholders from areas of the organization that are able to effect health and the company’s bottom line. These areas may include; finance, human resources(HR), training and development, health services, compensation and benefits, employee assistance services (EAP), marketing, facilities, health and safety, rehabilitation, cafeteria or meal services and the union. A group of six to eight representatives is recommended.

The role of the Strategy Team is to cultivate and start the strategic plan, look for opportunities to promote health, be sure the program is integrated into key areas of the organization, streamline efforts, maximize business resources and program assessment.

3. Complete an Company Health Audit

The purpose of an Company Health Audit is to evaluate your existing programs and services, physical environment and policies & procedures that support health. It is also significant to look at your company culture or “how things are done” around the company.

Participants of the Strategy Team complete the Audit independently and then meet to discuss their assessment. During the assessment process, health problems and opportunities are discussed in preparation for the development of the strategic plan.

4. Analyze Your Organization’s Cost Pressures

Cost pressures are identified by analyzing a number of areas including; benefit expenditures, Workplace Safety Insurance Board (WSIB) claims, drug usage, type of paramedic claims, absenteeism data and EAP utilization. This process helps to target areas that can be positively impacted by a Employee Wellness Program and to offer a baseline for evaluating change.

5. Conduct a Health Risk Appraisal or Employee Needs & Interest Survey

The next step is to determine your employee’s health risks, interests and readiness to change. A confidential health risk appraisal can accomplish a myriad of objectives and goals. It supplies a baseline from which to measure personal lifestyle changes, supplies staff members with relevant health information, motivates staff members to take charge of their health and assists in program planning. Most health risk appraisals provide individual reports and a corporate report identifying elevated-risk areas in the corporation.

Many organizations prefer to administer customized needs and interest survey to evaluate employee needs. The benefit of this approach is that the corporation is able to gather information on the employees’ perceived wellness needs and program interests. This information can be incorporated into the strategic plan. Administering a survey also has the added benefit of fostering a sense of employee ownership to the program.

6. Design Your Strategic Plan for Wellness

The strategic plan must incorporate information collected from the Business Health Audit, your organization’s expenditure pressures, and health risk appraisal data or employee survey results. The strategic plan must include your program mission, three or four objectives and several initiatives under each goal. The strategic plan supports a framework to encourage, support and evaluate “best health practices.”

It is also significant that the plan align itself with the vision, objectives of the organization.

The sample strategic plan that follows was developed for blue jeans maker Levi Strauss & Co. (Canada) Inc. Levi Strauss & Co.’s mission statement and aspirations (how staff members interact with each other in a business environment) guided the development of the plan.

Levi Strauss & Co.’s aspirations include the following statement: Above all, we want satisfaction from accomplishments and friendships, balanced personal and professional lives, and to have fun in our endeavors. The wellness program plan included a number of components to see that it embraced this statement including the following:

1. A vision statement, which tied in with the company’s aspirations.
2. An incentive system to encourage and reward the accomplishment of healthy milestones.
3. A recognition system to applaud effectiveness.
4. Friendly competitions between Levi Strauss & Co. locations to ensure a fun environment.
5. Opportunities to take part in small group educational programs to foster team backing.
6. Initiation of support groups for workers completing wellness programs (i.e. smoking control support group).
7. Programs dealing with work and family balance.

Other information that was analyzed and used to foster the plan included:

1. Company demographics
2. Focus groups
3. Cultural audit
4. Top drug report
5. EAP utilization
6. Employee benefit services report
7. Health and dental claims
8. Operational success summaries
9. Health risk appraisals
7. Prepare a Business Case to Support Your Plan

Your employer case for wellness supports the necessary details for approval at the management level. The employer case includes:

1. The Strategic Plan for Health
2. A proposed program budget
3. Marketing strategies
4. Program leadership options
5. An implementation plan
6. Assessment methodology.

In presenting the strategic plan it is important to highlight how the plan aligns itself with the strategic direction of the organization.

The program budget should include educational resources, marketing costs, incentives/rewards, leadership costs and supplies.

Marketing strategies ought to address how the program will be promoted and rolled out to various groups within the organization i.e. decentralized locations, high risk workers, older workers.

Program leadership must address how volunteers will be used, internal resources  and whether consultants have been proposed. All play an equally important role in the implementation of your wellness program.

The program implementation plan ought to incorporate the following types of programs that help foster awareness of positive health practices, help  workers in making lifestyle changes and initiatives, which support long-term change.

Awareness programs create an awareness of the effect of healthy lifestyle practices and motivate workers to take the next step. Examples of awareness programs include posting educational posters, newsletter articles and lunch and learn seminars.

Lifestyle change programs are more inclusive and longer in duration. They are designed to assist  workers in changing behavior. Examples of lifestyle change programs are nutrition education programs, stress management programs, back care classes and smoking control programs.

A supportive corporate environment encompasses everything from corporate policies & procedures, the physical environment and creating a corporate culture that supports great health practices. Follow-up sessions and support groups for employees who have completed 6-10 week wellness programs also provide a supportive environment for long-term change.

Reviewing the effectiveness of a Worksite Health Promotion Program is ongoing. A formal evaluation should be conducted annually and may include; re-administering steps three to five, program participation statistics and a year end survey to revisit “soft” concerns such as morale, program satisfaction and future program direction.

8. Solicit Input and Communicate Your Plan

Employee input is critical to the long-term success of your program. An Employee Advisory Committee ought to be formed to roll out the plan. Another key responsibility of this team is to solicit feedback from all levels of the organization to ensure buy-in. Front line Manager’s Information Sessions and focus groups are also important. This group needs to buy-in to the notion that they play a key role in supporting positive health practices. Regular gatherings are advised with front line managers to receive ongoing input, address concerns and orient new managers.

Conclusions

The World Health Organization’s definition of health is “a state of complete physical, mental and social wellness and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity.” In order for us to establish healthy workplaces, wellness initiatives must have a program champion, have employee ownership, be upper management supported, results driven and strategically aligned with the overall organization objectives of the organization.

Wellness program that embrace these qualities will have a positive influence on an organization’s bottom line. Canadian research points to a myriad of case studies where worksite programs have resulted in lowered absenteeism, cut claims and increased work rate.

Businesses who have embraced wellness as part of “how they do business” share one thing in common. They corroborate a responsibility to their most valuable resource - their people. They be aware of the increased pressures associated with downsized businesses, a rapidly changing workplace, an aging work force and the challenge of balancing work and family obligations. And they share a common belief that healthy workers are happier, absent less and more constructive.

References:
Design of Employee Wellness Programs by Michael P. O’Donnell. 1995. Published by the American Journal of Health Promotion.
Pro Fit-ability by Veronica Marsden. Group Healthcare Management. May 1997.
Meeting Expectations by Laura Mensch. Employee Health and Productivity. August 1999
7 Steps to Health Promotion by Daphne Woolf and Veronica Marsden. Group Healthcare Management. February 1996.
Published in The Journal of Health Promotion for Northern Ireland, Issue 9, March 2000