Major advantages of healthy employees include:
• Decreased Medical Care expenditures
• Diminished Injuries
• Reduced Rates of Absenteeism
• Increased Morale and Loyalty
• Increased Productivity
• Reduced Use of Health Care Benefits
• Lowered Workers’ Comp/Disability
• Positive Image in Community
• Lowered Turnover
• Better recruitment for competent employee
What is NOT Having a Employee Health Promotion Program Costing Your Corporation?
Let us look at the health risk factors that are increasing chronic diseases for adults:
• 59 percent of adults are overweight or obese
• Greater than 60 percent of American citizens do not get regular exercise
• Greater than 75% of American citizens do not eat the minimum recommendations for fruits and vegetables
• Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death and the primary cause of death in smokers
• 26 percent of staff members stated they were often or very often burned out or stressed by their job
Medical Care expenditures are Growing: Medical Care costs are at a record figure of $1.7 trillion with no signs of leveling out, let alone decreasing. The average expense of yearly medical care spending is over $5,000 per person and with dependents almost $10,000. Recent data shows that medical care related expenditures now cost North Carolina corporations thousands of dollars per employee, per year.
Most Illnesses Can Be Avoided: Although it sounds unbelievable, experts indicate that preventable illness makes up 60% – 70% of the entire burden of illness in the U.S.. In North Carolina, it is estimated that more than 53% of all deaths are preventable, and that 2/3 of all preventable deaths are due to tobacco use, physical inactivity, and poor nourishment.
Stress Levels are On the Rise: As business resources dwindle and organizations adopt cheaper work practices, the effects of absenteeism and lost productivity have an increased influence. In a recent nationwide poll, 78 percent of American citizens described their jobs as stressful, and most felt that stress levels have risen over The last decade. Moreover, high levels of business stress are able to adversely affect a business by growing injuries, absenteeism, and healthcare expenditures while decreasing productivity. Simple solutions such as stress management education, flexible work schedules, quality social interaction, and increased participation in business decision-making are able to improve stress levels in the workplace.
What is the Initial Cost and Time Investment for a Employee Wellness Program?
The cost depends on the type of Corporate Health Promotion Program implemented. There are several options to encourage employee health with pros and cons of each. The program design depends on the objectives of the wellness program, the company resources, and the area resources available.
Improving dietary practices, increasing physical activity levels, managing stress or addressing work life balance issues, and reducing/eliminating tobacco use, are primary strategies for preventing many of the most common preventable chronic diseases. The possibilities of how your company addresses these issues are endless and can range from increasing employee awareness, which may include purchasing a few handouts on a variety of topics, and measuring walking distances around your facility, to establishing company support such as funding a full-time occupational health consultant or building an workplace fitness center.
When well-planned and based on your goals and objectives, any of these programs are able to help you succeed. Refer below to Workplace Health Promotion Program Design Options for additional ideas.
