Corporate Wellness ConsultantsCorporate Wellness Consultants and Corporate Wellness Programs

Benefits of Corporate Wellness Programs: Easy to Find

Employer’s are learning that Corporate Wellness Programs is an effective way to increase productivity, improve employee health, reduce medical costs and reduce rates of absence.

A report published in 2003 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) highlighted how important it is for employers to incorporate Corporate Wellness Programs as part of their corporate strategy. The report asserts that chronic diseases which are largely preventable place a heavy toll on business, including lower productivity and higher health insurance costs.

The Department of Health and Human Services estimates that $1.66 trillion was spent on health care in 2003 and it attributes a majority of those costs to chronic diseases and conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity and asthma. Sadly, the money allocated for preventing or controlling these conditions is negligible.

In a recent article, American Cancer Society CEO John Seffrin reported two thirds of cancer deaths in the U.S. could be prevented through lifestyle changes in diet, exercise, cancer testing and “especially” tobacco use. A well-designed Corporate Wellness Programs initiative serves the best interests of workers and employers alike.

Benefits of Wellness Progams: Return On Investment (ROI)

Ron Goetzel, a nationally recognized expert in the science of health management, data analysis and applied research, said in a recent interview that with an investment of $100 to $150 per employee per year in Corporate Wellness Programs, an employer can expect an average return on investment of approximately $3 for every $1
invested ($300 to $450 savings per employee per year).  Goetzel says, however, that these returns are not typically realized until two to three years into the Corporate Wellness Program.

Benefits of Wellness Progams: Tax Breaks

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) has been an outspoken proponent in seeking legislative solutions for a strained medical system.

“As a nation, we have a ‘sick care’ system that is focused on helping individuals after they get sick, rather than a ‘health care’ system which focuses on keeping healthy individuals healthy,” he says.

Harkin introduced the Healthy Lifestyle and Prevention (HeLP) America Act of 2004. One of the initiatives under Title II – Healthier Communities and Workplaces, provides tax credits to companies that offer broad-based programs to promote employee health and grants for small business.

Benefits of Wellness Progams: Getting Started

Implementing a Corporate Wellness Programs can be accomplished with simple, low-cost strategies.

• Provide incentives for participation.
• Establish a wellness informational campaign.
• Schedule wellness seminars on diabetes, nutrition, exercise and cholesterol.
• Establish programs such as fitness, sleep diary, tobacco use cessation and injury prevention.
• Provide onsite chair massages or simple stretching exercises to do at the desk.
• Change snack machine options to offer healthier, low-fat snacks and drinks.
• Actively promote employee participation in all Corporate Wellness Programs.

A successful Corporate Wellness Program can boost business morale, enhance productivity, reduce organizational conflict, attract superior workers and reduce the rate of employee turnover. The case for beginning a Corporate Wellness Program is well worth the effort.

Technological and demographic transformations are changing the nature of work in our society. As these changes occur the broad-based model of Corporate Wellness Programs described above will evolve and continue to develop. If current trends continue, the workers of tomorrow will be older, more racially and ethically diverse, increasingly female, and will often be located off-site. In the later case, technological advances are making it possible for more and more consultants to conduct their work from their homes. Thus the very character of the worksite will change and so must our efforts to deliver Corporate Wellness Programs. As an example, in the future it is likely that a great deal of health education programming will be delivered through personalized interactive multimedia formats, conveniently supplied to any number of workers through telecommunication systems.

As technological innovations increase in the workplace, Corporate Wellness Program consultants will face new health related challenges. In the past, some have assumed that technology would make workers more efficient, thereby allowing workers to work less, while being more productive. In reality, increases in technological innovation have simply allowed more of us to take our work with us where ever we go and feel guilty for not being increasingly productive.

This trend may absorb greater amounts of leisure time that is normally devoted to recreation and relaxation. Subsequent increases in fatigue and stress will ensure the continued need for effective Corporate Wellness Programs.

When considering the scope of Corporate Wellness Programs described in this article, many will think of substantial investments made by large companies. The reality is that 60 percent of individuals working in the U.S. work for a business of less than 100 workers (U. S. Bureau of Census, 1988). Due to economy of scale, it has been difficult and expensive for small business owners to supply adequate medical insurance as well as prevention programming for workers.

Corporate Wellness Program consultants must understand this challenge and develop the method to overcome these obstacles. The proof is clear that much more could be done to advance the health of our society through the workplace. As change agents, health educators must work to empower employers and workers through education of the benefits of Corporate Wellness Programs.

Worksites do not exist in a vacuum. They are part and parcel of the community in which they are located. Successful corporate administrators are cognizant of the need for positive community relations and should do what is necessary to promote good will. What better way to bridge relationships than by utilizing existing community Corporate Wellness Program services and programs whenever possible (e.g., voluntary, private and public health agencies) and providing health related services back to the community. Since the community is also the home of the employee, an effective mode of health promotion is through programming directed at the larger community. Sponsorship of community related health fairs is one example more are listed below.

• Encourages employee/employer involvement in the community
  Blood drives
  Sponsorship of fund raising for community schools and social services
  Community recycling programs
  Youth league sports sponsorship
  Job training programs
• Public relations and media programs advertising a healthy business image
• business newsletters and press releases on health issues to local media
• Environmentally sound use of community resources and waste disposal

At times Corporate Wellness Programs have been instituted as public relations vehicles intended to enhance the corporate image with little concern for improvements in employee health. Companies who are truly committed to enhancing employee health and wellness, are companies who have worked to include Corporate Wellness Programs into the business’s mission statement. With this commitment, policies and procedures can be written to address short and long term goals of increased employee health, productivity, and morale. These policies and procedures are critical to the establishment of supportive organizational cultures conducive to employee health and wellness.

• Active employee involvement in Corporate Wellness Program committees and business decision making
• Availability of flextime work schedules
• No tobacco use policy
• Drug use policy and screening
• Motor vehicle seat restraints and the use of other protective/safety equipment
• Sexual harassment policy
• Family leave programs
• Consistent and frequent awards and recognition of employee work efforts

The environmental conditions of the worksite can be divided into both physical and psychosocial domains, both of which influence the climate and culture of a worksite. The cultural norms of a workplace have been identified as powerful determinants of worker health and behavior (Baum, 1995). Ultimately, workers benefit most from a healthy, supportive; eustressful workplace community was they feel valued and respected. Since adults spend approximately one third of their waking hours at work, one would hope that workers view work as less of a necessity and more of an enjoyable experience.

The climate of a workplace is also more conducive to enhancing health and human performance when the environment is safe, clean, aesthetically pleasing and ergonomically engineered. While some occupations maybe inherently dangerous (e.g., fire fighter, military personnel) all broad-based Corporate Wellness Programs should control exposure to unhealthy conditions including: hazardous chemicals, noise, temperature, radiation and other risky conditions. Program examples include:

• Corporate Wellness Programs grounded in supportive cultural change strategies
• Environmental and safety compliance measures
Lighting
Ventilation
Heating
Control of toxic substances
Noise
Universal precautions
• Ergonomically designed workstations
• Sanitary, clean, well maintained worksite
• Recycling promoted programs
• employee & management training in emergency procedures

An employee’s psychological health can never be neglected in a broad-based model of Corporate Wellness Programs. Originating out of a need for alcohol abuse interventions in the workplace, today’s employee assistance programs (EAP) encompass assessment and counseling for substance abuse and dependency, stress related disorders, family conflicts and other personal issues.

Evidence of the need for such programs is wide spread. In a national survey conducted by the Northwestern Life Insurance Company (1992) 46% of workers reported that their job was very stressful, 34% thought about quitting their jobs because of workplace stress, and 14% did leave their job because of stress. Alcohol and substance abuse problems as well as issues of workplace violence and harassment are common areas of concern. For many the only viable treatment solution is the Corporate Wellness Program.  Exemplary Corporate Wellness Programs will include:

• Individualized assessment of employee concerns
• Assistance in treatment choice
• Emphasis on prevention as well as treatment
• Individual and family counseling programs
• Treatment for addictions:
Drugs
Alcohol
Gambling
• Crisis intervention programs
• Stress management
• Ongoing support groups
• Management and employee training to identify individuals at risk.
• After treatment care

Physical fitness and nutrition programs have demonstrated effectiveness in delaying the onset of employee morbidity while enhancing self esteem, stress management and general feelings of well being. Although many physical fitness and nutrition programs are instructional in nature, they should go beyond educational programs by providing enabling supports for the adoption of healthy behaviors.

Quality Corporate Wellness Programs encourage and facilitate participation in daily physical activity for all workers, and when possible retired workers and family menbers. This is accomplished through access to fitness facilities, (preferably on site) and properly supervised exercise classes. In addition a broad-based program will provide opportunities for Individualized exercise and nutrition prescriptions from certified consultants. Commitment to the model is demonstrated through occupational food services and sales consistent with healthy nutrition. Specific programs to include:

• Strength / Resistance training
• Flexibility conditioning programs
• Healthy cooking classes
• Aerobic conditioning programs
• Diet analysis and planning assistance
• Physical rehabilitative programs
• Weight/body fat control programs
• Team and individual recreational sports programs
• Physical fitness assessments and programs

Corporate Wellness Programs are a fantastic investment, at least according to Lincoln industries in Nebraska.  CNN reported on this 565 employee company their committed investment in their worker’s wellness.

Corporate Wellness Programs are part of company Culture

The Corporate Wellness Programs, according the story, has been in place for 16 years at Lincoln, and it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.  The company has three full-time workers dedicated to the Corporate Wellness Program and the wellness of the workers, who receive workplace massages and a round of instructor-led stretching before they start their shifts.

Corporate Wellness Programs Assessed

According to CNN, one of the rules of the Corporate Wellness Program, which workers are not required to participate in, is that they receive quarterly checkups where assessments are completed on their weight, amount of body fat and flexibility.  Based on these health assessments, the workers are then ranked from platinum all the way down to “non-medal”.  To become platinum level, where you receive a company-paid climbing trip, you must achieve certain fitness levels and be a non-smoker.  Smoking cessation classes are part of the Corporate Wellness Program.

Corporate Wellness Programs Result in Big Savings

The Corporate Wellness Program has been a wise investment for Lincoln Industries.  By having healthier workers, they have seen an average of $2 million in savings in health care costs per year.  The savings don’t stop there, since instituting a Corporate Wellness Program, workers’ compensation claims have gone from $500,000 per year down to less than $10,000 per year.

Corporate Wellness Programs begin and end with individual health. Individuals, after all, are able to make decisions about maintaining and / or improving their health and wellbeing. Employee Corporate Wellness Programs must therefore provide the tools and resources needed to assist and motivate individuals to actively participate in the program.

Individual health is only one part of starting worker Corporate Wellness Programs. Below you’ll find some things to assist you in your efforts to create a healthy atmosphere for you and your coworkers.

Encouraging Your Employer to Begin an Corporate Wellness Program

This is the first step in starting a Corporate Wellness Program. In recent times more and more businesses are starting to see the value of promoting and supporting the health of their workers. Partnership for Prevention, a nonprofit organization, has released a sourcebook called “Healthy Workforce 2010″ (http://www.wellnessproposals.com/pdfs/tool_kits/healthy_workforce_2010.pdf). This sourcebook is an excellent resource containing information on:
 • Benefits of Corporate Wellness Programs
 • Suggestions on where to begin
 • Tools like surveys and evaluation forms

These resources are for both businesses and workers to lead the development and determine the effectiveness of their new Corporate Wellness Program. Offer it to your employer as a place to begin or read it yourself and present your ideas.

Taking Part in Corporate Wellness Programs

Once you have an worker Corporate Wellness Program established, participating fully in all aspects of the program is important. Many of us know that we need to more actively engage in Corporate Wellness Programs to improve our health, yet have difficulty finding and taking the time to do so. These simple steps can jumpstart your participation in an worker Corporate Wellness Program:
 • Examine the offerings that interest you and that you need for health  improvement.
 • Schedule time to go to the seminar or service.
 • Actively following through with recommendations from the program.
 • Make a decision now to improve your health. You will feel better today and tomorrow and the next day for actively moving towards wellness.

Here is a list of potential Corporate Wellness Programs that might be available to you at work:
 • ergonomic evaluations and ergonomic training classes
 • lactation rooms and classes
 • prenatal education program
 • nap rooms for relaxation
 • stress management programs
 • fitness facilities
 • onsite corporate massage
 • nutrition education
 • worksite primary health care services
 • child care facility or resources and referral service
 • smoking cessation programs parenting classes
 • elder care resources and referral service
 • cholesterol, blood pressure and glucose screening programs
 • flu shots
 • weight management programs
 • health care consumerism programs
 • employee assistance program
 • health coaching
 • onsite mammography

More information to follow in my next posting about Employee Corporate Wellness Programs

Studies suggest that for every $1 invested in Corporate Wellness Programs, a company saves $3 to $5 in health and safety costs. Businesses that invest in Corporate Wellness Programs reap the financial incentives through savings on health care costs, disability pay, rates of absenteeism, turnover and safety problems.

workplaces have already proven to be a great place to promote wellness. After all, people spend more time at work than doing anything else. Eighty-two percent of the U.S. population is linked in some way to a worksite. Therefore, providing Corporate Wellness Programs is a great way to reach a substantial number of people in your area.

Corporate Wellness Programs in Small Businesses

Unlike large businesses, small businesses often lack the resources to provide Corporate Wellness Programs to their workers. However, they may be the most in need of such services. Small businesses are the hardest hit by health insurance costs and have the highest rates of substance abuse. Worker well-being and physical or mental illness can also be more disruptive in a small business setting. Corporate Wellness Programs in small businesses also makes sense because small firms employ the majority of working citizens.

Regardless of the size of a business, Corporate Wellness Programs can pay. Statistically, even if there are only 100 people in a company:

• 60 sit all day to do their work
• 50 don’t wear their safety belts regularly
• 50 feel they’re under moderate stress
• 35 are overweight by 20 percent or more
• 30 smoke
• 27 have cardiovascular disease
• 25 or more have high cholesterol (over 200 mg/dl)
• 10 are heavy drinkers
• 10 have high blood pressure
• 5 have diagnosed diabetes and another 5 have undiagnosed diabetes
• 7 use marijuana
• 1 uses cocaine

Bottom Line Corporate Wellness Program Benefits

At least one quarter of the health care costs incurred by working adults can be attributed to modifiable health risks (e.g., diet, exercise, tobacco use, etc.) Fortunately, there is a way to hold back the trend. Growing research links an individual’s lifestyle behaviors to their health risk.

The good news is Corporate Wellness Programs can:

• Reduce health care costs
• Reduce workers’ compensation claims
• Reduce worker rates of absenteeism
• Improve worker productivity
• Improve worker morale

The bottom line is that Corporate Wellness Programs can benefit any size business — small or large.