Employee Wellness Works Well
In the words of Franklin D. Roosevelt, “Do something. If it works, do more of it. If it doesn’t, do something else.” Employee wellness programs work.
Therefore, employers should offer an effective wellness program for their
employees, and they should strongly encourage employee participation. Research shows that employers offering an effective wellness program can reap multiple benefits, increased morale and loyalty, reduced absenteeism, higher productivity, and lower healthcare costs. With these potential advantages, an employer would be foolish not to invest in a competent wellness program, when both employers and employees have the potential to benefit enormously from participation.
While there are a wide variety of programs available, the quality and effectiveness varies and research shows that successful programs contain essential components. Zeidner states in her article “Fitness on the Job,” that
according to the Department of Health and Human Services a comprehensive health promotion program, “ incorporates five key elements: health education, screening programs, a supportive social and physical environment, integration of the health program into the organization’s structure and links to related initiatives like employee assistance and work-life programs” (Zeidner). In “What’s the Hard Return on Employee Wellness Programs?” authors Leonard Berry, Ann Mirabito, and William Baun, examined existing research and studied 10 organizations whose wellness programs have achieved measurable results. They also interviewed approximately 300 people. Through their research, they have identified “six essential pillars of a successful wellness program”
multilevel leadership, alignment, scope, relevance, and quality accessibility
partnerships and communications (3). Less effective programs do not contain
these elements and thus companies should clearly take the time necessary to
research wellness programs and choose one with a number of these necessary
components.
There are many reasons for employers to put an effective wellness program in
place. Today’s work habits can contribute to an unhealthy lifestyle.
According to Susan Bricken, a professional trainer at a Washington sports
club, “the desk-bound office lifestyle can lead to obesity, heart disease,
diabetes and other health issues” (qtd. in Joyce). The Department of Health and
Human Resource estimates that obesity costs employers over $15.4 billion dollars
per year (Zeidner). Michael Bell, a first year associate at Fried Frank said
he joined an employee wellness program since “those 12 hour days can just squeeze out the time you can normally go to the gym and work out” (qtd. in Joyce). In the study “An Economic Analysis of Adult Obesity,” the authors argue that “more time devoted to work and less time devoted to cooking meals at home mean more people are partaking in the fried sugary things often found in fast-food outlets, which contributes to obesity” (qtd. in Joyce). There are many job-related reasons why an employee’s health is more at risk now than years ago, and so, a greater need exists for wellness programs.
Employees should be motivated to participate in wellness programs for better health for themselves. However, this may not be enough to ensure participation.
Several companies reported that competition was the best motivator for
employee participation. Fried Frank, a law firm, sponsors an eleven week
incentive program. The employees are put into “teams of four [where they] win points for exercising, eating well and attending in-house wellness seminars. The winning team gets 20 sessions with personal trainers” (Joyce). A software service company, ReadSoft, has encouraged a contest for employees to see if they can log more hours in the company’s on-site gym than the president of the company. Any employee that logs more hours receives a $150 gift card (Giusti). “Company-sponsored wellness competitions have the potential to involve far greater numbers of employees than a fitness center would,” says Wendi Bailey, who manages health promotion for Home Depot’s 350,000 employees nationwide (qtd. in Zeidner). She continues, “while the company still negotiates discounts at local health clubs, the contests are a popular and low-cost alternative that might
reach the many workers who would never consider going to a gym” (qtd. in
Zeidner). So, simply offering contests in employee wellness programs can be a very effective motivator.
Research shows that when employees feel good about themselves, morale improves and loyalty increases. Tissie Boland, a senior benefits coordinator at Fried Frank, said she promotes programs that promote a healthy life-style. She
states, “We are always trying to do things that are pro-employee and a benefit
to the firm. We want to retain happy, healthy and hardworking employees.
Not to mention that working out with co-workers, which provides a
built-in social support system, is a great incentive” (qtd. In Joyce).
Employees involved in a wellness program, therefore, have increased morale, and they are also more loyal. A study by Towers Watson and the National Business Group on Health shows that organizations with highly effective wellness
programs report significantly lower voluntary attrition than do those whose
programs have low effectiveness (9% vs. 15%) (Berry, Mirbito, and Baun 3).
Employees in effective wellness programs create a positive bond with their
co-workers and company.
Wellness programs also benefit an employer by reducing absenteeism.
In the article “Why Shouldn’t Your Company Offer Worksite Wellness
Programs?" the Prevent Disease website reports show “healthier employees spend fewer days away from work…saving the company thousands even millions of dollars on down time” (“Why Shouldn’t”). In several studies cited on the website, Healthy Life, several companies have reduced absenteeism and saved money after implementing wellness programs. These savings are listed on the website in the article “The Health and Economic Implications of Work Wellness Programs", written by the American Institute for Preventive Medicine.
The statistics listed support these savings. In 2005, forty-two studies show an average return on investment is $5.82:1 for absenteeism. Washoe County School District had a return of investment for absenteeism of $15.60:1 after implementing a wellness program, and DuPont had a return of investment of $1.42:1 in 2002.
Happier and healthier employees are more productive in the workplace. Schwartz and Hasson’s report study findings that indicate this in their article,
“Exercise at Work Boosts Productivity.” Their study included three groups.
Group 1 spent 2.5 hours during a week’s work hours for exercise. Group 2
spent 2.5 hours during a week’s work hours doing what they wanted, not
exercise. Group 3 worked a regular week. The study found that the group who
exercise for 2.5 hours were more productive at work (“Exercise at
Work”).
Wellness programs save companies money in health care costs.
Genesis Health System saw a 33% decline in hospital admissions within
four years of implementing the wellness program. Their current premium cost is 2.5% less than it was in 2006 (VonBergen). Grocery retail company, H-E-B, found that health care costs are $1,500 less among participants in their wellness program (Berry, Mirabito, and Baun 8). According to Guisti in,
“Employers Work Exercise into Daily Schedule to Save on Health Care,” “employees who exercise weekly costs employers $680.20 annually compared with $1,360.40 for those who don’t.” Employees feel better while participating in wellness programs and prevention saves a lot of money on health care costs.
Not only do employees feel better physically, they also feel better mentally.
While problems exist in employer wellness programs, the benefits outweigh these problems. Implementing programs costs money, but this money is more than reciprocated in future saved costs. There is also federal grant money available to implement wellness programs, especially for small companies who employ fewer than 100 employees. It can be hard to get employees interested in wellness programs, but employers can offer incentives such as small contests and monetary incentives. Support from other workers can increase motivation. Researching the effectiveness of wellness programs has some significant shortcomings. Studies are expensive and research bias exists. However, the bottom line is still the same, companies save a large amount of money and employees feel better.
If we can reduce employee absenteeism, lower health care costs, increase
production, and improve employee morale and loyalty, why would we not? We should. Employee wellness programs do all this and should be present in every
workplace. They are a win-win situation for all. They encourage everyone to work together to feel better and be responsible for their own health. Benjamin Franklin had it right when he said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Wellness programs provide an opportunity to prevent some major health
problems, as well as bring countless benefits to the employee and to the employer in saved costs.
Works Cited
American Institute for Preventive Medicine. “The Health and Economic Implications of Worksite Wellness
Program. www.healthylifestyle.com. 2010: Web. 24 Nov. 2012.
Berry, Leonard L., Ann M. Mirabito, and William B. Baun. “What's the Hard Return
on Employee Wellness Programs?” www.hbr.org. Harvard Business School
Publishing Corporation, Dec. 2010. Web. 20 Oct. 2012.
“Exercise at Work Boosts Productivity, Swedish Reasearchers Find." Science Daily. 8 Sept. 2011.
Web. 28 Oct. 2012.
Giusti, Autumn C. "Employers Work Exercise into Daily Schedule to Save on
Health Care." New Orleans CityBusiness. N.p., 28 Sept. 2010. Web. 28 Oct. 2012.
Joyce, Amy. "Battling the Bulge, Trimming the Budget; Wellness Programs Keep
Workers Fit and Help Employers Curb the Cost of Health Care." The
Washington Post: 0. 13 Apr. 2003. National Newspapers
Core. Web. 28 Oct. 2012.
Von Bergen, Jane,M. "Another Way to Cut Health Costs; some Employers Offer
Incentives to Workers to Participate in Wellness Programs." Los Angeles
Times: B.6. 09 Dec. 2010. National Newspapers Core. Web. 28 Oct. 2012.
"Why Should Your Company Offer Worksite Wellness Programs" Prevent Disease.com –
Worksite Wellness. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2012.
Zeidner, Rita. "Fitness on the Job; More and More Companies Offer Wellness Programs
Meant to Trim Employee Waistlines and Pare Health Costs. Why is it so Hard to
Prove the Incentives Work?" The Washington Post. 17 Aug. 2004. National
Newspapers Core. Web. 28 Oct. 2012.
Therefore, employers should offer an effective wellness program for their
employees, and they should strongly encourage employee participation. Research shows that employers offering an effective wellness program can reap multiple benefits, increased morale and loyalty, reduced absenteeism, higher productivity, and lower healthcare costs. With these potential advantages, an employer would be foolish not to invest in a competent wellness program, when both employers and employees have the potential to benefit enormously from participation.
While there are a wide variety of programs available, the quality and effectiveness varies and research shows that successful programs contain essential components. Zeidner states in her article “Fitness on the Job,” that
according to the Department of Health and Human Services a comprehensive health promotion program, “ incorporates five key elements: health education, screening programs, a supportive social and physical environment, integration of the health program into the organization’s structure and links to related initiatives like employee assistance and work-life programs” (Zeidner). In “What’s the Hard Return on Employee Wellness Programs?” authors Leonard Berry, Ann Mirabito, and William Baun, examined existing research and studied 10 organizations whose wellness programs have achieved measurable results. They also interviewed approximately 300 people. Through their research, they have identified “six essential pillars of a successful wellness program”
multilevel leadership, alignment, scope, relevance, and quality accessibility
partnerships and communications (3). Less effective programs do not contain
these elements and thus companies should clearly take the time necessary to
research wellness programs and choose one with a number of these necessary
components.
There are many reasons for employers to put an effective wellness program in
place. Today’s work habits can contribute to an unhealthy lifestyle.
According to Susan Bricken, a professional trainer at a Washington sports
club, “the desk-bound office lifestyle can lead to obesity, heart disease,
diabetes and other health issues” (qtd. in Joyce). The Department of Health and
Human Resource estimates that obesity costs employers over $15.4 billion dollars
per year (Zeidner). Michael Bell, a first year associate at Fried Frank said
he joined an employee wellness program since “those 12 hour days can just squeeze out the time you can normally go to the gym and work out” (qtd. in Joyce). In the study “An Economic Analysis of Adult Obesity,” the authors argue that “more time devoted to work and less time devoted to cooking meals at home mean more people are partaking in the fried sugary things often found in fast-food outlets, which contributes to obesity” (qtd. in Joyce). There are many job-related reasons why an employee’s health is more at risk now than years ago, and so, a greater need exists for wellness programs.
Employees should be motivated to participate in wellness programs for better health for themselves. However, this may not be enough to ensure participation.
Several companies reported that competition was the best motivator for
employee participation. Fried Frank, a law firm, sponsors an eleven week
incentive program. The employees are put into “teams of four [where they] win points for exercising, eating well and attending in-house wellness seminars. The winning team gets 20 sessions with personal trainers” (Joyce). A software service company, ReadSoft, has encouraged a contest for employees to see if they can log more hours in the company’s on-site gym than the president of the company. Any employee that logs more hours receives a $150 gift card (Giusti). “Company-sponsored wellness competitions have the potential to involve far greater numbers of employees than a fitness center would,” says Wendi Bailey, who manages health promotion for Home Depot’s 350,000 employees nationwide (qtd. in Zeidner). She continues, “while the company still negotiates discounts at local health clubs, the contests are a popular and low-cost alternative that might
reach the many workers who would never consider going to a gym” (qtd. in
Zeidner). So, simply offering contests in employee wellness programs can be a very effective motivator.
Research shows that when employees feel good about themselves, morale improves and loyalty increases. Tissie Boland, a senior benefits coordinator at Fried Frank, said she promotes programs that promote a healthy life-style. She
states, “We are always trying to do things that are pro-employee and a benefit
to the firm. We want to retain happy, healthy and hardworking employees.
Not to mention that working out with co-workers, which provides a
built-in social support system, is a great incentive” (qtd. In Joyce).
Employees involved in a wellness program, therefore, have increased morale, and they are also more loyal. A study by Towers Watson and the National Business Group on Health shows that organizations with highly effective wellness
programs report significantly lower voluntary attrition than do those whose
programs have low effectiveness (9% vs. 15%) (Berry, Mirbito, and Baun 3).
Employees in effective wellness programs create a positive bond with their
co-workers and company.
Wellness programs also benefit an employer by reducing absenteeism.
In the article “Why Shouldn’t Your Company Offer Worksite Wellness
Programs?" the Prevent Disease website reports show “healthier employees spend fewer days away from work…saving the company thousands even millions of dollars on down time” (“Why Shouldn’t”). In several studies cited on the website, Healthy Life, several companies have reduced absenteeism and saved money after implementing wellness programs. These savings are listed on the website in the article “The Health and Economic Implications of Work Wellness Programs", written by the American Institute for Preventive Medicine.
The statistics listed support these savings. In 2005, forty-two studies show an average return on investment is $5.82:1 for absenteeism. Washoe County School District had a return of investment for absenteeism of $15.60:1 after implementing a wellness program, and DuPont had a return of investment of $1.42:1 in 2002.
Happier and healthier employees are more productive in the workplace. Schwartz and Hasson’s report study findings that indicate this in their article,
“Exercise at Work Boosts Productivity.” Their study included three groups.
Group 1 spent 2.5 hours during a week’s work hours for exercise. Group 2
spent 2.5 hours during a week’s work hours doing what they wanted, not
exercise. Group 3 worked a regular week. The study found that the group who
exercise for 2.5 hours were more productive at work (“Exercise at
Work”).
Wellness programs save companies money in health care costs.
Genesis Health System saw a 33% decline in hospital admissions within
four years of implementing the wellness program. Their current premium cost is 2.5% less than it was in 2006 (VonBergen). Grocery retail company, H-E-B, found that health care costs are $1,500 less among participants in their wellness program (Berry, Mirabito, and Baun 8). According to Guisti in,
“Employers Work Exercise into Daily Schedule to Save on Health Care,” “employees who exercise weekly costs employers $680.20 annually compared with $1,360.40 for those who don’t.” Employees feel better while participating in wellness programs and prevention saves a lot of money on health care costs.
Not only do employees feel better physically, they also feel better mentally.
While problems exist in employer wellness programs, the benefits outweigh these problems. Implementing programs costs money, but this money is more than reciprocated in future saved costs. There is also federal grant money available to implement wellness programs, especially for small companies who employ fewer than 100 employees. It can be hard to get employees interested in wellness programs, but employers can offer incentives such as small contests and monetary incentives. Support from other workers can increase motivation. Researching the effectiveness of wellness programs has some significant shortcomings. Studies are expensive and research bias exists. However, the bottom line is still the same, companies save a large amount of money and employees feel better.
If we can reduce employee absenteeism, lower health care costs, increase
production, and improve employee morale and loyalty, why would we not? We should. Employee wellness programs do all this and should be present in every
workplace. They are a win-win situation for all. They encourage everyone to work together to feel better and be responsible for their own health. Benjamin Franklin had it right when he said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Wellness programs provide an opportunity to prevent some major health
problems, as well as bring countless benefits to the employee and to the employer in saved costs.
Works Cited
American Institute for Preventive Medicine. “The Health and Economic Implications of Worksite Wellness
Program. www.healthylifestyle.com. 2010: Web. 24 Nov. 2012.
Berry, Leonard L., Ann M. Mirabito, and William B. Baun. “What's the Hard Return
on Employee Wellness Programs?” www.hbr.org. Harvard Business School
Publishing Corporation, Dec. 2010. Web. 20 Oct. 2012.
“Exercise at Work Boosts Productivity, Swedish Reasearchers Find." Science Daily. 8 Sept. 2011.
Web. 28 Oct. 2012.
Giusti, Autumn C. "Employers Work Exercise into Daily Schedule to Save on
Health Care." New Orleans CityBusiness. N.p., 28 Sept. 2010. Web. 28 Oct. 2012.
Joyce, Amy. "Battling the Bulge, Trimming the Budget; Wellness Programs Keep
Workers Fit and Help Employers Curb the Cost of Health Care." The
Washington Post: 0. 13 Apr. 2003. National Newspapers
Core. Web. 28 Oct. 2012.
Von Bergen, Jane,M. "Another Way to Cut Health Costs; some Employers Offer
Incentives to Workers to Participate in Wellness Programs." Los Angeles
Times: B.6. 09 Dec. 2010. National Newspapers Core. Web. 28 Oct. 2012.
"Why Should Your Company Offer Worksite Wellness Programs" Prevent Disease.com –
Worksite Wellness. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2012.
Zeidner, Rita. "Fitness on the Job; More and More Companies Offer Wellness Programs
Meant to Trim Employee Waistlines and Pare Health Costs. Why is it so Hard to
Prove the Incentives Work?" The Washington Post. 17 Aug. 2004. National
Newspapers Core. Web. 28 Oct. 2012.