Health Promotion Blog

Corporate Health Promotion Programs: An Attainable Goal

Was Wellness on your company’s new year’s resolutions list? Here we are a little over midway into the third month of 2008, the time when resolutions start to falter if they haven’t lost momentum completely. Has your Worksite’s wellness resolution fallen by the wayside? If so, there are still ways to get back on track.

One Wellness tip comes to us from the YMCA of Greater Des Moines, reported from the Jersey Shore. Rod Shirk, the YMCA’s chief financial officer, participated in the organization’s first executive Corporate Health Promotion Program, which registered his cholesterol as higher than normal. That prompted him to get a physical, which showed high levels of a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) that often indicates prostate cancer. The outcome? His doctors caught a life-threatening illness just in time.

Thanks Corporate Health Promotion Program.

So of course, Shirk is a huge proponent of Corporate Health Promotion Programs. He says, “For us here at the YMCA, if we are telling people to be healthy, we had better set a good example for our staff members.”

Wellness Decreases Health Care Costs

Though cases like Shirk’s dramatic cancer save are the most desirable effect of Corporate Health Promotion Programs, it isn’t the initial draw for companies. They do it to reduce healthcare costs, and there’s no doubt that Corporate Health Promotion Programs do just that. Corporate Health Promotion Program Statistics show that Corporate Health Promotion Programs return anywhere from $2.30 to $10.10 per dollar spent on wellness. “Health care costs should go down as people think about changing their diets and getting more active,” Shirk says.

The Corporate Health Promotion Program savings aren’t just in the Health Insurance department. Human resource departments report that Corporate Health Promotion Programs also reduce absenteeism and increase productivity.

Still, companies have been loath to invest that elusive Wellness dollar despite the well-documented returns. A Principal Financial Group and Harris Interactive survey found that only 10% of small- to medium-size companies have made on-site Health Testings – like the one that saved Shirk’s life – available to their staff members.

Is It Necessary to Incent Corporations to Initiate Corporate Health Promotion Programs?

Wellness incentive rewards may seem like an effective way to get staff members excited about Corporate Health Promotion Program – but is it smart?

This helps and encourages companies to understand the importance of maintaining a healthy workforce, not only for the welfare of its staff members, but as well as the welfare of the corporate bottom line … then, yes, it could be necessary.

Tax Breaks as Wellness incentive rewards

In 2007, two senators decided to band together to create the “Healthy Workforce Act.” This act is designed to encourage companies to keep staff members healthy and prevent disease. The senators believed that having a country focused on “well care” versus “sick care” would decrease the overall costs of healthcare for everyone. They decided to start with America’s workforce.

The legislation, introduced by Iowa Senator Tom Harkin and Oregon Senator Gordon Smith, states that companies would receive a Wellness incentive reward – a fifty percent tax credit – if they provide to their staff members a Corporate Health Promotion Program that meets the following criteria:

1) A health education and awareness component, which could include Health Risk Appraisals and Health Testings.
2) A behavioral change component – such as counseling, seminars, or self-help materials to empower staff members to lead healthier lifestyles.
3) A supportive environment component – including offering meaningful incentive rewards to participating staff members, such as a reduction in health premiums or allowing staff members to engage in walking Corporate Health Promotion Programs during the workday.
4) The creation of an worker engagement committee – which would tailor the Corporate Health Promotion Program to the needs of the workforce at a particular organization.

If this legislation gets passed, many companies will be scrambling to provide Corporate Health Promotion Programs in hopes of receiving the Wellness incentive rewards.

Company Obesity: The Facts

Company obesity has become one of the fastest growing healthcare problems in America. It is well known that America is considered one of the, if not “the”, heaviest countries in the world. This is largely in part due to fast food, un-healthy snacks and a very sedentary lifestyle. However, what many people are not aware of is that the rate of obesity in our country has doubled in the last 30 years and this weighs heavily on a company’s bottom line.

According to a new report from The Conference Board, Weights and Measures: What corporations Should Know about Obesity, obese staff members cost private companies an estimated $45 billion annually. Following are some of the report’s findings:

Obesity is associated with a 36% increase in spending on healthcare, more than smoking or problem drinking.
34% of adult United States citizens fit the definition of “obese”
Obesity related health problems are costing U.S. companies millions of dollars annually in medical expenditures and work loss.

Company Obesity: How companies Can Help

With the increase in obesity and corporation costs associated with it, it is more and more imperative to establish a way to assist staff members with their healthy living choices. Corporate Health Promotion Programs can help companies help their staff members. By providing assistance with Health Testing, Health Risk Appraisals and by conducting Corporate Health Promotion Program surveys; Corporate Health Promotion Programs allow the corporation non-invasive ways to communicate their concerns about their worker’s health.

We suggest establishing a Walking Corporate Health Promotion Program to assist your staff members in meeting their weight-loss goals. Walking Wellness is a program designed to get your staff members away from their desk and get them outside for a little exercise. Keep it fun by having contests, setting up weight-loss teams and having organized healthy picnics.

What is a Corporate Health Promotion Program Proposal?

You probably have seen the term many times and wondered what exactly does it mean. A Corporate Health Promotion Program Proposal is a proposal put together by a wellness consultant that makes suggestions for what type of Corporate Health Promotion Programs you should choose, what tools you will need to accomplish your corporation’s wellness goals, and costs associated with it.

Corporate Health Promotion Program Proposals Assist Human Resource Departments

A Corporate Health Promotion Program Proposal is a great thing to have in hand when HR Departments go to upper management to request funding for a Corporate Health Promotion Program. It will provide necessary stats and trends, background information, and costs that will enable the HR Department to fully present their case. Upper management will appreciate the preparedness and the research that has gone into your wellness request.

Corporate Health Promotion Program Proposals Lead to Better Corporate Health Promotion Programs

A well thought out Corporate Health Promotion Program Proposal can lead to a better Corporate Health Promotion Program, because the building blocks will already be in place. Corporate Health Promotion Program Proposals will guarantee that your corporation gets the proper Corporate Health Promotion Program established. Corporate Health Promotion Programs can vary greatly, but when your staff members ask, you can tell them that they generally include the following:

Walking programs which provides staff members with incentive rewards to take their walking breaks at their workplace.
Company teams, onsite yoga classes and massage therapists at the workplace.
Nutrition advice, weight-loss and healthy cooking classes, stress management sessions, and either a Corporate Health Promotion Program resources column in the worker newsletter or a wellness newsletter.
Stairwell initiatives to show how stair-walking can improve health.

Wellness Competitions Are Popping Up Everywhere

Wellness Competitions are definitely hot right now and they are encouraging more and more people to get healthy and live better. Whether it is a city or a school or a social group or even a whole state, competitive spirits are being ignited by the challenge to be the healthiest team. The Wellness Competitions are usually about a six months to a year in length and they are made up of several teams, these teams all get points for physical activity, selecting healthy foods, and just making better life and health choices overall.

The best part about Wellness Competitions is even though there really is only way “real” winner; everyone that participates in the challenge is a life winner.

Wellness Competitions provides incentive reward to Get Healthy

Establishing a Wellness Competitions in your office is a great way to get staff members to participate in your established Corporate Health Promotion Program. Have staff members form teams and receive points for everything from attending a corporate Wellness Fair to getting a health risk assessment to beginning an exercise regimen. At the end of the year, the teams will win prizes based on the number of points they have accumulated.

Wellness Competitions Enhance Corporate Health

Not only will Wellness Competitions improve the health of your staff members, it will improve the overall health of the corporation by providing benefits such as reduced injuries, reduced frequency of worker’s comp, reduced healthcare costs, better worker attendance, and better corporate morale.

Like we said earlier, everyone is a winner in a Wellness Competitions!

The 61st annual World Health Assembly is taking place this week in Geneva, Switzerland and at this assembly; the World Health Organization (WHO) is presenting its report titled “Preventing Non-communicable Diseases (NCD) in the Workplace through Diet and Physical Activity.”

The report calls for Corporate Health Promotion Programs to be promoted and implemented worldwide.

Importance of Corporate Health Promotion Programs

The report states that Non-Communicable Disease related deaths have surpassed transferable disease related deaths and have become the leading global killers. Examples of Non-Communicable Disease’s are heart disease, diabetes and stroke. In 2005, 60% of worldwide projected deaths were caused by non-communicable diseases. They are predicting that this health trend will continue through at least 2030.

Diet, caloric intake, lack of physical activity and tobacco use are the major risk factors in the cause of Non-Communicable Disease’s. Now more than ever, the understanding of the importance of health and wellness is crucial.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs are Effective Tools

The report states that Corporate Health Promotion Programs are found to be effective in improving health-related risk factors, such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes. The report also states that Corporate Health Promotion Programs will improve the health of staff members, improve the corporate image, improve worker morale, reduce worker absences and sick leave, increase worker productivity, and reduce corporate healthcare expenses.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs Monitoring

Finally, the report mentions that to have a successful Corporate Health Promotion Program, monitoring and evaluation through Health Risk Appraisals and health outcomes are essential and should be included in the Corporate Health Promotion Program implementation. The evaluations ensure that the Corporate Health Promotion Program developed meets the proper needs of the staff members. Workers should be reevaluated on an on-going basis to make sure the Corporate Health Promotion Program is still working, or to see if there are any adjustments that need to be made.

Corporate Health Promotion Program ROI: Fact or Fiction?

Corporate Health Promotion Programs … do they provide a strong return on investment? This is a question that we are sure goes through ever company’s mind. HR Magazine addresses the Corporate Health Promotion Program ROI topic in their June 2008 issue.

Corporate Health Promotion Program ROI: The Bottom Line

According to the article, titled “Finding Wellness’ Return on Investment,” determining Corporate Health Promotion Program ROI is not an easy thing to do for companies because it involves a lot of different variables and time.

However, the companies that have taken the time to determine the Corporate Health Promotion Program ROI of their Corporate Health Promotion Programs have found that it is quite significant. Not to mention, the Wellness program’s effect on the improvement of worker health and the slowing of the rate of their worker healthcare expenses.

Corporate Health Promotion Program ROI Alliance

Corporate Health Promotion Program ROI is such an important aspect of today’s corporate culture, that several large companies have come together to form the Alliance for Wellness ROI, Inc. According to the HR Magazine article, The Alliance for Wellness ROI was specifically created to address the lack of consistency in proving the value of Corporate Health Promotion Programs.

The alliance, formed by Henry Ford Health Systems, BMW of North America, Kraft Foods Global, MasterCard Worldwide and Schlumberger Limited, strongly believes in showing the value of Corporate Health Promotion Programs and want to develop a standard for how Corporate Health Promotion Programs are measured.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs Components

According the alliance, the following components should make up an corporate-offered worker Corporate Health Promotion Program:

Employee assistance Programs (EAPs)
Disease Management Programs (DM)
Fitness and exercise Programs
Health Risk Appraisals
Workplace healthcare Programs
Individual wellness profiles
Preventive Health Testings and immunizations
Tobacco-cessation Programs
Telephonic Corporate Health Promotion Programs
Weight loss and weight management Programs
Self-Care Programs.

Wellness During the Summer

Wellness is important year-round; however if your staff members haven’t gotten on the Wellness bandwagon, then now is the perfect time to get them there.

Summer is an ideal season to get back into shape and improve overall Wellness.  The weather is beautiful, staff members can get outside and they are motivated by the thought of having to wear clothes with less coverage.  Fitness, or lack of fitness, is apparent in the summer.

Wellness in the Summer has Advantages

There are many advantages to beginning a Corporate Health Promotion Program in the Summer.  Employees are more likely to get outside and walk or participate in group activities during the summer than they are in the cooler months of the fall and winter.  The summer months are also a great time to establish a Wellness challenge with your staff members and celebrate the completion of the challenge with a participant picnic or cookout.  Finally, it always seems easier to eat healthy during the summer with all the fresh vegetables and fruits that are available during this time.

Corporate Health Promotion Program Kick-off

We recommend following these steps when starting a Corporate Health Promotion Program in your office.

Pick a wellness coordinator for the Corporate Health Promotion Program who is willing and able to see it through.
Ensure that you have the support of corporate leadership.
Create a Wellness committee
Use a Corporate Health Promotion Program survey to uncover the obstacles and goals of your Corporate Health Promotion Program
Provide Health Risk Appraisals
Analyze the Corporate Health Promotion Program and changes as needed
Remember to stress that the Corporate Health Promotion Program is for the employees.  Corporate Health Promotion Programs have been found to prevent obesity, cancer, heart disease and hypertension.  participating in a Corporate Health Promotion Program that provides all that should be an easy decision for the corporation and for the staff members.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs and Medical Care Costs

Corporate Health Promotion Programs are more important now than ever.  A recent article in the Wall Street Journal, with the troubles in the economy it seems that the costs of corporation provided healthcare keep continuing to grow and it doesn’t seem like it is going to change.  The article states that during the year 2008, U.S. companies can expect to see an increase of 10% in healthcare costs.

This increase in healthcare costs is causing some small companies to reduce their worker health benefits or get rid of them altogether.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs for Healthier Lifestyles

Corporate Health Promotion Programs do provide an option for small companies.  The corporations can provide discounted co-pays and deductibles to those staff members that fully participate in the offered Corporate Health Promotion Program.  Full participation means getting health screens, receiving a health risk assessment, and then working with their wellness coordinator to work towards a healthier lifestyle.

The healthier the staff members, the reduce the overall healthcare costs for the corporation.  Just one lengthy hospital stay can almost deplete a small business’ healthcare budget.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs and Your Bottom Line

Corporate Health Promotion Programs provide many advantages to a company’s bottom-line. Corporate Health Promotion Program Statistics from Prudential Insurance show a benefit expense of $312 per person enrolled in a Corporate Health Promotion Program compared to an expense of $574 per worker that wasn’t enrolled.  Coors Brewing Company showed a positive side-effect of participant absenteeism dropping by 18%, thus greater production and less healthcare costs overall.

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

Corporate Health Promotion Programs are part of organization Culture

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

Corporate Health Promotion Programs Assessed

According to CNN, one of the stipulations of the Corporate Health Promotion Program, which staff members 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 staff members are then ranked from platinum all the way down to “non-medal”.  To become platinum level, where you receive a organization-paid climbing trip, you must achieve certain fitness levels and be a non-smoker.  Smoking cessation classes are part of the Corporate Health Promotion Program.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs Result in Big Savings

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