Health Promotion Blog

Corporate Health Promotion Programs Are Becoming Increasingly Popular

Corporate Health Promotion Programs are Are Becoming Increasingly popular outside the workplace, showing the ever-increasing importance of disease prevention and health risk management.  Private insurance companies, as well as state Medicaid and Medicare offices are working on ways to improve the health of the people they insure in hopes to save money in the long run.  They are finding that mini-Company Corporate Health Promotion Programs are definitely the way to go.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs Aid in Early Intervention

A recent article that recently appeared in The Indianapolis Star, companies, insurers and government agencies are turning to “early intervention to change the behavior of those struggling with common but dangerous health conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, heart failure and coronary heart disease.”

The tactics that they incorporated to improve their beneficiaries’ wellness postcard reminders for different lab tests or check-ups; and possibly even phone calls from nurses to work with the patients to make sure that they are taking their medicines properly and following the lifestyle changes that were suggested by their healthcare provider.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs Provide Quality Benefits

There are more benefits to a Corporate Health Promotion Program than just the cost savings that an corporation or a state agency will see; there is the benefit to the actually patient.  The patient is going to get the motivation and the incentive reward to get better or to manage their health risks by having to answer to someone, whether that someone is a full-time wellness worker at their organization or a nurse affiliated with their insurance organization.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs are proven to improve productivity and reduce healthcare costs.  For a business, that makes a difference in the bottom-line. Today, more than 81 percent of America’s businesses with 50 or more workers have some form of Corporate Health Promotion Program with the most popular being exercise, tobaccos cessation classes, back care programs, and stress management. Most corporations offer Corporate Health Promotion Programs simply because they think the benefit is worth the cost. Yet business leaders continue to ask themselves how to control huge annual increases in health insurance premiums and healthcare costs.

For many companies, health costs can consume half of corporate profits or more. Some employer’s look to cost sharing, cost shifting, managed care plans, risk rating, and cash-based rebates or incentives. But these methods merely shift costs. Only Corporate Health Promotion Programs stand out as the long-term answer for keeping workers well in the first place.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs are an example of healthcare reform that works. Results from America’s finest companies, summarized here, are reason enough to consider providing Corporate Health Promotion Programs.  This investment in your most important asset – your workers – can have a positive impact on your bottom-line.

Corporate Health Promotion Program Statistics:

Providence Everett Medical Center, a member of the Wellness Councils of America, in Everett, Washington, saved an estimated 3 million or a cost-benefit ratio of 1 to 3.8 over 9 years of an outcomes-based Corporate Health Promotion Program. By providing financial incentives ($250 – $325) to workers who meet specific organizational and worker health initiatives the Corporate Health Promotion Program continues to meet cost containment expectations in the area of healthcare use, sick time, injuries, while improving health habits and self-care practices.

During the first 4 years of the Corporate Health Promotion Program there was a 28 percent average reduction in healthcare utilization compared to nine other Providence hospitals that were used as a control group.

Du Pont saw that each dollar invested in their Corporate Health Promotion Program yielded $1.42 over two years in lower absenteeism costs at Du Pont Co. (Well workplace Gold in Delaware). Absences from illness unrelated to the job among 45,000 blue-collar employees dropped 14 percent at 41 industrial sites where the Corporate Health Promotion Program was offered, compared with a 5.8 percent decline at 19 sites where it was not.

The Travelers Corporation claims a $3.40 return for every dollar invested Corporate Health Promotion Programs, yielding total corporate savings of $146 million in benefits costs. Sick leave was reduced 19 percent during the four-year study. In addition to improving the overall health of 36,000 workers and retirees by lowering poor health habits and increasing good ones, The Travelers realized cost savings by decreasing the number of unnecessary visits to a doctor and emergency rooms. In a similar but smaller study, members of a Travelers fitness center Corporate Health Promotion Program were absent from work significantly fewer days than non-members.

The Corporate Health Promotion Program at Reynolds Electrical & Engineering Company, based in Las Vegas, cost $76.24 per worker during the two years it has been in operation. Over half of the 1,600 workers took part in the Corporate Health Promotion Program. Participants significantly lowered cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and weight and experienced 21 percent lower lifestyle-related claim costs than non-participant. Resulting savings: $127.89 per participant in the Corporate Health Promotion Program with a benefit to cost ratio of 1.68 to 1.

Superior Coffee and Foods, a Bensenville, Illinois-based subsidiary of Sara Lee Corporation, attributes impressive results to the success of the corporation’s comprehensive Corporate Health Promotion Program. Superior showed 22 percent fewer admissions to a hospital, 29 percent shorter hospital stays, and 42 percent lower expenses per admission when comparing costs for this division’s 1,200 workers with costs for other divisions. Long-term disability costs were down by 40 percent.

With health costs per worker at $6,000, nearly twice the national average, Union Pacific Railroad introduced their Corporate Health Promotion Program to its 28,000 workers, mostly union and blue collar, in 19 Western and Southern states. Beginning with a modest health self-care initiative at an annual cost of $50 per person, the Corporate Health Promotion Program achieved a net savings of $1.26 million. In addition, a voluntary Corporate Health Promotion Program to help workers lower health risks projected a cost-benefit ratio of 1 to 1.57 after one year. Workers in a treatment group lowered their risk of high blood pressure (45 percent) and high cholesterol (34 percent); others moved out of the at-risk range for weight problems (30 percent); and 21 percent stopped smoking.

Average health costs of high-risk Steelcase workers- those whose lifestyles include two to four health risks such as smoking, little exercise, overweight- are 75 percent higher than those of low-risk workers. But high-risk workers at this Grand Rapids, Michigan-furniture manufacturing corporation who improved their health habits through the company’s Corporate Health Promotion Program and became low risk cut their average health claims in half thus lowering their health insurance costs by an average of $618 per year. If all high-risk workers (20 percent of the total worker population) in one location changed their lifestyles to become low risk, the projected savings could total $20 million over three years.

Workers at Berk-Tec, a small manufacturing corporation in Lancaster County Pennsylvania, learned self-care techniques and lowered their corporation’s healthcare costs in one year. By using a self-care guide, the 938 workers and their family members made smart health decisions and saved $21.67 per employee and dependent a nearly 18 percent reduction in costs. By combining reductions in doctor visits and emergency room use, the corporation saved $39.06 per employee a 24.3 percent decrease in costs over the previous year.

A health claims-based study of 72,000 people insured through 285 Wisconsin school districts found a lower demand for health services among those with access to Corporate Health Promotion Programs and self-care programs. Reductions in health services results in savings for the Wisconsin Education Insurance Group of as much as $4.75 for each $1 spent, higher savings were found in the group receiving access to a 24-hour phone-based nurse advice line, a self-care reference book, and health education materials.

CIGNA’s Healthy Babies prenatal Corporate Health Promotion Program delivered an average savings of $5,000 per birth by providing expectant mothers with educational materials and rewarding early and regular prenatal care. And 80 percent of participants had normal births without complications compared with 50 percent for non-participant.

With savings estimated to be as high as $8 million, the California Public Workers’ Retirement System sent its 55,000 retirees a health rist assessment followed, in some cases, with individualized reports and letters and self-care materials to encourage change and help reduce health risks among retirees and at the same time reduce the healthcare claim costs. In another study, Bank of America retirees in California who chose the full Corporate Health Promotion Program and demand reduction program showed a decrease in total direct and indirect costs of 11 percent compared with an increase of 6.3 percent for those who completed only a simple health questionnaire.

With lower healthcare claims, health costs decreased 16 percent for staff members in the City of Mesa (Arizona) who took part in the comprehensive Corporate Health Promotion Program. The city realized a return of $3.60 for every dollar invested in the wellnss program for the city staff members.

To prevent back injuries among its staff members, a county in California targeted white- and blue-collar employees, offered classes and fitness training. As a result, there was a significant increase in worker morale, reduced worker’s comp claims, health costs and sick days related to back injuries producing a net cost-benefit ratio of 1 to 1.79.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs: Results

Corporate Health Promotion Programs provide Long-Term Results

Corporate Health Promotion Programs, according to an article in Crain’s Detroit Business, come in two varieties:  Corporate Health Promotion Programs or Health Insurance products that aim to reduce costs if healthy habits are followed.  Both options are a good choice, but only one will really provide long-term health benefits for your staff members and reduce costs over the years.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs provide Help

Insurance-based products provide staff members the opportunity, according to the article by Jay Green, to save money on their premiums if they follow certain steps, including performing an online health assessment, visiting their medical provider, and agree to adopt a healthy lifestyle.  These plans usually involve one coach call to the worker during the first 90 days.  We wonder if these brief wellness encounters will actually change a person’s lifestyle.

It is the overall change in a person’s lifestyle, as well as disease prevention that will lead to reduce health costs in the future.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs provide convenient health risk assessments and screening tests for things like diabetes, cholesterol and blood pressure.  As the article states, these have initial start-up costs, but the savings accrue over time and staff members are more likely to stay active in an onsite worker Wellness Program.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs Get Results

Finally, the article states that companies with an effective Corporate Health Promotion Program can expect to see “500 percent reduce absenteeism, 400 percent fewer disability claims, and 350 percent reduce healthcare costs.”  These are numbers that are very hard to argue with.

Employers are no longer able to trim extra savings out of their health insurance programs, and most companies have been cost shifting, asking workers to cover more of their healthcare costs. Health insurance costs continue to climb (10 percent or more per year) at 2-3 times the general inflation rate. With nowhere else to turn, corporations are – more than ever – looking to get workers engaged in Corporate Health Promotion Programs as a means of slowing healthcare costs and improving productivity.

For example, last year 53 percent of large corporations offered health risk assessments (HRAs) for their staff, up from 35 percent just two years earlier, according to a Mercer survey. Change is being driven by cost, but Corporate Health Promotion Programs a win-win solution for both corporations and workers.

Here are other Corporate Health Promotion Program trends organizations are implementing:

More companies are integrating Corporate Health Promotion Programs into their benefits plans. If they want the best plans or the lowest personal costs, they need to participate in the Corporate Health Promotion Program and meeting minimum goals.

More companies are providing onsite weight loss programs as a component of the Corporate Health Promotion Program, especially after Duke University’s new research showing the high cost of overweight workers and increased cost for worker’s compensation for sedentary and overweight workers.

Employers are providing more Corporate Health Promotion Programs designed to assist workers with chronic health conditions: health coaches, nurse advice lines, telephone counseling, and self-study guides

Employers are providing more internet-based Corporate Health Promotion Program interventions and health information resources

More companies are providing regular onsite employee health screenings including cholesterol, glucose, A1c, blood pressure, weigh-ins, and other checks as a component of their Corporate Health Promotion Program. Some Corporate Health Promotion Programs even include bone-density checks and skin cancer screenings.

Many companies are providing fitness programs, either in the community or onsite, as a component of their Corporate Health Promotion Program.

Corporations are providing more rewards, prizes and incentives getting engaged in Corporate Health Promotion Program activities

Some companies are adding emphasis to health maintenance. It’s one thing to lose weight or stop smoking; it’s another to maintain these changes. Helping workers stay engaged and maintain their health changes is important for long-term success.

Employers are putting more emphasis on keeping healthy people healthy rather than just working primarily with high-risk individuals. Research shows this approach results in a greater Corporate Health Promotion Program return on investment (ROI).

Wellness companies are providing great resources for companys’ workers over the Internet – online wellness centers, monthly health and wellness newsetters, wellness challenges, internet-based points tracking systems, virtual fitness programs, internet-based wellness coaching or interventions, interactive health calculators, healthy recipes, even downloadable health tips for your iPod.

Employers who are becoming more proactive are making a big impact on their future healthcare expenses and productivity. Ohio State University announced that they expect to save $30 million dollars with their comprehensive Corporate Health Promotion Program over the next 5 years!

Corporate Health Promotion Programs and prevention are sound ideas whose time has come. Health promotion is more fun and costs less than treating disease.

References: TIME in partnership with CNN, “Businesses Help Workers Lose Weight.” Website accessed July 2007.

Corporate Health Promotion 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 Health Promotion Programs must therefore provide the tools and resources required to assist and motivate individuals to actively participate in the program.

Individual health is only one component of establishing worker Corporate Health Promotion Programs. Below you’ll find some things to assist you in your efforts to establish a healthy atmosphere for you and your coworkers.

Encouraging Your Employer to Start an Corporate Health Promotion Program

This is the first step in establishing a Corporate Health Promotion Program. In recent times more and more corporations are establishing 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 Health Promotion Programs
•    Suggestions on where to begin
•    Tools like surveys and evaluation forms

These resources are for both corporations and workers to lead the development and determine the effectiveness of their new Corporate Health Promotion Program. Make available it to your employer as a place to begin or read it yourself and present your ideas.

Participating in Corporate Health Promotion Programs

Once you have an worker Corporate Health Promotion 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 Health Promotion 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 Health Promotion 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 Health Promotion Programs that might be available to you at work:

•    ergonomic evaluations and training classes
•    lactation rooms and classes
•    prenatal education program
•    quiet rooms for relaxation
•    stress management programs
•    fitnes centers
•    massage therapy
•    nutritional information
•    onsite primary healthcare 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 vaccination
•    weight management and / or weight loss programs
•    healthcare consumerism programs
•    work/life programs
•    health coaching
•    mobile mammography

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

Studies suggest that for every $1 invested in Corporate Health Promotion Programs, a corporation saves $3 to $5 in health and safety costs. Employers that invest in Corporate Health Promotion Programs reap the financial incentives through savings on healthcare costs, disability pay, 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 Health Promotion Programs is a great way to reach a substantial number of people in your area.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs in Small Businesses

Unlike large companies, small companies often lack the resources to provide Corporate Health Promotion 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 environment. Corporate Health Promotion Programs in small companies also makes sense because small firms employ the majority of working citizens.

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

• 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 Health Promotion Program Benefits

At least one quarter of the healthcare 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 Health Promotion Programs can:

• Lower healthcare costs
• Lower workers’ compensation claims
• Lower worker absenteeism
• Increase worker productivity
• Improve worker morale

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

There are a number of reasons why a Corporate Health Promotion Program is beneficial.

1. Improved Morale – When the organizational culture begins to change as a result the Corporate Health Promotion Program, you and your workers may actually begin to see and feel a new level of energy within the company.  Ultimately, one of the most ambitious goals of any comprehensive Corporate Health Promotion Program is to attempt to influence the attitudes and actions of the company’s most valuable resource — its workers.

2. Reduced Turnover – As we all know, worker replacement costs can be quite high for any kind of business.  The effort and expense associated with running employment ads, reading applications, checking references, interviewing qualified candidates, hiring and training a new employee can be a serious burden on any business.  In light of the challenges that high worker turnover pose, many companies are looking to Corporate Health Promotion Programs as an additional perk that can help to prevent workers from jumping ship.

3. Increased Recruitment Potential – In the midst of a very tight labor market, companies are forced to pull out the stops in order to recruit new talent.  In some instances, Corporate Health Promotion Programs can prove to be a very valuable tool in sealing the deal.

4. Reduced Absenteeism – When an employee misses work in a business environment, the entire company is forced to absorb his/her responsibilities.  Even in the event of the occasional absence caused by things like colds and the flu, work can back-up and tensions can build.

Even worse is a long-term absence caused by a major health event that requires hospitalization and/or rehabilitation.  By preventing certain types of illness caused by poor lifestyle habits, Corporate Health Promotion Programs can play an important role in lowering absenteeism.

5. Medical Care Cost Containment – Most companies don’t start a Corporate Health Promotion Program with cost containment in mind.  However, cost containment for certain health problems should be considered a viable goal by many companies.

6. Improved Worker Health Status – One of the greatest advantages of a well-designed Corporate Health Promotion Program is the promise of improved health.  There is a growing body of evidence that suggests well-designed Corporate Health Promotion Programs can successfully impact such behaviors as smoking, high-risk alcohol use, seatbelt use and more.

It is important to evaluate the effectiveness of all Corporate Health Promotion Programs. There are several very simple ways to evaluate Corporate Health Promotion Programs:

How many attended the corporate health and Corporate Health Promotion Program, and was there participation or a visible level of interest?

Use a short and simple pen and paper evaluation that people fill out at the end of the Corporate Health Promotion Program /seminar. Statements that are rated on a scale from 1 (strongly agree) to 5 (strongly disagree) will give valuable information. Ask about:
•    The value of the Corporate Health Promotion Programs to the individual
•    The style of the presenter
•    The presenter’s knowledge of the topic
•    The level of knowledge gained by the worker
•    Other areas that would be of interest for future Corporate Health Promotion Programs

Examples of Questions about Corporate Health Promotion Programs

•    This program provided me with information and/or skills I will use.
•    The presenter was knowledgeable about the subject matter.
•    There was adequate time for questions.
•    The methods used to present the information were effective.

Open-ended questions about Corporate Health Promotion Programs may include:

•    The best component of this Corporate Health Promotion Program was…
•    The component that needed improvement was….
•    I would attend another Corporate Health Promotion Program by this speaker…
•    Topics I would like to see included in other seminars or Wellness Programs…

This would be a process evaluation that examines how well the Corporate Health Promotion Programs were implemented. It is also important to look at health outcomes and cost outcomes of Corporate Health Promotion Programs.

More in-depth information about the cost-effectiveness of Corporate Health Promotion Programs can be found by analyzing data before and after Corporate Health Promotion Programs concerning healthcare claims, workers’ comp claims, sick time, productivity levels, etc. Health outcomes for Corporate Health Promotion Programs can be measured by looking at health claims and sick time.

It is also important to look at the impact of Corporate Health Promotion Programs on family members. For example, smoking by pregnant mothers may lead to the birth of a severely impaired child. This could cost an employer or health plan hundreds of thousands of dollars, an expense that could have been avoided with well-designed Corporate Health Promotion Programs.

You can also compare the cost per worker of running the Corporate Health Promotion Programs to the savings per worker. One evaluation of Corporate Health Promotion Programs involving 20,000 to 25,000 workers at New York City-based Citibank showed a return of $6.70 for every dollar the corporation invested in Corporate Health Promotion Programs. The findings were based on a study of health costs and absenteeism.1

An ongoing evaluation of your Corporate Health Promotion Programs should be performed each year and additional periodic evaluations of Corporate Health Promotion Programs should be conducted on an ad hoc basis. An ad hoc evaluation of your Corporate Health Promotion Programs might be initiated by a variety of triggers. For example, at the end of flu season, a corporation might want to evaluate its flu shot program.

Employee retention is a challenge. Corporate Health Promotion Programs can help. providing perks such as incentives to exercise, healthy food, and stress management and weight loss programs at work is a way to keep your workers satisfied.

Attracting new staff members are also a challenge, and anything you can do to “stand out” from other workers is to your advantage. Remember, salary isn’t everything. Often, the possibility of flex hours or a discount at the local gym may be the deciding factor for a future worker. Once again, Corporate Health Promotion Programs to the rescue!

How Are Corporate Health Promotion Programs Administered?

Whether running small Corporate Health Promotion Programs in-house or using outside corporate wellness companies to oversee the whole thing, program promotion is vital. You may have a great speaker come in to talk about a very “hot topic,” but if no one knew about it, it was a waste of the speaker’s time and your money.

Corporate Corporate Health Promotion Program setup and promotion go hand and hand. Depending on the size of your corporation, it may be handled by one person or an entire corporate wellness team. You may even have an worker who is interested in physical fitness and would love to organize some educational wellness seminars and activities.

Other workers may have areas of interest and would be willing to set up some educational programs. Especially for smaller corporations, once you have chosen your events and activities, it is best to set up a calendar with a schedule of events. Then publish the entire calendar as well as announcing each individual event as it comes up.

Access to Corporate Health Promotion Programs

To make access easy, offer a wide range of Corporate Health Promotion Programs and activities that can fit into everyone’s schedule. For example, some workers may find it difficult to get to a seminar at work or make a commitment for 8 weeks of the Weight Watchers at Work program. However, they will take advantage of a reduced rate at the gym and will borrow tapes from the health and wellness library.

If you have shifts, be sure to schedule events for the after 5:00 group. Nothing will undermine Corporate Health Promotion Programs more quickly than promoting great activities that are only convenient for first shift workers.

Sometimes, Corporate Health Promotion Programs can take advantage of “special situations” that occur and which offer an excellent opportunity for worker education and support, at little or no expense to the employer. Not only do these situations help workers personally, but also they are an opportunity for the employer to be seen in a positive light. For example:

A company had several workers with cancer, as well as a number of workers with family members with cancer. Their HR staff had received numerous questions about what to say to a coworker with cancer, as well as hearing about how difficult it was for the caregivers to manage work and home demands. They thought that it would be a great idea to initiate a lunchtime monthly “discussion/support group” to talk about the struggles, frustrations, and fears that people were facing. This activity was included under the umbrella of Corporate Health Promotion Programs that the company offered.

The group was facilitated by a rep from the Employee Assistance Program, but it was not a therapy group, nor was it promoted as such. It was informal and workers came as they could fit it into their schedules.

Did it solve all their problems? Of course not, but it did give them a place to vent, talk, and get some information and support. It was a powerful statement from the employer saying, “We care about you and we’d like to help you with this,” and the workers were very grateful. Effective Corporate Health Promotion Programs clearly convey this type of message to their workers.

Another employer had an worker who was autistic and often exhibited some odd or unusual behaviors. He had some significant difficulties and had to be out of work for several months. As time came for him to return, coworkers became anxious about what to expect.

The employer had someone come in to talk about autism and how best to deal with a person with the disease. It was a general discussion, and there was no discussion of the worker’s personal information. However, coworkers felt much more prepared to handle his return.

An worker with epilepsy told her coworkers about her condition in case she had a seizure. The employer then had someone from an epilepsy advocacy group come in and educate workers about the illness and what to do.

You may believe taking steps like this are not the responsibility of the employer, that it is not your business. But physical and mental illnesses affect just about everyone and are natural components of Corporate Health Promotion Programs.

Workers who are preoccupied and worried about someone having a seizure or catching HIV from a coworker are not focused and productive. When you spend time informing and supporting workers, you not only have productive workers, you also have their respect.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs are also an effective way to educate workers/parents about substance abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, depression, mental illness, learning disabilities, and other issues that affect adults, children, and teens. Arming parents, other relatives, and concerned friends with information is a way to prevent problems in the future, for themselves and their children.

Workers may not be comfortable attending Corporate Health Promotion Programs entitled “Substance Abuse and You” or “Dealing With Depression,” fearing they have “self-identified” just by their presence. However, when much of that same information is billed as “Teens and Substance Abuse” or “Recognizing the Signs of Depression in Teens,” there may be a full house for the seminar.

Once this occurs, the levels of awareness are raised. An employee who is concerned that he or she is actually depressed can attend and gain life-saving information. Using this type of approach in Corporate Health Promotion Programs goes beyond raising awareness among parents whose children are struggling with personal problems.

Mental health topics are often difficult to introduce. There is still some stigma attached to being “mentally ill” or having alcohol problems. A benign way to bring information into the workplace is to use Corporate Health Promotion Programs and the National Screening Day programs. These are dates that have been set aside annually to raise awareness about various problems. They include:

Alcohol Abuse and Addiction (April)
Anxiety Disorders (during Mental Health Month in May)
Depression (October)
Eating Disorders (February)

There is a wealth of information available internet-based that can be made available to your workers at no cost as a component of your Corporate Health Promotion Programs. All it takes implement this into Corporate Health Promotion Programs is some type of notification in the form of an e-mail with an introductory statement and some links.

Local mental health clinics, medical schools, and hospitals usually provide free employee health screenings on designated days so that anyone can come in, take a test, and get information and a referral for care if appropriate. You could arrange with a local provider for a block of time for your workers to participate in the screenings, or talk to them about coming into the workplace to provide them.