Major advantages of healthful staff include -
o Lower Health Care Costs
o Decreased Injuries
o Reduced Absenteeism
o Increased Morale and Loyalty
o Higher Productivity
o Decreased Use of Health Care Benefits
o Reduced Workers’ Compensation / Disability
o Positive Perception in Community
o Lowered Turnover
o Improved recruitment for skilled employees
What’s NOT having a Wellness Program costing your organization?
Consider the health risk factors that are increasing chronic illnesss for adults -
o 59% of adults are overweight or obese
o More than 60% of American adults don’t exercise regularly
o More than 75 percent of adults do not consume the minimum recommendations for fruits and vegetables
o Heart illness is the most common cause of death and the leading cause of death in smokers
o 26% of employees reported they were often or very often burned out or stressed by their work
Health Care Costs are Increasing – Health Care costs are at a record high of $1.7 trillion with no signs of holding steady let alone decreasing. The average cost of annual health care spending is over $5,000 per individuals and with dependents nearly $10,000.
Recent data shows that healthcare related expenditures now cost North Carolina businesses thousands of dollars per employee, each year.
Most Illnesses can be Avoided – Despite the fact that it sounds unbelievable, specialists indicate that avoidable illness makes up 60 percent – 70 percent of the entire burden of illness in the U.S.
In North Carolina, it is estimated that more than 53% of all deaths are preventable, and that 2/3 of all avoidable deaths are because of tobacco use, physical inactivity, and poor nutrition.
Stress Levels are Increasing – as company resources become less and companies adopt leaner work practices, the effects of absenteeism and productivity lost have a greater impact.
In a recent national poll, 78% of American Citizens described their jobs as stressful, and the majority felt that stress levels have become worse over the last 10 years. Further, high levels of organizational stress can adversely affect a company by increasing injuries, absenteeism, and health care costs while reducing productivity.
Simple solutions like stress management education, flexible work schedules, quality social interaction, and increased participation in organization decision-making can improve stress levels in the workplace.
What’s the Upfront Cost and Time Investment for a Health Promotion Program?
The price depends on the type of Health Promotion Program implemented. There are a few choices to promote employee health with benefits and drawbacks of each. The wellness program design depends on the objectives of the wellness program, the business resources, and the community resources available.
Improving dietary practices, increasing exercise levels, managing stress or addressing work life balance issues, and reducing/eliminating tobacco use, are primary strategies for preventing many of the most common avoidable chronic diseases.
The possibilities of how your company addresses these issues are endless and can range from increasing worker awareness, which could include buying a few brochures on a selection of topics, and measuring walking distances around your facility.
Other possibilities include establishing organizational support such as funding a fulltime occupational health expert or building an on-site health club.
When well planned and based on your goals, any of these wellness programs can help you succeed. Refer below to Health Promotion Program Design Choices for more ideas.
Leave a Reply