It’s no secret that health care costs are constantly on the rise. It’s also no secret that workplace wellness programs help favorably impact health care costs. Many studies show that a successful wellness program can lower absenteeism, enhance job performance and improve morale — all while attracting talented employees to the organization.
The financial evidence supporting the ROI (return on investment) for wellness programs is growing. Recent studies show that the medical care costs for people with chronic diseases account for more than 75 percent of the nation’s total medical care costs.
In addition to incurring the direct costs of higher premiums, employers lose more than 39 million employee workdays each year due to obesity-related illnesses. For example, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people with diabetes lose 8.3 days per year from work, accounting for 14 million disability days, compared to 1.7 days for people without diabetes.
Perhaps the most impressive statistic of all is the ROI achieved by employers who invest in employee wellness programs. On average, employers are saving between $1.50 to almost $5 in premiums for every dollar they invest in these programs. The key to realizing the savings is getting employees to act.
“Once a company begins a wellness program they will discover a range of employee participation levels,” says Renay Gontis, the communications coordinator for JRG Advisors, the management company for ChamberChoice. “Some will already be engaged in physical activity and healthy behaviors, and your program will only reinforce and enhance their health behaviors. On the other end of the spectrum, some employees simply will not engage in wellness programs, no matter what the company does.”
The remaining (and largest) group of employees includes people who are at various stages of readiness to improve their health. These employees need the right type of programming and motivation. Which is where an effective and impactful wellness program comes in, Gontis says.
Smart Business spoke to Gontis about successful wellness programs, how to implement them and how to get employees involved with them.
What key factors influence employee health behaviors?
People are always looking for ways to incorporate wellness into their daily lives, which is why television is filled with quick fixes. However, a successful program will promote wellness and keep the idea of healthy living in front of employees on an ongoing basis.
But, employees have different reasons for engaging in wellness activities. To improve the overall results of your program, it is important to identify these factors and develop programs to meet the majority of your employees’ needs and wants. One of the ways these factors can be identified is through an internal employee feedback survey. A company can also use this opportunity to ask employees what type of on-site and off-site activities they would enjoy.
Most employees want to know how the wellness program will fit into their current schedule and if programs will be offered during or after work. Enhance participation in your wellness programs by helping employees develop goals, whether on an individual basis or as a group. You may want to create teams so employees have a support system as they take on personal and group wellness initiatives.