The overall success of your organization depends on the people you employ. Without them performing their jobs at a high level each day, productivity — and your bottom line — would most certainly suffer. That’s why it’s so important to keep your employees happy and healthy. A workplace wellness program is an excellent way to help accomplish both of those goals.
“A wellness program can be an effective way to engage employees and promote healthier lifestyles,” says Veronica Hawkins, Medical Mutual vice president of Statewide Accounts. “Plus, it can be tailored to incorporate an array of health-related activities based on an organization’s needs and budget.”
Smart Business spoke with Hawkins about workplace wellness programs and the many benefits organizations can enjoy if they choose to make the investment.
What do workplace wellness programs involve?
Programs can vary in size and scale and offer things like health education, disease management programs, health screenings, fitness classes, fitness center memberships and more.
Offering a health assessment is a good place to start. A health assessment is a survey that asks questions about employees’ health and fitness. Questions about smoking, frequency of doctor’s appointments, exercise habits and health conditions can give your organization an idea of what to include in your program. For example, if there is a high percentage of diabetes among your employees, you may want to offer a diabetes management program.
Additionally, a health assessment can provide you with some insight into what your employees would like in a program. There may be a high interest in fitness classes or fitness center memberships. Or employees might like the convenience of on-site health screenings.
Your organization can also offer incentives to increase participation. By setting goals for your employees and offering rewards for achievement, you can get employees engaged and excited about being involved and getting healthier.
Can these programs help lower health care costs?
Studies show a significant percentage of health care costs could be linked to employees’ poor lifestyle choices. Tobacco use, unhealthy diets and a lack of exercise can increase the risk of chronic disease and lead to a variety of costly health problems. Organizations that invest in a wellness program could see a reduction in medical claims, disability costs, workers’ compensation claims and absenteeism due to illness.
Helping employees learn about their health can help them and your organization save money. The more they understand their risk factors, the more likely they may be to make positive changes to help improve their overall health.
How do employees benefit?
Recruiting and retaining talented people isn’t easy. Many organizations are now looking for unique perks to set them apart from the competition. A wellness program is one way to demonstrate a real commitment to the health and well being of employees. That can result in increased job satisfaction among staff members and stronger retention rates.
A wellness program can also help build camaraderie among co-workers. Employees can participate in a variety of non-work-related activities or simply go to the gym together. Competition and encouragement can go a long way toward helping people change their lifestyles and make better decisions.
What’s the bottom line?
More and more organizations are becoming believers of wellness because they see a difference.
Wellness programs can help employees feel better. When they feel better, it helps improves their morale, their mental outlook and their productivity. It also helps them live healthier lives, which in turn reduces absenteeism and medical claims.
Sure, there is a cost involved in setting up a wellness program, but it’s really an investment in your employees and in the future of your organization.
Insights Health Care is brought to you by Medical Mutual
