Here is more evidence that health promotion programs pay for themselves -
Over the last two years, one corporation in five has seen significant betterment in employees’ health status
Here is more evidence that health promotion programs pay for themselves -
Over the last two years, one corporation in five has seen significant betterment in employees’ health status
Corporate America is increasingly investing in staff member health promotion because it is good business. In order to meet productivity demands, organizations must rely on a healthy, productive workforce to succeed in the highly competitive global marketplace.
Over a hundred studies in both corporate and governmental settings have documented the economic benefits of employee wellness programs, including decreased absenteeism, decreased injuries and workman’s compensation costs, decreased health care costs, decreased employee turnover, in addition to increased productivity, greater employee satisfaction, and improved morale.1-10
The more recent literature reflects improvements in wellness programming along with greater return on investment. In general, the more focused and intensive the wellness program, the greater benefit realized.
To enhance their effectiveness federal government employee wellness programs could be able to incorporate some of the features described. Staff Member wellness programs shown to have positive returns on investment often include the following features -
1 Health and productivity management model
Programs characterized by this model focus attention on identification and reduction of specific risks or behaviors like tobacco use, lack of exercise, excess weight, unhealthy diet, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, stress, depression, and so on.
High-risk workforce are specifically targeted for intervention, although the most successful wellness programs also direct efforts towards healthful workforce in order to maintain their low-risk status. This model emphasizes outcomes as opposed to simply offering wellness activities for their own sake.
2 Health risk appraisal
Use of a computerized health risk appraisal instrument with individualized feedback and recommendations is almost universal in successful health promotion programs. Employees take the questionnaire annually in many cases.
The Health Risk Assessment (HRA) serves to elevate awareness, provide direction, and motivate individuals to improve specific behaviors. In some cases, the personalized report is directly linked to appropriate resources related to identified risks.
Research indicates that the use of an HRA is effective when it’s followed by some type of educational or therapeutic intervention for identified risks. It often serves as the entry point into health promotion programs.
3 Biometric analysis
A lot of health promotion programs combine the results of the health risk appraisal with measurement of each worker’s biometrics, including weight and Body Mass Index , blood pressure, cholesterol, fasting glucose, and assorted other metrics.
Combining the results of the HRA with biological measures leads to a more precise risk profile. Computerized health risk assessments often incorporate biometric data in their risk analysis.
4 Wellness Program Incentives
Staff Members are frequently given monetary or other meaningful rewards for completing an HRA, participation in a health promotion program or class, specific accomplishments such as stopping tobacco use, losing weight, or exercising, and for maintaining healthy status and/or behaviors.
In many cases the monetary incentives are associated with reductions in medical insurance premiums. Some wellness programs use disincentives in addition to incentives, like charging personnel who smoke higher rates for their medical insurance contribution.
5 High health promotion program participation rates
Successful health promotion programs use incentives to drive participation rates up. They also market their health promotion programs comprehensively, and may use contest or challenge strategies to heighten enthusiasm and encourage participation.
6 Health Promotion coaching
Employees with identified risks or desire to improve their health habits may be periodically coached via telephone by trained wellness Coaches.
Coaching helps workers set and achieve realistic lifestyle-related goals including those addressing stress, work life balance, use of tobacco, weight, exercise, and various behavior modifications.
Three or more sessions are usually offered. In some intensive health promotion programs, the coaching extends to actual disease management intervention for staff members with identified high-risk diseases.
7 Multiple formats
Programs may offer wellness content in online, paper, and seminar formats to provide stimulating variety and alternatives in order to accommodate the needs of all staff members.
In addition to on-site physical activity and healthful consuming events, on-line wellness programs, e-mail reminders and notices, printed newsletters and materials, and worksite courses and workshops are common dissemination strategies.
8 Senior level management support
Enthusiastic and frequent endorsement by senior management is vital to achieving high rates of participation. When senior executives are wellness role models themselves the effects of endorsement are enhanced.
9 Frequent contact
Successful health promotion programs have frequent contact of some sort with every employee. This may be through advertising efforts (e.g., posters, e-mail notices, reminders, or messages, etc.), bulletin boards, newsletters, staff meeting presentations, discussion in new employee orientation, supervisory sessions, etc.
The key is to enhance employee awareness of wellness opportunities and reinforce the corporate emphasis on wellness through frequent and multiple “touches”.
10 Open enrollment
To encourage high participation rates workforce must’ve easy access to the wellness programs and activities. Open and uncomplicated enrollment processes achieve this.
Many corporations automatically enroll all workforce and then allow those who don’t wish to participate to “opt-out”. This practice has been proven to improve enrollment rates in some settings.
11 Family involvement
Many health promotion programs encourage spouses and other family members to take part in the company wellness activities and to adopt a healthful lifestyle along with the designated staff member. It’s far easier for the staff member to have a healthful lifestyle if his/her family does so as well.
12 Tobacco use cessation
Because use of tobacco and other use of tobacco is the number one threat to health it is critical to offer workforce effective and convenient assistance with quitting.
Access to smoking cessation pharmaceuticals is often part of such health promotion programs. In-house health promotion programs provide the most convenient access to these services, although on-line or telephone-based health promotion programs may be available as well.
13 Physical Activity
Regular exercise is a core component of every health promotion program. Staff Members must be strongly encouraged to engage in regular exercise.
Most health promotion programs provide either periodic or continuous on-site opportunities, and some locations have on-site health clubs, swimming pools, walking trails, etc. Discounted or paid memberships to community exercise facilities is a common alternative to on-site facilities.
14 Weight management
Because obesity is a major threat to health it’s crucial that programs offer effective assistance with weight control. Comprehensive encouragement from upper management to shed excess weight is important.
Web-Based wellness programs, workplace programs, or discounted access to weight control programs in the community may all be available. Long-term follow-up is crucial for maintenance of weight loss.
15 Stress management
Worksite stress is perhaps the most common complaint among personnel and a major contributor to absenteeism, presenteeism (reduced productivity), and low morale.
Almost all successful health promotion programs offer assistance with personal and worksite stress. Some programs refer personnel to outside resources for additional serious conditions like depression and anxiety disorders, but most offer web-based or frequent on-site general stress reduction programs.
Some corporations endeavor to structure the work environment to minimize stress, both physically and operationally.
16 Medical testings/immunizations
Staff Members are actively encouraged to complete recommended medical screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, Body Mass Index (BMI), colorectal and breast cancer, and others.
Annual influenza immunizations are also encouraged. Some sites provide these services at the worksite. Incentives are often awarded for completion of these screenings/immunizations.
17 On-Site health care
Actual provision of onsite primary care medical services is a growing trend. The rapidly escalating costs of medical care insurance for staff has stimulated this trend.
Many organizations have found that it’s less expensive to provide main care services themselves than to fund those services through health insurance.
On-Site care also lowers the amount of time workers would otherwise spend away from the workplace getting such services.
References
1 Aldana, Steven G. (2001) Financial Impact of Wellness Programs – A Extensive Review of the Literature. Am J Wellness 15(5) – 296-320.
2 Chapman, Larry. (1998) the Role of Incentives in Wellness. The Art of Wellness 2(3) – 1-8.
3 Chapman, Larry. (2003) Biometric Screening in Health Promotion – is it Really as Important as We Think? the Art of Health Promotion 7(2) – 1-12.
4 Chapman, Larry. (2005) Meta-Investigation of Employee Health Promotion Economic Return Studies – 2005 Update. The Art of Wellness, July/August, 1-15.
5 Chapman, Larry. (2006) Employee Participation in Company Health Promotion and Health Promotion Programs – Just how Important are Incentives, and Which Ones work Best? North Carolina Medical Journal 67(6) – 431-432.
6 Chapman, Larry, Lesch, Nancy, and Passas Baun, Mary Beth. (2007) the Role of Wellness Coaching in Company Wellness. the Art of Wellness, July/August, 1-12.
7 Chapman, Larry. (2007) Proof Positive – an Analysis of the cost-Effectiveness of Corporate Wellness. Northwest Health Management Publishing, Seattle, WA.
8 Chapman, Larry. (2007) an In-Depth Look at the Economic Evidence for Rewarding Health Behavior Change. Workshop presentation at the World Research Group “Rewarding Healthful Behaviors for Health Plans and Corporations” Conference, Orlando, FL, January 23-24.
9 Edington, Dee. (2001) Emerging Research – A View from One Research Center. American Journal of Wellness 15(5) – 341-349.
10 Edington, Dee W. (2007) Health Management as a Serious Corporation Strategy. Presentation at the World Research Group “Rewarding Healthy Behaviors for Health Plans and Companys” Conference, Orlando, FL, January 23-24.
11 Pelletier, Barbara, Boles, Myde, and Lunch, Wendy. (2004) Changes in Health Risks and Make certain to work Productivity. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 46(7) – 746-754.
12 Pelletier, Kenneth R. (2005) A Review and Analysis of the Clinical and Cost-Effectiveness Studies of robust Health and Disease ManagementPrograms at the Workplace – Update VI 2000-2004. JOEM 47(10)1051-1058.
13 DeVol, Ross, Bedroussian, Armen, et. Al. (2007) an Unhealthful America – the Economic Burden of Chronic Disease. Report released by the Milken Institute. www .milkeninstitute.org.
14 Partnership for Prevention. (2008) Investing in Health – Proven Health Promotion Practices for Workplaces. http – //www .prevent.org/images/stories/2008/investinginhealth_finalfinal.pdf.
Wellness incentives are critical to discuss because there are so many things available to reward workers for their behavior changes. Unfortunately it seems that Worksite Wellness Programs are among the most effective when workers are provided with wellness incentives.
Better health does not seem to be enough for most to take part in any other “extra” activities while at work. Everyone leads a busy life with hectic schedules and tremendous workloads.
Adding anything else to our schedule can be challenging even though we know that by participating in a Worksite Wellness Program we can improve our health and quality of life. This can get quite frustrating for those who are responsible for developing a Worksite Wellness Program. Trust me I know as I have been there.
Before you initiate your wellness incentive plan, understand worker reward rules established by the Department of Labor and the United States of American Treasury to help you meet HIPAA guidelines.
Worksite Wellness Programs that include worker participation incentives are far more productive Worksite Wellness Programs. Corporations already “dangling the carrot” and providing worker rewards/incentives for their wellness efforts are far ahead in the race in managing healthcare costs.
Learning what motivates your workers will be the 1st step in knowing which wellness incentives you ought to incorporate into your Worksite Wellness Program. Worksite Wellness Program incentives that work for ABC business down the street will most certainly not always work for Company XYZ. Your budget will also play an influential part in the decision.
Worker interest surveys are a wonderful way to collect data on what workers would like to receive. An worker interest survey asks workers questions about what Worksite Wellness Programs they’re willing and interested in attending as well as what incentives would motivate behavior change.
Depending on the Health Risk Appraisals you select, some Health Risk Appraisals also include questions that analyze worker interests, requirements, and wants which can be useful in creating for your incentive program.
When to offer wellness incentives and what wellness incentives are among the most common are two complex questions. Anytime workers are introduced to a new Worksite Wellness Program, benefit, or service they’re immediately intrigued and interested.
In today’s society, health and wellness has become a hot topic of conversation and more popular than it ever has been. More people are creating to take action to improve their health through behavior change.
When Worksite Wellness Programs are introduced to workers excitement is generally high. As time goes on, the excitement can wane if better incentives are not incorporated into the overall Wellness Program.
More often than not, businesses will offer incentives like tee shirts, raffle prizes, and gift certificates for completing a Health Risk Appraisals, attending a health fair or an educational presentation.
These are wonderful worker rewards for one time activities but are certainly not enough to encourage long term behaviors change. Would you quit smoking or reduce your blood pressure for a water bottle?
For activities that require attendance (i.e. Lunch and Learn presentations, walking events, or nutrition classes) we generally suggest providing a tee shirt or gift certificate to reward workers. Nonetheless, these wellness incentives should not be the main form of worker recognition in your Worksite Wellness Program.
Corporations today are getting more serious about the types of wellness incentives workers are offered for not only participation but also for making positive lifestyle changes. A pat on the back and a “Good Job” won’t initiate change.
Another important factor that affects healthy eating is the environment in which we live in us as well as lack of awareness. Worksite Wellness Programs that support environmental changes are quite effective strategies for lowering worker health risks. They provide ongoing support to workers about how to make healthier eating choices.
Like business policies, be sure that you have the support from senior management as these Worksite Wellness Programs can be intrusive and cause resistance among workers at 1st.
Work with your local vending machine business as to the best possible options for your company. Here are some examples of Worksite Wellness Programs that would fit into this category.
Vending Machines are a wonderful place to intervene, educate, and highlight “better” choices for at your company. Color code selections in red (bad), yellow (better option) and green (healthiest). Put better choices at eye level and the least healthy at the very bottom of the machines.
Make unhealthy choices more expensive. Stock machines with primarily healthy snack items and avoid or completely remove vending machines with unhealthy items.
Cafeteria Plans, if you have an onsite cafeteria, an provide workers with raise knowledge about making better choices in places with multiple items and unlimited portions.
Company Break Rooms are a wonderful place to promote healthier choices.
Company Policies must have management support if you plan to introduce any new formal or informal policies into the company.
Use your creativity, get the support of your management team and your workers and do what you can to start a supportive environment for healthy eating at your company.
Healthy eating has much to do with lack of the right information, awareness and knowledge to make good decisions. Making available opportunities for workers to become educated on making better choices not only for themselves but also their family is a very valuable service.
Awareness initiatives are among the simplest and most cost effective Worksite Wellness Programs you can implement. They involve a continuous flow of information in many different forms including fliers, newsletters, announcements, or vending machine stickers.
Wellness Seminar presentations are also a wonderful awareness intervention as they heighten interest and raise knowledge but they should not be the primary company program offered. They’re not effective enough, at least I don’t believe, to make major changes for lasting impact.
Here are some example Wellness Seminar presentations that you could offer on a monthly or quarterly basis.
The goal of awareness interventions is mainly to raise worker knowledge and understanding of risks associated with certain behaviors. The main objective is to instigate change among worker lifestyle choices.
Here are some ideas for healthy eating awareness initiatives that you can implement in your company:
Those are just several of the ideas that I have seen and/or implemented on our own to support healthier eating habits. There are so many wonderful things that you can do at your company. Have fun and enjoy and be sure to Contact Us if you have any questions!
Changing the Corporate Environment can also help start healthier food choices among worker populations.
Body mass index, or BMI is a quick simple way to assess one’s body “fatness” using a ratio between one’s height and weight.
BMI is often used onsite at employee health fairs as part of their health screenings to estimate health risks including overweight and obesity issues among worker populations.
It is critical to know that BMI does not measure ones body fat percentage but rather provides an estimate of ones potential weight issues for their height.
The reason BMI is a popular tool among employee health fairs is because of the ease of calculation and also because it is less invasive than actual body fat screenings using Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) or use of calipers (a trained specialist take a series of measurements using calipers on several areas on your body).
Learn more about these topics and achieving a healthy weight by visiting HealthAtoZ.com health tools center. Here you will find several assessment tools that you can use for your onsite Worksite Wellness Programs or redirect workers to this site to learn more about evaluating their weight and making changes in their behaviors.
Researchers and health experts are reconsidering the importance of one’s body mass index and the impact having a “less than normal” rate is on our health. An increase in one’s waist circumference and visceral fat (fat encompassing one’s critical organs) is becoming more of a rise risk factor for contracting complex health problems like cardiovascular disease, stroke, and other life-threatening complications.
For women their waist should be less than 35 inches around and less than 40 inches for males. Anything beyond these measurements definitely increases one’s chances of contracting type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease.
Using a tape measure, begin at the top of the hip bone and bring it all the way around keeping it level with the belly button.
Be certain not to hold your breath and keep the tape measure parallel to the floor.
Be certain to add waist circumference testing as part of your worker health screenings in addition to body mass index, health screenings, and other critical tests.
Behavior change programs offer in depth information about a particular topic and are targeted towards making significant changes for workers who have already developed a disease risk factor.
Examples include smoking cessation, weight management, stress management, financial wellness are most often offered in 6, 8, and 12 week courses.
Example behavior change programs ideas include:
Consider offering a Holiday Weight Management Program for workers wanting to control their weight and eating habits during the holidays seasons. This can be as simple as bringing in a professional speaker, or doing it yourself, and discussing topics like holiday cooking, snacking, portion control, substitutions,etc.
Offer Health Coaching sessions for workers to meet individually with a registered dietitian (RD), a nurse or a Worksite Wellness Program coach on a regular basis to provide continuous support.
Weight management classes are another option to consider. As part of weight management classess one might host weekly weigh-ins, provide healthy lunches, and bring in a presenter to discuss issues with workers interested in weight management or weight loss. You could also host onsite weight loss meetings like WeightWatchers.com® to help motivate workers at work!
These are just a few ideas that you can use to start fun yet effective Worksite Wellness Programs that provide onsite support for your workers. Have questions? Comments? Contact us.
Simple Tips for Overcoming Unhealthy Food Choices
Here are some simple ideas for you to share with your workers. Use them in a newsletter or send them in a weekly tips email.
Building an environment that supports healthy eating is one that won’t only benefit workers but also the entire family. If workers are exposed to the information at work they’re more likely to pass it along to other members of the family, including their children.
Are you in the development phase of creating your Worksite Wellness Programs? Here are some steps for businesses that have already created a”game plan” and are ready to begin offering Worksite Wellness Programs to their workers.
These components are very important to ensure that you achieve success in your Worksite Wellness Program efforts.
Health Risk Assessment involves identifying health risks among your workers and your workforce in general. This is generally conducted during the initial phase of implementing a Worksite Wellness Program and serves as the Worksite Wellness Program’s road map.
Data is collected using Health Risk Appraisals, health screenings, worker requirements and want surveys, culture audits. Educational support is key for participants to make changes in their lifestyle. It is one thing to know their risks but it is quite another to provide them with the education and support for making change.
This component often includes individual health risk reports, presentation, behavior change Worksite Wellness Programs (smoking cessation, weight management, etc), and newsletters.
Communication is also very important especially from senior management. Employees must understand the purpose of the Worksite Wellness Program, what is expected of them and how they can get involved in Worksite Wellness Programs.
Newsletters, pay check stub fliers, and lunch room posters are wonderful ways to continually communicate and market the Worksite Wellness Program. Disease and risk management is very important to help control costs.
Making available workers who have already created diseases like diabetes, cancer, or have become obese must have Worksite Wellness Programs available to them them reduce and manage their risk factors.
Worksite Wellness Program evaluation is probably the most crucial for Worksite Wellness Program leaders because it provides senior management with information to help you support the Worksite Wellness Program’s cause.
This is a continual process and should include return on investment, risk reduction, Worksite Wellness Program participation, and any other important data to support the Worksite Wellness Program’s progression.
Corporate stress cost businesses thousands of dollars a year. More often than not in the form of lost time, sick leave, presenteeism and other illnesses.
In 2006, the University of Michigan Health Management Research Center Cost/Benefit Report indicated that workers with high stress levels and stress scores from their Health Risk Appraisals, cost an average of $1,600 per worker per year.
With an unstable economy, increased work loads, and busier personal lives, offering Worksite Wellness Programs that help worker manage stress levels is even more critical.
Corporations must assess their environment to ensure that they’re doing all they can to remove unnecessary stressors from the workplace. Visit the Centers of Disease Control’s website for additional information on what you can do as an company to manage job stressor for your workers.
Stress can’t be completely eliminated from our lives but we can learn how to effective manage it and thus reduce chances of contracting health risks.
High stress levels have been shown to raise risk for serious health complications like high blood pressure, stroke, ulcers, and other illnesses you can understand how critical offering Corporate stress management programs. Programs that focus on environmental changes within the company will have the most impact on job stress.
Below you wil find some Corporate stress management programs that I have seen implemented onsite for businesses and their workers. Stress programs are challenging to get workers to attend because they’re sensitive about showing a need for help, especially at work. Utilizing a combination of these Worksite Wellness Programs will help you gain a balance of Worksite Wellness Programs to meet all workers’ requirements.