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 Wellness Areté is a strong proponent of worksite health and wellness programs. Studies have repeatedly demonstrated that comprehensive worksite health promotion programs, or Corporate Wellness Programs, can lower health care and insurance costs, decrease absenteeism, and improve performance and productivity. Of 24 studies published in peer-reviewed journals from 1991-1993, "all but one evidenced positive health outcomes. Of the studies which analyzed cost-effectiveness or cost benefits, every one indicated a positive return."
A 1996 review of 10 major studies reports cost/benefit ratios ranging from 1:2.05 to 1:5.96 with two very high return studies reporting ratios of 1:10.1 and 1:19.4. Other benefits demonstrated in studies include improved ability to attract and retain key personnel, greater employee allegiance, and improved public image of the company.
A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report in 2002 revealed that at worksites with physical activity programs, employers have:
Reduced healthcare costs by 20% to 55%
A number of studies provide evidence of lower medical
and insurance costs for participants in health promotion programs,
particularly wellness programs involving exercise.
- For
$30 per person, the Bank of America conducted a health promotion
program for retirees using a risk assessment questionnaire, self-care
books and other mailed materials. Insurance claims were reduced an
average of $164 per year in this group while they increased $15 for the
control group. Since they were able to document significant changes in
risk behavior, they anticipate greater savings in future years.
- Pacific
Bell’s FitWorks participants claim $300 less per case for a one year
savings of $700,000. Savings for conditions related to a sedentary
lifestyle are $722 per case.
- Coca Cola
reported a reduction in health care claims with an exercise program
alone, saving $500 per employee per year for the employees (60%) who
joined their HealthWorks fitness program.
- Prudential
Insurance Company reports that the company's major medical costs
dropped from $574 to $312 for each participant in its wellness program.
Reduced short-term sick leave by 6% to 32%
Absenteeism has been shown to be impacted by employer
health promotion and wellness programs. The evidence indicates a
significant reduction in absenteeism and resultant dollars saved as a
result of employee fitness programs.
- Pacific
Bell’s FitWorks program decreased absent days .8 percent to save $2
million in one year. FitWorks members also spent 3.3 days less on
short term disability for an additional savings of $4.7 million.
- Focusing
health promotion efforts on high risk employees can lead to better
results. A national manufacturing company reports a decrease of 12.2%
in illness days for these employees.
- A 2
year study by The DuPont Corporation of the effect of its comprehensive
health promotion program on absences among workers reports that blue
collar employees at intervention sites had a 14% decline in disability
days vs. 5.8% decline for controls. There were a total of 11,726 fewer
net disability days.
Increased performance, moral and productivity increases of 2% to 52%
A number of employers with health promotion programs
report documented improvement in job attitude, work performance, energy
level, and/or overall morale among program participants--all critical
factors in enhancing productivity.
- A
Johnson & Johnson study found that employee attitude changes were
greater at health promotion intervention sites with significant
positive attitude changes noted in the categories of organizational
commitment, supervision, working conditions, job competence/security,
and pay/benefits.
- In a Canadian
government study, the Canada Life Assurance Company experimental group
realized a 4% increase in productivity after starting an employee
fitness program, compared to the control group. Further, 47% of program
participants reported that they felt more alert, had better rapport
with their coworkers, and generally enjoyed their work more.
- Swedish
investigators found that mental performance was significantly better in
physically fit workers than in non-fit workers. Fit workers committed
27% fewer errors on tasks involving concentration and short-term
memory, as compared with the performance of non-fit workers.
Worksite wellness programs can help support healthy behaviors. Take advantage of these benefits in your organization. Areté can help you start a effective worksite wellness program now!
Elements of a Comprehensive Worksite Health Promotion Program
- Health education focuses on skill development and lifestyle behavior change along with information dissemination and awareness building, preferably tailored to employee's interests and needs.
- Supportive social and physical environments include an organization's expectations regarding healthy behaviors and implementation of policies that promote health and reduce risk of disease.
- Integration of the worksite program into the organization's structure.
- Linkage to related programs like employee assistance programs (EAPs) and programs to help employees balance work and family.
- Worksite screening programs ideally linked to medical care to ensure follow-up and appropriate treatment as necessary.
- Some process for supporting individual behavior and change with follow-up interventions.
- A means of determining how the program is working, and how it can be improved.
Assessment Tools
There are many different assessment tools that are available, Areté can help your organization find appropriate assessment resources to help you create the right worksite wellness program.
The Bottom Line
There is compelling evidence that a sizable portion of the billions of dollars currently spent by employers on health-related costs, is preventable by means of health promotion programming. Well planned, comprehensive health promotion programs (corporate wellness programs and employee wellness programs) have been shown to be cost-effective, especially when the health promotion programming is matched to the health problems of the specific employee population.
The following are free resources to assist your organization in its efforts to promote health and wellness. The links to other organizations are provided solely as a
service to our users. Links do not constitute an endorsement of any
organization and none should be inferred. efforts to promote health and
wellness. Areté is not responsible for the content of the individual
organization Web pages found at this link.
Worksite Wellness Programs
The tool and resources provided with these links can help your organization address overall program design and planning for health promotion programs in the workplace and may contain checklists, step-by-step guides, budgets, and other tools. Before implementing any of these interventions, the toolkits should be selected and evaluated based on the identified needs of your employee population.
Moving into Action: Promoting Heart–Healthy & Stroke–Free Communities
Moving into Action for Employers is a series of action items designed to help employers promote heart–healthy and stroke–free communities. Each item suggests ways to encourage general interest and awareness of these health issues to specific policies that promote healthy behaviors and reduce risks associated with heart disease and stroke.
Worksite Healthy Eating Guidelines
Minnesota School of Public Health, this guide helps assist worksites with selection of healthier food options during meetings, seminars, and other events
Building Healthy Texans Worksite Wellness Toolkit
Created by the Texas Department of State Health Services, this toolkit will help employers develop and improve employee wellness programs.
Good Work! Resource Kit
The Good Work! Resource Kit was developed to help work sites interested in developing low-cost ways to support employee health and productivity by providing successful techniques used by Maine businesses.
Healthy Arkansas Worksite Wellness Guide
This resource guide by the Arkansas Department of Health provides information on a simple step-by-step planning process for establishing a worksite wellness program.
Healthy Arkansas Worksite Wellness Toolkit
This toolkit, developed by the Arkansas Department of Health, is a supplement to the Healthy Arkansas Guide to Worksite Wellness and provides assessment, marketing, and evaluation tools for a general worksite wellness program as well as topic-specific interventions.
Strides to a Healthier Worksite - Wellness Challenge Toolkit
Part of the Healthy South Dakota program. This resource was developed to assist you with organizing your very own challenge to encourage employees to lead healthier lifestyles. The tool kit includes an overview of a wellness challenge and a step by step guide to setting up the wellness challenge whether it is a steps, minute or 5 A Day challenge. Included in the tool kits are a variety of supplemental materials including registration forms, calendars, advertisements and sample challenge resources.
Worksite Resource Kit
This Worksite Resource Kit was designed by the Colorado Physical Activity and Nutrition Program for all work sites to gain resources and program ideas to start or further work site wellness initiatives.
Worksite Wellness - Assessment and Planning Guide
This self assessment and planning guide developed by the Texas Department of State Health Services helps identify the strengths and weaknesses of your worksite’s wellness and health promotion policies and programs, and helps you to develop an action plan to implement a worksite wellness program or improve an existing program.
Healthy Workforce 2010: An Essential Health Promotion Sourcebook for Employers, Large and Small
Uses the objectives of Healthy Workforce 2010 to explain how and why a company should be involved in health promotion for its employees.
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