Posts from — December 2008

Workplace Wellness Programs: An Attainable Goal

Was Wellness on your company’s new year’s resolutions list? Here we are a little over midway into the third month of 2008, the time when resolutions start to falter if they haven’t lost momentum completely. Has your Worksite’s wellness resolution fallen by the wayside? If so, there are still ways to get back on track.

One Wellness tip comes to us from the YMCA of Greater Des Moines, reported from the Jersey Shore. Rod Shirk, the YMCA’s chief financial officer, participated in the organization’s first executive Workplace Wellness Program, which registered his cholesterol as higher than normal. That prompted him to get a physical, which showed high levels of a prostate-specific antigen that often indicates prostate cancer. The outcome? His doctors caught a life-threatening illness just in time.

Thanks Workplace Wellness Program.

So of course, Shirk is a huge proponent of Workplace Wellness Programs. He says, “For us here at the YMCA, if we are telling people to be healthy, we had better set a good example for our employees.”

Wellness Decreases Health Care Costs

Though cases like Shirk’s dramatic cancer save are the most desirable effect of Workplace Wellness Programs, it isn’t the initial draw for organizations. They do it to reduce medical care costs, and there’s no doubt that Workplace Wellness Programs do just that. Worksite Wellness Plan Statistics show that Workplace Wellness Programs return anywhere from $2.30 to $10.10 per dollar spent on wellness. “Health care costs should go down as people think about changing their diets and getting more active,” Shirk says.

The Worksite Wellness Plan savings aren’t just in the Medical Insurance department. Human resource departments report that Workplace Wellness Programs also reduce absenteeism and increase productivity.

Still, corporations have been loath to invest that elusive Wellness dollar despite the well-documented returns. A Principal Financial Group and Harris Interactive survey found that only 10% of small- to medium-size organizations have made workplace Health Screening and Biometric Testings – like the one that saved Shirk’s life – available to their employees.

Is It Necessary to Incent Companies to Initiate Workplace Wellness Programs?

Wellness incentive rewards may seem like an effective way to get employees excited about Worksite Wellness Plan – but is it wise?

This helps and encourages organizations to understand the importance of maintaining a healthy staff members, not only for the welfare of its employees, but as well as the welfare of the company bottom line … then, yes, it could be necessary.

Tax Breaks as Wellness incentive rewards

In 2007, two senators decided to band together to create the “Healthy Workforce Act.” This act is designed to encourage organizations to keep employees healthy and prevent disease. The senators believed that having a country focused on “well care” versus “sick care” would decrease the overall costs of medical care for everyone. They decided to start with America’s staff members.

The legislation, introduced by Oregon Senator Gordon Smith and Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, notes that corporations would receive a Wellness incentive reward – a fifty percent tax credit – if they offer to their employees a Worksite Wellness Plan that meets the following criteria:

1) A health awareness and education component, which could include Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals and Health Screening and Biometric Testings.
2) A behavioral change component – such as counseling, seminars, or self-help materials to empower employees to lead healthier lifestyles.
3) A supportive environment component – including providing meaningful incentive rewards to participating employees, such as a reduction in medical premiums or allowing employees to engage in walking Workplace Wellness Programs during the workday.
4) The creation of an worker engagement committee – which would tailor the Worksite Wellness Plan to the needs of the staff members at a particular company.

If this law gets passed, many organizations will be scrambling to offer Workplace Wellness Programs in hopes of receiving the Wellness incentive rewards.

Corporate Obesity: The Facts

Corporate obesity has become one of the fastest growing medical care problems in America. It is well known that America is considered one of the, if not “the”, fattest nations in the world. This is largely in part due to fast food, un-healthy snacks and a very sedentary lifestyle. However, what many people are not aware of is that the rate of obesity in our country has doubled in the last 30 years and this weighs heavily on a company’s bottom line.

According to a new report from The Conference Board, Weights and Measures: What companys Should Know about Obesity, obese employees cost private organizations an estimated $45 billion each year. Following are some of the report’s findings:

Obesity is associated with a 36% increase in spending on medical care, more than smoking or problem drinking.
34% of adult United States citizens fit the definition of “obese”
Obesity related health problems are costing United States corporations millions of dollars each year in medical expenditures and work loss.

Corporate Obesity: How organizations Can Help

With the increase in obesity and company costs associated with it, it is more and more imperative to establish a way to assist employees with their healthy living choices. Workplace Wellness Programs can help organizations help their employees. By providing assistance with Health Screening and Biometric Testing, Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals and by conducting Worksite Wellness Plan surveys; Workplace Wellness Programs allow the company non-invasive ways to communicate their concerns about their worker’s health.

We suggest establishing a Walking Worksite Wellness Plan to assist your employees in meeting their weight-loss goals. Walking Wellness is a program designed to get your employees away from their desk and get them outside for a little exercise. Keep it fun by having contests, setting up weight-loss teams and having organized healthy picnics.

What is a Worksite Wellness Plan Proposal?

You probably have seen the term many times and wondered what exactly does it mean. A Worksite Wellness Plan Proposal is a proposal put together by a wellness consultant that makes suggestions for what type of Workplace Wellness Programs you should choose, what tools you will need to accomplish your corporation’s wellness goals, and costs associated with it.

Worksite Wellness Plan Proposals Assist Human Resource Departments

A Worksite Wellness Plan Proposal is a great thing to have in hand when HR Departments go to upper management to request funding for a Workplace Wellness Program. It will offer necessary stats and trends, background information, and costs that will enable the HR Department to fully present their case. Upper management will appreciate the preparedness and the research that has gone into your wellness request.

Worksite Wellness Plan Proposals Lead to Better Workplace Wellness Programs

A well thought out Worksite Wellness Plan Proposal can lead to a better Workplace Wellness Program, because the building blocks will already be in place. Worksite Wellness Plan Proposals will guarantee that your corporation gets the proper Worksite Wellness Plan established. Workplace Wellness Programs can vary greatly, but when your employees ask, you can tell them that they generally include the following:

Walking programs which offers employees with incentive rewards to take their walking breaks at their workplace.
Company teams, onsite yoga classes and massage therapists at the workplace.
Nutrition advice, weight-loss and healthy cooking classes, stress management sessions, and either a Worksite Wellness Plan resources column in the worker newsletter or a wellness newsletter.
Stairwell initiatives to show how stair-walking can enhance health.

Wellness Challenges Are Popping Up Everywhere

Wellness Challenges are definitely hot right now and they are encouraging more and more people to get healthy and live better. Whether it is a city or a school or a social group or even a whole state, competitive spirits are being ignited by the challenge to be the healthiest team. The Wellness Challenges are usually about a six months to a year in length and they are made up of several teams, these teams all get points for physical activity, selecting healthy foods, and just making better life and health choices overall.

The best part about Wellness Challenges is even though there really is only way “real” winner; everyone that participates in the challenge is a life winner.

Wellness Challenges offers incentive reward to Get Healthy

Establishing a Wellness Challenges in your office is a great way to get employees to participate in your established Workplace Wellness Program. Have employees form teams and receive points for everything from attending a company Health and Wellness Fair to getting a health risk assessment to beginning an exercise regimen. At the end of the year, the teams will win prizes based on the number of points they have accumulated.

Wellness Challenges Enhance Corporate Health

Not only will Wellness Challenges enhance the health of your employees, it will enhance the overall health of the corporation by providing benefits such as fewer injuries, worker’s comp claims, reduced medical care costs, better worker attendance, and better company morale.

Like we said earlier, everyone is a winner in a Wellness Challenges!

The 61st annual World Health Assembly is taking place this week in Geneva, Switzerland and at this assembly; the World Health Organization (WHO) is presenting its report titled “Preventing Non-communicable Diseases (NCD) in the Workplace through Diet and Physical Activity.”

The report calls for Workplace Wellness Programs to be promoted and implemented worldwide.

Importance of Workplace Wellness Programs

The report notes that Non-Communicable Disease related deaths have surpassed transferable disease related deaths and have become the leading global killers. Examples of Non-Communicable Disease’s are heart disease, diabetes and stroke. In 2005, 60% of worldwide projected deaths were caused by non-communicable diseases. They are predicting that this health trend will continue through at least 2030.

Diet, caloric intake, lack of physical activity and tobacco use are the major risk factors in the cause of Non-Communicable Disease’s. Now more than ever, the understanding of the importance of health and wellness is crucial.

Workplace Wellness Programs are Effective Tools

The report notes that Workplace Wellness Programs are found to be effective in improving health-related risk factors, such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes. The report also notes that Workplace Wellness Programs will enhance the health of employees, enhance the company image, enhance worker morale, reduce worker absences and sick leave, increase worker productivity, and reduce company medical care expenses.

Workplace Wellness Programs Monitoring

Finally, the report mentions that to have a successful Workplace Wellness Program, monitoring and evaluation through Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals and health outcomes are critical and should be included in the Worksite Wellness Plan implementation. The evaluations ensure that the Worksite Wellness Plan developed meets the proper needs of the employees. Staff Members should be reevaluated on an on-going basis to make sure the Worksite Wellness Plan is still working, or to see if there are any adjustments that need to be made.

Worksite Wellness Plan ROI: Fact or Fiction?

Workplace Wellness Programs … do they offer a strong return on investment? This is a question that we are sure goes through ever company’s mind. HR Magazine addresses the Worksite Wellness Plan ROI topic in their June 2008 issue.

Worksite Wellness Plan ROI: The Bottom Line

According to the article, titled “Finding Wellness’ Return on Investment,” determining Worksite Wellness Plan ROI is not an easy thing to do for corporations because it involves a lot of different variables and time.

However, the organizations that have taken the time to determine the Worksite Wellness Plan ROI of their Workplace Wellness Programs have found that it is quite significant. Not to mention, the Wellness program’s effect on the improvement of worker health and the slowing of the rate of their worker medical care expenses.

Worksite Wellness Plan ROI Alliance

Worksite Wellness Plan ROI is such an important aspect of today’s company culture, that several large organizations have come together to form the Alliance for Wellness ROI, Inc. According to the HR Magazine article, The Alliance for Wellness ROI was specifically created to address the lack of consistency in proving the value of Workplace Wellness Programs.

The alliance, formed by BMW of North America, Henry Ford Health System, Kraft Foods Global, MasterCard Worldwide and Schlumberger Limited, strongly believes in showing the value of Workplace Wellness Programs and want to develop a standard for how Workplace Wellness Programs are measured.

Workplace Wellness Programs Components

According the alliance, the following components should make up an company-provided worker Workplace Wellness Program:

Employee assistance Program (EAP)
Disease Management Programs (DM)
Fitness and exercise Programs
Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals
Workplace medical care Programs
Personal wellness profiles
Preventive Health Screening and Biometric Testings and immunizations
Smoking-cessation Programs
Phone based Workplace Wellness Programs
Weight Management / Loss Programs
Self-Care Programs.

Wellness During the Summer Time

Wellness is important year-round; however if your employees haven’t gotten on the Wellness bandwagon, then now is the perfect time to get them there.

Summer Time is an ideal season to get back into shape and enhance overall Wellness.  The weather is beautiful, employees can get outside and they are motivated by the thought of having to wear clothes with less coverage.  Fitness, or lack of fitness, is apparent in the summer.

Wellness in the Summer Time has Advantages

There are many advantages to beginning a Worksite Wellness Plan in the Summer Time.  Employees are more likely to get outside and walk or participate in group activities during the summer than they are in the cooler months of the fall and winter.  Summer is also a great time to establish a Wellness challenge with your employees and celebrate the completion of the challenge with a participant picnic or cookout.  Finally, it always seems easier to eat healthy during the summer with all the fresh vegetables and fruits that are available during this time.

Worksite Wellness Plan Kick-off

We recommend following these steps when starting a Worksite Wellness Plan in your office.

Pick a wellness coordinator for the Worksite Wellness Plan who is willing and able to see it through.
Ensure that you have the support of company leadership.
Establish a Wellness committee
Use a Worksite Wellness Plan survey to uncover the obstacles and goals of your Worksite Wellness Plan
Provide Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals
Analyze the Worksite Wellness Plan and changes as needed
Remember to stress that the Worksite Wellness Plan is for the employees.  Workplace Wellness Programs have been found to prevent obesity, cancer, heart disease and hypertension.  Taking part in in a Worksite Wellness Plan that offers all that should be an easy decision for the corporation and for the employees.

Workplace Wellness Programs and Health Care Costs

Workplace Wellness Programs are more important now than ever.  According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, with the troubles in the economy it seems that the costs of company provided medical care keep continuing to grow and it doesn’t seem like it is going to change.  The article notes that during the year 2008, United States organizations can expect to see an increase of 10% in medical care costs.

This increase in medical care costs is causing some small organizations to reduce their worker health benefits or get rid of them altogether.

Workplace Wellness Programs for Healthier Lifestyles

Workplace Wellness Programs do offer an option for small organizations.  The corporations can offer discounted co-pays and deductibles to those employees that fully participate in the provided Workplace Wellness Program.  Full participation means getting health screens, receiving a health risk assessment, and then working with their wellness coordinator to work towards a healthier lifestyle.

The healthier the employees, the reduce the overall medical care costs for the corporation.  Just one lengthy hospital stay can almost deplete a small business’ medical care budget.

Workplace Wellness Programs and Your Bottom Line

Workplace Wellness Programs offer many advantages to a company’s bottom-line. Worksite Wellness Plan Statistics from Prudential Insurance show a benefit expense of $312 per person enrolled in a Worksite Wellness Plan compared to an expense of $574 per worker that wasn’t enrolled.  Coors Brewing Company showed a positive side-effect of participant absenteeism dropping by 18%, thus greater production and less medical care costs overall.

Workplace Wellness Programs are an excellent investment, at least according to Lincoln industries in Nebraska.  CNN reported on this 565 employee company their committed investment in their worker’s wellness.

Workplace Wellness Programs are part of company Culture

The Workplace Wellness Programs, according the story, has been in place for 16 years at Lincoln, and it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.  The company has three full-time employees dedicated to the Worksite Wellness Plan and the wellness of the employees, who receive workplace massages and a round of instructor-led stretching before they start their shifts.

Workplace Wellness Programs Assessed

According to CNN, one of the rules of the Workplace Wellness Program, which employees are not required to participate in, is that they receive quarterly checkups where assessments are completed on their weight, amount of body fat and flexibility.  Based on these health assessments, the employees are then ranked from platinum all the way down to “non-medal”.  To become platinum level, where you receive a company-paid climbing trip, you must achieve certain fitness levels and be a non-smoker.  Smoking cessation classes are part of the Workplace Wellness Program.

Workplace Wellness Programs Bring a Big Savings

The Worksite Wellness Plan has been a wise investment for Lincoln Industries.  By having healthier employees, they have seen an average of $2 million in savings in medical care costs per year.  The savings don’t stop there, since instituting a Workplace Wellness Program, workers’ compensation claims have gone from $500,000 per year down to less than $10,000 per year.