Posts from — November 2008

Maintaining Company Health and Wellness Program during Cold Season can be a challenge for any  organization. The average adult can get up to four colds in one year, and hundreds of thousands are  hospitalized every year for flu complications. From December to March, there are more employees out of  the office due to illness, and others who barely made it to the office and can hardly think over their  constant coughing and sneezing.

Employee Wellness Program: Prevention is the Key

Prevention is the key to maintaining good health in the workplace and increasing overall Employee  Wellness Program. Fighting infection after the cold and flu epidemics hit is a losing battle and can  best be combated with early action, such as implementing a Company Health and Wellness Program Program  in the office for good health year-round.

Keeping the Office Germ-free During Cold Season

The typical office is the perfect breeding grounds for influenza or the cold virus. The National  Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases says that there are higher chances for the spread of  infection during winter because people spend more time indoors. In an office, this risk is increased by  cubicles, bringing many people into a close space. Workplace Health Screenings conducted regularly as  part of an overall health management program will increase the chances of Company Health and Wellness  Program year round, and especially during Cold Season.

Education Can Increase Company Health and Wellness Program During Cold Season

Educating employees about various ways to stay healthy during Cold Season may help prevent the spread  of any sickness to the entire office. Hand washing is a crucial component in maximizing Employee  Wellness Program, as bacteria collects on keyboards, mouses, around the water cooler and next to the  community coffee pot. As employees shake hands, infection may be passed, multiplying the chance of  getting a cold or coming down with the flu. Hand washing and anti-bacterial cleaners for surfaces can  help reduce the spread of sickness.

Company Health and Wellness Program is possible during Cold Season. With Employee Wellness Program,  your office can reach one step closer to immunity from sickness during Cold Season.

Company Health and Wellness Program Study Shows Millions Lost Due to Illness

Company Health and Wellness Program was shown to be a huge economic boon for corporations in a  recently-released joint report by  the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Economic Forum  (WEF). Nearly three million productive employees in labor markets worldwide add up to a lot of money.  The Company Health and Wellness Program research study estimates that China will lose $558 billion,  India $237 billion, and Russia $303 billion in national income from 2005 to 2015 due to only three  chronic diseases: heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

Lack of Company Health and Wellness Program A “Huge Expense”

The American Center for Disease Control also reports that chronic disease accounts for approximately 75  percent of yearly worker health care costs in the American, which constitutes a huge expense for  corporations. And the Public Health Foundation of India estimates that its country will lose 18 million  potentially productive years of life by 2030, a statistic no nation can afford, let alone a developing  one.

Employee Wellness Programs the Answer

A sustainable solution to these challenges cannot be solved by medical benefits alone. Workplace  commitments to Company Health and Wellness Program are also crucial. Companies are advised to begin  worksite Health Screenings for their employees, as well as look into a comprehensive health management  program. These and other precautions are good secret weapons against the economic pitfall of unhealthy  employees.

Employee Wellness Programs – Staff Engagement Strategies

Employee Wellness Programs without staff engagement are of no use to a organization. How do you get  employees to enroll in Employee Wellness Programs – and stay engaged in the programs?

The materials for these programs discuss the benefits to employees and companies. Company Health and  Wellness Program statistics show that there are tangible benefits to a organization for offering such  programs. Employee Wellness Programs actually do save lives by getting workers to take their health  seriously, increase productivity, decrease absenteeism and more.

However, St. Louis, Missouri-based Maritz Inc., the world’s largest incentive organization, has applied  their own invigorating twist to health management by providing gift rewards to employees who  participate in Employee Wellness Programs. The wellness reward program is Maritz’s own Exclusively  Yours® plan. Health management participants earn points, which can be then redeemed for merchandise,  electronics, restaurant vouchers and travel, much like a frequent-flier program.

Enrollment rewards in Employee Wellness Programs?

Undoubtably corporations that don’t work in the rewards industry will be tempted to cry foul about  using such a rich carrot to incentivize health program enrollments. Not every organization can throw  that kind of money at health management resources – and not every organization has the built-in cost  savings as a business that specializes in providing reward programs.

For certain rich rewards like Maritz’s will break through the glaze that appears over many employees’  eyes when they’re encouraged to do something new, different or challenging. For many employees  uncomfortable with health management and physical activity, “new, different and challenging” would  apply to Employee Wellness Programs. So where does that leave companies who are unwilling or unable to  provide rewards for health management program enrollment?

Successful Employee Wellness Programs motivate employees – before and after signup

Company Health and Wellness Program administrators should keep the long-term view in mind when trying  to get employees to take that imperative first step. Even the best rewards can fail in the face of  faltering organization, badly-designed Employee Wellness Programs and wavering support. Make sure to  run good Wellness surveys before you build your Employee Wellness Programs so worker input and needs  are being met by your Employee Wellness Programs. The goal is positive outcomes, not high enrollment  numbers.

Employee Wellness Programs cannot survive managerial apathy. If executive and managerial participation  is widespread and heartfelt, employees will follow their leadership. The potential rewards and Wellness  benefits are clearly worth reaping, for both your employer and your co-workers.

Wellness might be the fatal flaw in your Employee Wellness Program. Is Wellness part of your strategy?  Does workplace wellness stop when your employees leave the office?

Wellness Continuity

If employees don’t have the tools to pursue health and wellness on a Individual level, then it becomes  easy for them to “fall off the wagon” and slide back into a unealthy lifestyles. If you have a walking  program, for example, it should encourage employees to build walking routes near their homes, perhaps  with the cooperation of the neighborhood association or coworkers who live in the neighborhood.

Employee Wellness Programs: Always on Your Mind

Your Company Health and Wellness Program coordinator should have “vacation wellbeing” as part of their  job scope. In other words, you don’t want a Company Health and Wellness Program to stop at the  boundaries of the workplace campus. Instead, integrate Individual health and wellness with your  Employee Wellness Programs.

This will benefit the Employee Wellness Programs in two ways:

it lowers the chance that the worker will come back to the office feeling unfit, overwhelmed and unable  to resume their Employee Wellness Programs; and
it shows that their employer is just as invested in their Individual health and wellness as they are

Like a marathon, Individual health and wellness is a long-term endeavor and it’s challenging for anyone  to do in isolation. Simply put, it’s easier to maintain your health and wellbeing when you know others  are depending on you and watching your Individual performance. It’s easier to stick to an physical  activity program when you have a jogging partner who wakes you up when you oversleep, or spots you when  you’re lifting weights.

Similarly, it’s easier to stick to your Company Health and Wellness Program when you know your employer  is supporting you and wishing you the best.

Don’t Dictate Individual Health

Just as Wellness surveys serve a vital function in building a Employee Wellness Program, it’s  imperative that you involve employees in designing an off-site wellness strategy. No one enjoys being  told what to do, but everyone enjoys having assistance in tacking tough problems. Make it clear that  employees are in charge of their own health and wellness. Your role as their health management partner  is to support, advise, counsel, provide resources and information.

Of course, don’t forget that part of Individual health and wellness responsibility is to provide good  health risk assessment baselines so employees can proceed safely on the road to better fitness.

Employee Wellness Programs: An Attainable Goal

Was Wellness on your corporation’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 Employee  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 (PSA that often indicates prostate  cancer. The outcome? His doctors caught a life-threatening illness just in time.

Thanks Employee Wellness Program.

So of course, Shirk is a huge proponent of Employee 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 Employee Wellness  Programs, it isn’t the initial draw for companies. They do it to reduce health care costs, and there’s  no doubt that Employee Wellness Programs do just that. Company Health and Wellness Program Statistics  show that Employee 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 Company Health and Wellness Program savings aren’t just in the Medical Insurance department. Human  resource departments report that Employee 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 companies have made worksite Health Screenings – like the one that saved Shirk’s life -  available to their employees.

Is It Necessary to Incent Businesses to Initiate Employee Wellness Programs?

Wellness rewards may seem like an effective way to get employees excited about Company Health and  Wellness Program – but is it smart?

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

Tax Breaks as Wellness rewards

In 2007, two senators decided to band together to create the “Healthy Workforce Act.” This act is  designed to encourage companies 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  health care for everyone. They decided to start with America’s workforce.

The legislation, introduced by Oregon Senator Gordon Smith and Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, states that  corporations would receive a Wellness reward – a fifty percent tax credit – if they provide to their  employees a Company Health and Wellness Program that meets the following criteria:

1) A health awareness and education component, which could include Health Risk Assessments  (HRAs) and Health Screenings.
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 rewards to participating  employees, such as a reduction in health premiums or allowing employees to engage in walking Employee  Wellness Programs during the workday.
4) The creation of an worker engagement committee – which would tailor the Company Health and  Wellness Program to the needs of the workforce at a particular organization.

If this legislation gets passed, many companies will be scrambling to provide Employee Wellness  Programs in hopes of receiving the Wellness rewards.

Worksite Obesity: The Facts

Worksite obesity has become one of the fastest growing health 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 corporation’s bottom line.

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

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

Worksite Obesity: How companies Can Help

With the increase in obesity and employer costs associated with it, it is more and more imperative to  establish a way to assist employees with their healthy living choices. Employee Wellness Programs can  help companies help their employees. By offering assistance with Health Screening, Health Risk  Assessments (HRAs) and by conducting Company Health and Wellness Program surveys; Employee Wellness  Programs allow the employer non-invasive ways to communicate their concerns about their worker’s  health.

We suggest establishing a Walking Company Health and Wellness Program 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 physical activity. Keep it fun by having contests, setting  up weight-loss teams and having organized healthy picnics.

What is a Company Health and Wellness Program Proposal?

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

Company Health and Wellness Program Proposals Assist Human Resource Departments

A Company Health and Wellness Program Proposal is a great thing to have in hand when HR Departments go  to upper management to request funding for a Employee Wellness Program. It will provide 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.

Company Health and Wellness Program Proposals Lead to Better Employee Wellness Programs

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

Walking programs which provides employees with 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 Company Health and Wellness Program resources column in the worker newsletter or a wellness  newsletter.
Stairwell initiatives to show how stair-walking can improve health.

Wellness Competitions Are Popping Up Everywhere

Wellness Competitions 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  Competitions 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 Competitions is even though there really is only way “real” winner;  everyone that participates in the challenge is a life winner.

Wellness Competitions provides reward to Get Healthy

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

Wellness Competitions Enhance Corporate Health

Not only will Wellness Competitions improve the health of your employees, it will improve the overall  health of the corporation by offering benefits such as fewer injuries, worker’s comp claims, reduced  health care costs, better worker attendance, and better organization morale.

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

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 Employee Wellness Programs to be promoted and implemented worldwide.

Importance of Employee Wellness Programs

The report states 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.

Employee Wellness Programs are Effective Tools

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

Employee Wellness Programs Monitoring

Finally, the report mentions that to have a successful Employee Wellness Program, monitoring and  evaluation through Health Risk Assessments (HRAs) and health outcomes are essential and should be  included in the Company Health and Wellness Program implementation. The evaluations ensure that the  Company Health and Wellness Program developed meets the proper needs of the employees. Workers should  be reevaluated on an on-going basis to make sure the Company Health and Wellness Program is still  working, or to see if there are any adjustments that need to be made.