Advantages of Employee Wellness Programs

Employee Wellness Programs are crucial to improving the health of our nations. The majority of adults  spend more of their waking hours at work than anywhere else, making it a excellent venue for promoting  healthful habits. The worksite organizational culture and environment are powerful influences on  behavior and this needs to be put to use as a way of assisting employees to adopt a healthier  lifestyle. Advantages to Employee Wellness Programs include:
• Weight reduction
• Enhanced physical fitness
• Increased stamina
• Lower levels of stress
• Increased well-being, self-image and self-esteem

Companies can also benefit from Employee Wellness Programs. According to recent research, employers’  benefits are:

• Enhanced recruitment and retention of healthy employees
• Reduced health care costs
• Decreased rates of illness and injuries
• Reduced worker absenteeism
• Enhanced worker relations and morale
• Increased productivity

A United States Department of Health and Human Services report revealed that at worksites with physical  activity initiatives as components of their Employee Wellness Programs have:

• Reduced health care costs by 20 to 55%
• Reduced short-term sick leave by six to 32%
• Increased productivity by two to 52%

Thanks to modern medicine, life expectancy for Americans has continually improved. How much we enjoy  these additional years, however, depends greatly on how we have lived our lives. If our quality of life  is to remain high so that we can fully enjoy these extra years, we must practice good eating habits, be  active and refrain from using tobacco products.