Employee Wellness Programs for Small Businesses

Studies suggest that for every $1 invested in Employee Wellness Programs, a business saves $3 to $5 in  health and safety costs. Companies that invest in Employee Wellness Programs reap the financial  incentives through savings on health care costs, disability pay, absenteeism, turnover and safety  problems.

workplaces have already proven to be a great place to promote wellness. After all, people spend more  time at work than doing anything else. Eighty-two percent of the United States population is linked in  some way to a worksite. Therefore, offering Employee Wellness Programs is a great way to reach a  substantial number of people in your area.

Employee Wellness Programs in Small Businesses

Unlike large companies, small companies often lack the resources to provide Employee Wellness Programs  to their workers. However, they may be the most in need of such services. Small businesses are the  hardest hit by medical insurance costs and have the highest rates of substance abuse. Worker well-being  and physical or mental illness can also be more disruptive in a small business environment. Employee  Wellness Programs in small companies also makes sense because small firms employ the majority of  working citizens.

Regardless of the size of a business, Employee Wellness Programs can pay. Statistically, even if there  are only 100 people in a business:

• 60 sit all day to do their work
• 50 don’t wear their safety belts regularly
• 50 feel they’re under moderate stress
• 35 are overweight by 20 percent or more
• 30 smoke
• 27 have cardiovascular disease
• 25 or more have high cholesterol (over 200 mg/dl)
• 10 are heavy drinkers
• 10 have high blood pressure
• 5 have diagnosed diabetes and another 5 have undiagnosed diabetes
• 7 use marijuana
• 1 uses cocaine

Bottom Line Company Health and Wellness Program Benefits

At least one quarter of the health care costs incurred by working adults can be attributed to  modifiable health risks (e.g., diet, exercise, tobacco use, etc.) Fortunately, there is a way to hold  back the trend. Growing research links an individual’s lifestyle behaviors to their health risk.

The good news is Employee Wellness Programs can:

• Decrease health care costs
• Decrease workers’ compensation claims
• Decrease worker absenteeism
• Improve worker productivity
• Improve worker morale

The bottom line is that Employee Wellness Programs can benefit any size business — small or large.