Employee Health Promotion

Employer Fitness Programs Plans Improve Employee Health and Wellness

Instituting a Employee Health Promotion improves the health of employees, lowers
employee absenteeism and saves the organization money, too. Learn more about
starting an Employee Health Promotion in the office.

Benefits of Employee Health Promotion

• A organization cost of $100-$150 per employee each year to take part in
  an Employee Health Promotion can save organizations $300 to $450 for each
  employee every year, according to Ron Goetzel, Director, Cornell University
  Institute for Health and Productivity Studies. The savings can take a few
  years to actualize, says Goetzel, and are seen in reduced health expenditures.
• The Wellness Councils of America published a $24 return for every $1 invested
  on a Employee Health Promotion for small organizations.
• According to a 2005 survey by The Art of Health Promotion, organizations
  who instituted Employee Health Promotion realized a 30% decrease in healthcare
  and absenteeism costs in less than 4 years.

A successful Employee Health Promotion begins with Senior Management. Employer
owners must lead by example, taking part in their organization’s physical activity
program and working closely with a wellness coach. Senior Management must make
sure employees are aware of their wellness efforts, displaying weight loss results
or smoking cessation results on organization intranet or bulletin boards for
everyone to see.

Employee Health Promotion that Truly Work

• Urge employees to kick start their own wellness programs by visiting their
  doctor. A complete physical must include information about blood glucose,
  cholesterol levels and general health.
• Target specific health-related problems in a corporate physical activity
  program. Information about how to fight obesity, smoking, alcoholism and prescription
  abuse must be at the forefront of an Employee Health Promotion , along with
  related conditions.
• Hire a wellness coach to instruct employees on how to lead a healthy lifestyle.
• Reward employees for taking part in organization wellness plans. Let employees
  accrue health & wellness points that they can redeem for prizes. Make
  the prizes healthy, too- a no cost massage, personal training session with
  the organization’s wellness coach or health meal gift certificate encourages
  even healthier lifestyle choices.
• Acknowledge employee health & wellness leaders in organization newsletters,
  in posted bulletins and on the organization intranet.

Employee Health Promotion Yield Big Results

For organization owners who want to broaden employee participation in a Employee
Health Promotion , consider Johnson & Johnson’s approach. Faced with
only 26% of employees participating in their employee health & wellness
program, Johnson & Johnson offered employees a $500 discount on health care
insurance costs if they completed a health risk profile. The number of employees
participating in the Johnson & Johnson organization physical activity program
jumped after they offered the incentive — to more than 93%.

Ron Goetzel encourages those looking to pitch a corporate physical activity
program to Senior Management to use basic facts about the benefits of Employee
Health Promotion as part of their argument. Keep it simple, and share results
from other company’s employee wellness plan success stories.

Five reasons to have a wellness program

1. The United States spends more dollars on health care than any other
country yet we are not the world’s healthiest

• Largely sedentary
• Tobacco use is still popular
• Stress is at epidemic levels (WHO)
• Alcohol continues to take its toll on American citizens

2. Much of the illness in The United States is preventable

• Tobacco and alcohol are leading causes of death
• As much as 70% of the cost of health care is driven by preventable illness

3. Health Care costs continue to rise

• Health Care premiums continue to rise and to be passed on to the employee
• Health Care expenditures are usually the number one benefit cost to most
  employers

4. The worksite is an ideal setting to address health and well being

• Most American citizens work
• Poor health habits take a toll on US Employers
• Employers have a vested interest in health related problems.

5. Research validates that Employee Health Promotion can improve health,
save money, and even produce a ROI.

• Aldana,S.G. (1998). Financial impact of Employee Health Promotion and methodological
  quality of the evidence. The Art of Health Promotion. Vol 2, Number 1.
• Wilson, M.G. (1996). A accross the board review of the effects of Employee
  Health Promotion on health related outcomes: An update. The American Journal
  of health promotion. Vol 10, Number 6.
• Wilson, M.G. (1996). A accross the board review of the effects of Employee
  Health Promotion on health related outcomes: An update. The American Journal
  of health promotion. Vol 11, Number 2.
• Chapman, L.S. Proof Positive: An analysis of the cost-effectiveness of worksite
  wellness. 3rd ed. Seattle: Summex Corporation, 1996.
• Pelletier, K.R. A review of the health and cost-effective outcomes studies
  of accross the board health promotion and disease prevention programs at the
  worksite: 1993-1995 Update. The American Journal of Health and Promotion.
  Vol. 10, Number 5.

Key Components of a Employee Health Promotion

Physical Wellness – Focuses on the development, maintenance, or improvement
of one’s physical fitness

Sample Physical Employee Health Promotion / Workshops

• Annual health evaluation
• Regular physical exercise
• Smart safety habits

Emotional Wellness – Focuses on all aspects of mental fitness

Sample Emotional Employee Health Promotion / Workshops

• Stress management classes
• Accepting aging
• Addictive behaviors
• Parenting

Financial Wellness – Focuses on improving the quality of life of employees
by assisting families and people in becoming fiscally stable

Sample Financial Employee Health Promotion / Workshops

• Financial management
• Savings and Investing
• Credit and Purchasing
• Insurance and Estate Planning

Spiritual Wellness – Focuses on promoting a healthy inner self

Sample Spiritual Employee Health Promotion / Workshops

• Promote daily devotional readings
• Provide regular service opportunities
• Provide a daily/weekly/monthly chapel (meditation) time during work hours

Nutritional Wellness – Will meet the needs of the employees through
group and individual nutritional services

Sample Nutritional Employee Health Promotion / Workshops

• Individual nutritional Assessment
• Individual and group counseling
• Instructional classes
• Weight loss programs