Employee Health Promotion

Creating a Employee Health Promotion Program need not be costly, but will require the commitment of some financial resources. If possible, include the Employee Health Promotion Program in your organization’s annual business plan and budget as you do for other efforts important to your organization’s success.

How much to budget for the Employee Health Promotion Program?

There is no one-size-fits-all formula for establishing a Employee Health Promotion Program that results in improved employee health. Organizations differ in how much money they need and how much they can make available for the Employee Health Promotion Program. Consider the following common expenses in developing an adequate Employee Health Promotion Program budget:

• Employee Health Promotion Program staffing costs (either internal salaries or consultant fees)
• Employee Health Promotion Program data collection costs (including health risk assessment costs, if relevant)
• Employee Health Promotion Program incentives and rewards for healthy behaviors (such as discounts on premiums for non-smokers)
• Costs of Employee Health Promotion Program Strategies to be started (such as costs of covering tobacco quit medications or costs of subsidizing healthy foods in the cafeteria or vending machines)
• Employee Health Promotion Program administrative and communications expenses

In times of tight finances, be prepared to justify your requested Employee Health Promotion Program budget. Arm yourself with data on potential short- and long-term outcomes of the proposed Employee Health Promotion Program Strategies. Itemize the Employee Health Promotion Program expenses of past initiatives and share projected expenses for initiatives planned for the upcoming year.

Sustaining Employee Health Promotion Program Funding

A dedicated Employee Health Promotion Program line item in your organization’s budget makes it more likely to be regarded as a need, rather than as a “nice-to-have” amenity that could be cut when funds run low.

One of the best Strategies for ensuring continued financial support for the Employee Health Promotion Program is frequent communication to leadership, including:

• How many employees have you reached through the Employee Health Promotion Program? Has morale increased? Have health risks decreased, e.g., fewer employees smoking, more employees active?
• How well are you managing the Employee Health Promotion Program resources you’ve been given? Where and how has your budget been spent? Keep track of the staff time required for each initiative and be able to present the numbers at any time.
• Anecdotal Employee Health Promotion Program success stories from employees. Don’t underestimate the power of a good story to put a human face on your success.

Additional sources of Employee Health Promotion Program Funding

If needed, have the individuals responsible for establishing a Employee Health Promotion Program look for ways to supplement available internal funds. Are there grants or other funding available that can help support your Employee Health Promotion Program ? What community Employee Health Promotion Program resources could you use to meet some of your needs?