Employee Health Promotion

High rates of employee turnover and the costs of sick days are increasingly taking bites into business profits. The high cost of recruitment programs only adds to the challenges that these problems in total cost the average business. Many organizations are finding the solution to these challenges by improving job satisfaction, team building, and the implementation of programs that provide a decline in these costs. It has become increasingly clear to most managers that a well designed wellness program / exercise program with a strong nutritional and fitness lifestyle emphasis will directly meet this need. Senior Leadership’s goals/objectives for a constructive wellness program must be viewed through the perspective of increased employee productivity, lowered absenteeism due to health related causes, improved employee morale, lowered utilisation of business subsidised health benefits, enhanced group cohesion and performance and a reduction in turnover due to lack of job satisfaction. It is obvious that an improvement in any of these areas will have a positive influence on the financial status of any organisation. The benefits from an employees point of view can be seen in improved health, increased energy levels, lowered body fat, a more youthful fit body, an increased ability to handle work related stress, greater feelings of confidence and morale and more social associations at work contributing to greater feelings of satisfaction with their work and worksite. To be most constructive a wellness program needs to achieve both upper management’s and employee’s goals/objectives, and this can be accomplished through a program that will offer the individual employee with an awareness of their current physical condition and attitudes to fitness and wellness, and the benefits of attaining a fitter, healthier lifestyle, and a plan that will allow them to achieve the crucial changes to their physical condition that can be applied in the context of their life and work.

The Bottom Line – Employee Health Promotion Programs

Reduced Absenteeism – Dupont reduced absenteeism by 47.5% over six years for the participants of their business fitness program, (Health Behaviour, March 1992). Reduced Healthcare Expenditures – Steel case showed a decline in healthcare claim costs of 55% for corporate exercise program participants over non-participants over a six year period – an average of $478.61 for participants vs. non-participants who averaged $868.88, (The Am. Journal of Health Promotion, Sept/Oct, 1991). Reduced Turnover – Turnover among exercise program participants at the Canadian Life Assurance Corporation was 32.4% lower over a seven year period compared with non-participants (Canadian Journal of Public Health, Jan/Feb, 1988). Positive Return on Investment – Blue Cross Blue Shield of Indiana reported that its business exercise program had a 250% return on investment; $2.51 for every $1 invested over a five year period (American Journal of Health Promotion, March, April, 1991).