Health Promotion : Employee Wellness Programs.

Corporate Exercise Plans Improve Corporate Wellness

Instituting a Corporate Wellness Program improves the health of staff members , decreases staff member absenteeism and saves the company money, too. Learn more about beginning an Corporate Wellness Program in the office.

Benefits of Employee Health Promotion Programs

• A company investment of $100-$150 per employee annually to participate in an Corporate Health Promotion Program can save corporations $300 to $450 for each employee every year, as reported by Ron Goetzel, Director, Cornell Univ. 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 announced a $24 return for every $1 spent on a Employee Wellness Program for small corporations .

• According to a 2005 survey by the Art of Wellness, corporations who instituted Corporate Wellness Programs realized a 30 percent reduction in medical and absenteeism costs in less than four years.

A successful Corporate Wellness Program starts with company leaders. Company owners should lead by example, taking part in their company ’s corporate fitness program and working closely with a wellness coach. Company leaders should be sure employees are well aware of their wellness efforts, posting weight loss results or smoking cessation results on company intranet or bulletin boards for everybody to see.

Employee Wellness Programs that Really Work

• Make sure to encourage staff members to kick begin their own Employee Health Promotion Programs by visiting their physician . A complete physical ought to include information about blood sugar, cholesterol levels and general health.

• Target specific health-related concerns in a corporate fitness program. Information about how to fight obesity, smoking, alcoholism and drug abuse must be at the forefront of an Employee Wellness Program, along with related conditions.

• Hire a wellness coach to instruct workers on how to lead a healthy lifestyle.

• Reward staff members for participating in Employee Wellness Programs. Let staff members accrue wellness points that they can redeem for prizes. Make the prizes healthy, too- a free massage, private training session with the company ’s health coach or health food gift certificate encourages even healthier lifestyle choices .

• Acknowledge Employee Wellness leaders in business newsletters, in posted bulletins and on the business intranet.

Corporate Wellness Programs Yield Big Results

For company owners who want to increase staff member participation in a Employee Wellness Program, consider Johnson and Johnson’s approach. Faced with only 26 percent of workers participating in their Employee Wellness Program, Johnson and Johnson offered workers a $500 discount on health insurance costs if they completed a health risk profile. The number of workers participating in the Johnson and Johnson corporate fitness program jumped after they offered the incentive — to more than 93 percent .

Ron Goetzel encourages those looking to pitch a corporate fitness program to company leaders to use basic facts about the benefits of Corporate Health Promotion Programs as part of their argument. Be sure to keep it simple, and share results from other organization ’s Corporate Health Promotion Program success stories.