Health Promotion

How does it feel to walk into your workplace? Do individuals  look happy? is the place well lit and cheerful? Do you feel welcome, wanted and energized? Or do you feel a gloom come over you, and count the hours until you can leave?

The influence of the worksite environment on the wellness of staff members is profound. First there is the physical look, feel, smell, and sounds of the place. Then you’re affected by the policies, like whether others are permitted to smoke around you.

After awhile, more subtle factors start to affect you. Do your attempts to adopt a healthier lifestyle get recognized at work, or are they sabotaged? Are your managers inspiring you by being healthy role models? Do you get regular opportunities to learn healthier behavior?

In a supportive environment, employees feel that the organization they work for provides them with encouragement, opportunity, and rewards for healthful lifestyles.

And the spirit that results is highly contagious. Employees who feel cared are naturally more loyal and productive.

The following ideas will help you transform your workplace environment into one that in truth supports the wellness of your staff members and organization.

Wellness Program Ideas for Creating Supportive Environments

Wellness Friendly Facilities

When you enter a worksite, do you feel comfortable? Could you be glad working there? is there enough light and clean air? Are there pleasant work areas, places to eat decent food, take a walk before lunch? Close your eyes. How does it smell? Sound? Do the staff members have enough space?

There’s no doubt that our physical environment affects us, from basic safety matters to subtle factors that may cause  or reduce stress. Healthful environments often have these features -

• Vending machines with healthy food choices like low-fat milk, fruits, sugar-free and caffeine-free beverages and low-calorie snacks

• Workout area, walking paths, playing fields, basketball hoop, or other exercise opportunities on-site or nearby

• Cafeteria offers healthful foods including a salad bar with low-fat dressing

• Natural light is used whenever possible; all lighting is appropriate and adequate

• Heating and ventilation is adjustable, comfortable and healthful

• No cigarette machines, ashtrays, or tobacco use areas onsite

• Noise levels are safe and conducive to concentration

• Make certain to work station furniture conforms to ergometric standards

• Safety hazards have been eliminated

• Lockers and showers are available for staff members who workout before work or during breaks

• Stairs are clean and well lit, convenient and pleasant to use

Familiarity could make it hard to evaluate a worksite. Individuals  get used to stressful conditions and forget that conditions ever bothered them.

It could be useful to ask individuals  who are unfamiliar with your workplace to walk through with you. Specialist consultants can also help.

Proactive Wellness Policies

One clear way to influence behavior is through policies and procedures. When nurses are not allowed to work more than twelve hours in a row, there will be fewer medication errors.

When parents are allowed flextime to attend to their children’s needs, they will be less stressed. When employees can apply unused sick days to planned vacation time, they will save them up instead of calling in sick to use them all.

Supportive corporate policies may include -

• Seatbelt use required in company cars

• Drug and alcohol policies are appropriate to the industry

• Emergency procedures are developed, known, and practiced

• Flexible work schedules allow staff members to exercise, attend children’s school conferences, etc.

• Nonuse of tobacco policy is enforced

• Excessive overtime is discouraged

• Membership at exercise facility is partially reimbursed

• Shift employees are scheduled to allow adequate rest

• Medical care coverage rewards good health

• Absenteeism policy rewards employees who don’t use sick days

• Employee assistance program available to help workers with chemical dependencies, depression, family problems

• Meaningful consequences are given for unsafe, unhealthy, prohibited behavior.  Your business may have a policy against alcohol use during work hours, but if everyone looks the other way when someone comes back from lunch smelling like beer, the culture is one that allows drinking at lunch-and one in which written policies may be safely ignored.

Prohibited behaviors ought to be confronted promptly. Otherwise your policies become mere lip service in lieu of springboards to health.

Consistent Recognition and Rewards for Success

Attention, praise, and rewards are given for wellness achievements.

You can show you value wellness by celebrating your programs and those who’ve made lifestyle improvements in corporation newsletters, on bulletin boards, and at annual banquets, meetings, and celebrations. Incentives are a direct way to show appreciation, too.

Wellness mentors are sought and applauded, too. Employees who support others’ efforts to improve their health are noticed and appreciated. Peer modeling and mentoring classes can encourage those who enjoy helping others to step forward into a new role.

Managers Model and Support Healthful Behavior

Nothing could say “We encourage you to exercise often” better than a manager going on a bicycle ride during the lunch hour–or your supervisor sitting next to you in a weight control class.

Wellness activities promote relaxed interaction between people  from different departments and at different levels in the chain of command. That promotes relaxed communication and a feeling of solidarity that is pure gold.

Managers can also provide support for workers who are working on bettering their health. It does not take anything fancy-just a “good job” or “nice to see you at the fitness center” can put a glow on the cheeks of most of us.

Managers can also help by authorizing workers the flexibility to attend wellness events.

Ongoing Wellness Programs

It’s important to give workers the sense that the wellness program is a permanent and important part of the organization, not a corporation fad. That can begin as soon as a new staff member is hired.

New staff members are oriented to the wellness program as among the worker benefits. Information about the program must be presented by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable person who invites the new worker to participate.

The staff members are familiar with the ongoing programs.

The programs and wellness staff are well known in the business. Opportunities to participate are abundant and it’s easy to sign up.

A broad variety of awareness classes are offered. There are topics of interest for everybody.

These are fun and easy events that could be done within your organization to motivate healthy behaviors during a contest or during other times. the goal is to encourage staff member participation. Some examples -  

• Develop a sub-committee of enthusiastic staff members who will help promote the fitness program by offering ideas, suggestions and encouragement to fellow workers.

• Create monthly mailbox flyers to promote a contest or provide fitness-related education/encouragement information.

• Send a weekly voicemail on each participant’s telephone with encouraging wellness messages.

• Provide regular cumulative health progress reports.

• Offer low-fat or heart-healthful lunch selections once a week in your cafeteria or have staff members bring a healthful snack to share, with a recipe book compiled at the end of the contest or specified period (such as a National Nutrition Month in March).

• Distribute staff member gifts (pedometers or other novelty item related to some aspect of your contest theme) as registration begins.

• Allow staff members “Fitness15-Minute Walk Breaks;” corporation time to walk, exercise, etc. If appropriate, you may use a space not currently used to set up a treadmill, elliptical bicycle, some free weights and meditation music.

• Hold a T-shirt design contest.

• Create posters to map contest (or fitness) progress and to serve as reminder of your objectives -

• Use push pins or other identifiers for each individual to put up in the office showing how they have progressed - workers can get very creative with this and design pins that reflect their personalities.

• Use a bar graph to compare progress.

• Use a “thermometer” kind graphic and color in progress - consider a different, fitness-related graphic all together and color it in as you progress.

• Offer aerobic dance or walking videos in your conference or break rooms.

• Compile a list of organized events in the community that offer opportunities to get workers exercising by participating as a team (below are just a few) -

• Race for the Cure

• March of Dimes Walk America event

• Juvenile Diabetes Research

• Foundation Walk to Cure

• American Heart Association’s Heart Walk

• American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life

• American Lung Association’s Lung Run

• Local marathons or special community walks or runs

• Create or attend a health-and-fitness retreat or workshop.

• Hold a soup-and-salad luncheon followed by a hula-hoop contest!

• Use the mall as an alternate walking location during inclement weather.

• Designate “Move it Mondays” - allow workers to take an additional 10 minutes at lunchtime for exercise.

• Designate “Tasty Tuesdays” - provide employees with low-calorie treats/snacks.

• Designate “Walking Wednesdays”- allow employees to take an extra 10 minutes at lunch to walk, or “Wacky Wednesdays” that allow employees to explore new exercises.

• Designate “Thirsty Thursdays” - make healthy smoothies or juice drinks for workers.

• Designate “Fresh Fruit Fridays” for staff - offer seasonal fruit treats.

• Send weekly exercise tips to employees via the most effective communications automobile in your workplace.

• Partner with another corporation representative for local media events coordinated through your marketing or communication department.

• Make sure to encourage departmental teams to challenge each other (examples -  Patron Service, Advertising and Marketing, Medical Support).

• Establish walking clubs with executive/supervisory leadership.

• Seek out local aerobic opportunities or courses through churches, community groups, college, YMCA, etc.

• Contact several local area gyms and ask if they can or will offer group discounts for fitness programs, waive enrollment fees, or set up a 12-week program as opposed to signing an extended contract.

• Hold a Frozen Yogurt Social - “Reap the Benefits of Fitness.”

• Map out a walking track around the building including the number of laps required for one mile.

These are short informational “Health Tips” in an e-mail format on many different health-related topics. You can appoint someone within your organization to find specific topics on the Internet from sites that are in the public domain or topics can be purchased from corporations.

Some licensed sources include -

• Hope Health

• Sound Ideas, Inc.

• Centers for Illness Control and Prevention

• National Institutes of Health

These e-mails can be sent daily, weekly or monthly. Our experience indicates weekly is the best frequency.

If the majority of your employees do not have e-mail, consider providing the information to them through -

• Bulletin boards

• Check stuffers

• Mailbox stuffers

• Newsletters

SAMPLE #1 Corporate Wellness E-mail Messages

From -  Wellness Program

To -  Wellness Team

Subject -  Layering for Exercise

One way to help ensure enjoyment of a winter walk (or run) is to be certain you are dressed properly for the weather. and the secret to that, for a winter workout, is to dress in layers.

Layer 1 — Avoid 100 percent cotton in the first layer, next to your skin. Cotton holds perspiration. Wear underwear made from manmade fabrics to wick perspiration away from skin.

Layer 2 — A zippered sweatshirt and sweatpants will keep you warm. Just open the zipper when you get too warm.

Layer 3 — If needed, over the sweatsuit, you are able to add a waterproof and windproof jacket. If it’s very cold, you could want to wear a jacket made with goose down.

Hands — Mittens will keep your hands warmer than gloves.

Feet — Wear socks made from wool or manmade fabrics that keep your feet dry and warm. Prevent 100% cotton socks. Do not wear sneakers or boots that fit too tightly … this will restrict blood flow and your feet will end up feeling colder.

Head — About 40% of your body heat is lost through your head. Wear a hat and cover your ears.

Lips — Don’t forget lip balm with sunscreen … even in winter!

SAMPLE #2 Corporate Wellness E-mail Messages

From -  Wellness Program

To -  Wellness Team

Subject -  Energy Improves

Need an energy improve? Here are some ideas for tapping into your own energy sources — and most require little effort.

• Get an extra hour of sleep. No surprise here — it may make a large difference in your energy level the next day.

• Eat less more often. Have small, balanced meals or snacks throughout your day for a steady supply of fuel and energy. Make note of which foods seem to boost your energy level.

• Drink plenty of water. Dehydration contributes to fatigue, which you can offset by drinking water throughout the day.

• Prevent alcohol and caffeine. Both could contribute  to dehydration and fatigue. They also tend to disrupt sleep patterns.

Wellness Seminars are learning sessions planned and organized by you to meet specific objectives. Decide on a topic and pick a speaker. Choose a site for the “Lunch and Learn” session, generally a lunchroom or break room.

Depending on your budget and objectives, workers can brown bag the lunch or you might provide the meal. Meetings can be mandatory or elective, your option.

Experience tells us the most success will be achieved when these Wellness Workshops are elective and when the company provides lunch.

Goals for Wellness Seminars

Education on a specific medical problem. You could want to choose one of your group’s top diagnoses. Examples are -

• Diabetes - diabetes prevention and care by a qualified diabetic educator

• Heart disease - cardiovascular health (individual counseling sessions with a nutritionist)

• High blood pressure

• High cholesterol

• Flu and pneumonia

• Breast cancer - breast health or breast self-exam sessions may be taught by a trained instructor

Education on health insurance benefits -

• Diabetes - what are the covered benefits, where to purchase diabetic supplies, support groups for employees with diabetes.

• Wellness Program Benefits

• Well baby/child care.

Education on the importance of enrolling in your health plan or local health department’s health education programs or disease management (DM) programs. Example programs -

• Diabetes

• Respiratory

• Low-Back Pain

• Cardiovascular

• Tobacco use

Community Resource Speakers for Wellness Seminars

• Local health plan office

• Local heart association

• Local cancer society

• Pharmacies - many pharmacists are available to speak on pharmacy-related issues.

• Pharmaceutical Corporations - many corporations have standard presentations developed for companys that are provided free of charge to use at your own direction. Some examples are -

• Know Your Numbers (high cholesterol) - Pfizer

• Respiratory Wellness (flu and pneumonia) - Pfizer

• Men’s and Women’s Health - Pfizer

• Local gyms/fitness trainers/YMCA - can discuss walking safety, advantages of walking, swimming and aerobics.

• Yoga and/or Pilates instructors

• Running, cycling club representatives

• Local hospital nutritionists

• Stamp Out Tobacco use - Tobacco Coalition representatives

Topics for Wellness Seminars

• Biking - benefits and opportunities for cycling

• Nutrition and health (Heart Healthful lunch for all attendees)

• Cardiovascular health

• Women’s health issues

• How to recognize the signs and symptoms of heart attack and stroke

• National Worker Fitness Day within the office setting - Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness representatives can promote event

• Exercise tolerance and healthful heart issues

• Beginning a fitness program- include the importance of seeing the physician before the starting of any new exercise program

• Self-defense

• Domestic abuse

• Safety in general

• Exercise safety

• Walking/running benefits and safety tips Tobacco dangers and avoidance

Conducting an Worker Fitness Challenge at your workplace is a fun and arousing way to raise awareness among workers about the importance of starting and sustaining an exercise program.

It’s a concentrated effort in which to engage them in exercise for a specific time period that, hopefully, will help them start a healthy habit that will last a lifetime.

Notwithstanding, it is important to practice wellness year-round. This section provides a extensive list of Wellness Program ideas that have been implemented within wellness programs.

All ideas presented in this section have been successful for one or both of the entities. Each activity/idea could be used as a stand-alone event, even if you do not conduct a fitness contest, or could be held coupled with your Staff Member Fitness Contest.

You may want to select some of the ideas you think will work for your employees or think of others and start your initiative to develop a better state of health.

Studies have repeatedly demonstrated that robust wellness programs, or Wellness Programs, can lower health care and insurance costs, decrease rates of absenteeism, and improve performance and productivity.

Other benefits demonstrated in studies include improved ability to attract and retain key personnel, greater employee allegiance, and improved public image of the company.

Healthcare and Insurance Costs

A number of studies provide evidence of lower medical and insurance costs for participants in wellness programs, particularly wellness programs involving exercise.

For $30 per person, the Bank of America conducted a wellness program for retirees using a risk assessment questionnaire, self-care books and other mailed materials. Insurance claims were decreased an average of $164 per year in this group while they increased $15 for the control group.

Since they were able to document significant changes in risk behavior, they anticipate greater savings in future years.

Pacific Bell’s FitWorks participants claim $300 less per case for a one-year savings of $700,000. Savings for conditions related to a sedentary lifestyle are $722 per case.

Coca Cola reported a reduction in health care claims with a workout planalone, saving $500 per worker per year for the employees (60%) who joined their HealthWorks fitness program.

Prudential Insurance Company reports that the corporation’s major healthcare costs dropped from $574 to $312 for each participant in its wellness program.

Lowered Absenteeism

Absenteeism has been proven to be impacted by corporate wellness and wellness programs. the evidence indicates a meaningful reduction in absenteeism and resultant dollars saved so of employee fitness plans.

Pacific Bell’s FitWorks program reduced absent days .8% to save $2 million in one year. FitWorks members also spent 3.3 days less on short-term disability for an additional savings of $4.7 million.

Focusing wellness efforts on high-risk employees can lead to better results. A national manufacturing corporation reports a decrease of 12.2% in disease days for these employees.

A two-year study by the DuPont Business of the effect of its extensive wellness program on absences among workers reports that blue-collar workers at intervention sites had a 14 percent decline in disability days vs. 5.8 percent decline for controls. There were a total of 11,726 fewer net disability days.

Enhanced Performance, Productivity and Morale

A number of businesss with wellness programs report documented betterment in job attitude, work performance, energy level, and/or overall morale among program participants–all vital factors in enhancing productivity.

A Johnson and Johnson study found that employee attitude changes were greater at wellness intervention sites with meaningful positive attitude changes noted in the categories of organizational commitment, supervision, working conditions, job competence/security, and pay/benefits.

In a Canadian government study, the Canada Life Assurance Company experimental group realized a 4% increase in productivity after starting an staff member fitness program, compared to the control group.

Further, 47 percent of program participants stated that they felt more alert, had better rapport with their colleagues, and ordinarily enjoyed their work more.

Swedish investigators found that mental performance was significantly better in physically fit staff members than in non-fit staff members. Fit staff members committed 27 percent fewer errors on tasks involving concentration and short-term memory, as compared with the performance of non-fit staff members.

The Bottom Line

The following sample of corporate wellness wellness program results have been announced by individual corporations -

Company -  Dollars Saved/Dollars Spent

• Bank of America (Fries) -  $5.96/$1

• PacBell -  $3.10/$1

• Wisconsin School District Insurance Group -  $4.47/$1

• Prudential Insurance -  $2.90/$1

• Bank of America (Leigh) -  $4.73/$1

• General Mills -  $3.50/$1

Summary

There is compelling evidence that a sizable portion of the billions of dollars currently spent by businesss on health-related costs is preventable by means of wellness programming.

Well-planned, comprehensive wellness programs (wellness programs and staff member wellness programs) have been proven to be cost-effective, in particular when the wellness programming is matched to the medical problems of the specific staff member

Free Wellness Programs and Cheap Health Management Alternatives

Begin a free wellness program or run a successful health management program in the office for little or no cost to your corporation. the benefits of corporate wellness and learning how to begin a health management program at work are many.

The articles on health management have generated a variety of questions, mostly from wellness providers but also from companies attempting to start their own wellness workplace programs. There are a number of things to do to start a successful health management program at work.

Suggestions for Beginning a Free or Low Cost Wellness Program

Before beginning a low cost or free wellness program for your company, learn more about what staff members want. Survey staff members to learn more about their wellness concerns.

Keep the survey confidential to protect employees’ identities. Normally the most popular corporate wellness topics are tobacco use cessation, weight loss concerns and heart and cholesterol health.

Look for Corporate Wellness Freebies

Find out who will come in for free to talk to staff members and explore partnerships with outside agents related to corporate wellness.

For  instance, consult a local branch of a well-known weight loss corporation and ask if someone can come in and talk to employees. Look for agencies that are willing to come in and talk about topics related to wellness at no cost to employees, in exchange for something from you.

Find Corporate Wellness Partnerships

Working with a weight loss corporation to set up a speaking engagement for workers is the perfect opportunity to explore a potential wellness partnership.

The weight loss corporation might say that when 10 workers join the program, they will hold weekly meetings at corporation headquarters for the people  who joined. the weight loss group also might offer corporation workers a discount when a few people  join the program.

Nonprofits an Untapped Health Management Resource

There are also plenty of nonprofit agencies who’d be thrilled to visit a business to discuss health management. But it’s up to you to offer them something in return.

For  instance, when the MS Society came in and talked about the signs of MS, the business could offer to organize an MS walk (in keeping with business health management goals, right?), or an auction with staff member and company-donated items where the proceeds go to MS.

The people  at the nonprofit agencies would be glad to open a dialog with your business and to talk about what they’d want in return for a speaking engagement. In many cases, they won’t need anything at all for a first meeting.

Gathering Data and Reviewing Wellness Program Results

Gathering data and evaluating  results of a wellness program can be tricky because of HIPPA laws. However, when at least 10 staff members joined the weight loss program, or 20 individuals  participate daily in the all-new “Let’s Walk a Mile at Lunch” program, that sort of progress can speak strongly to senior-level management.

And, corporation successes will potentially give management more incentive to provide money for more health management and wellness programs in the future.

Small corporation wellness programs are catching on. A well-designed wellness program can increase productivity, boost morale and vitality, reduce stress, lower rates of absenteeism, and control avoidable health care costs within an organization.

The beauty of it is that you’re simply assisting workers to make smart choices so the costs of starting a wellness program are minimal compared to the benefits.

Employee health is a major concern for small business owners. In a small shop, even several sick employees can disrupt the flow of the workplace and bring the operation to a standstill.

Instead of sitting back and hoping for the best, some owners are taking the matter of staff member health into their own hands by starting staff member wellness programs. Here is how they work . . .

Overview of worker wellness programs

Employee wellness programs are programs initiated by the employer to improve the overall health of their labor force and to help individual employees overcome specific health-related hurdles.

These programs can be offered in a selection of formats -  In mandatory staff training sessions, as voluntary seminars, or through a third-party provider offering a wide-range of employee assistance programs.

In every case, nevertheless, the employer foots the bill for the programs because an investment in staff member health is a business investment that directly impacts the corporation’s bottom line.

Why offer employee wellness programs?

Apart from the obvious concern for the health of your employees, there are several other reasons why staff member wellness programs make sense for small corporations. Right off the bat, your company will benefit from the decreased level of absenteeism that goes hand in hand with a healthful workforce.

Wellness programs will also reduce the number of injuries that occur in the workplace, not just from accidents, but also from repetitive motion and other recurring sources.

Since even a minor blip in staff member attendance can have a large impact on a small company, a more reliable workforce will inevitably translate into a smoother work cycle and a more comprehensive bottom line.

Wellness Program Features

Wellness programs can cover a broad range of health-related topics. Based on your employees’ needs, it’s entirely up to you to determine the type of programming you want to offer.

Nonetheless, most worker wellness programs offer some at least some programs in the following areas -

• Nutrition. Diet can significantly impact an employee’s ability to do their job effectively. Nutritional programs educate workers about food choices and equip them to make healthful dietary choices.

• Physical Fitness. In addition to diet, exercise is an important factor in a healthful lifestyle. Wellness programs frequently provide employees with opportunities to incorporate exercise into their daily lives.

• Tobacco use Cessation. Statistics prove that smokers tend to fall ill more frequently than their non-use of tobacco peers. Since sick staff members disrupt the workplace, use of tobacco cessation programs are a no-brainer for both businesss and staff members.

• Physiological Testing. A lot of employers offer physiological as a regular part of their wellness programs. Cholesterol tests, blood pressure screenings, and other simple exams can provide early warning signs for additional serious problems.

• Stress Management. Stress itself takes a toll on workers. Nonetheless, stress is also linked to other medical problems such as depression, cardiovascular illness, diabetes, and obesity. Wellness programs that help workers deal with stress improve not only the psychological health of your workers, but their physical health as well.

Start a Wellness Program for Your Employees Today

The benefits to starting a wellness program are many.

A few corporate wellness tips to get workers began on the path to a healthier lifestyle -

1. Look around, and determine when staff members lead a healthful lifestyle before beginning an staff member wellness program.

• How many employees dash outside during lunch for a smoke break?
• Would a tobacco use cessation program help?
• How often do the junk food-laden vending machines have to be replenished?
• is anyone exercising or taking benefit of local walking trails as part of their healthy living goals?

The answers to these questions will give companies a better idea of the worker wellness program that’s right for them.

2. Survey staff members to determine their healthy lifestyle habits.

• Are they exercising regularly?
• Eat three square meals a day?
Have regular physicals? Really? Then what planet are they on?

Because we would love to visit! A wellness program benefits most companies because staff members do not have the time or energy to stay on top of wellness concerns at work or when they leave the office to go home.

3. Give wellness programs a big kick-off with a healthy living “fair.” Offer employees free flu shots, blood pressure (BP) checks, cholesterol screenings, body/fat ratio assessments, tobacco use cessation programs and free mammograms- and contact the local hospital, because there’s plenty more where this came from.

Companies keep their employees hopping during the week. Provide employees a chance to amp up their healthy lifestyle on the company dime. A wellness program is an added benefit that employees get for working for the company!

4. Incent to live- offer cash for employees to lose weight, commit to a smoking cessation program and usually enjoy a healthier lifestyle.

Be certain to encourage humankind’s innate competitive nature by offering prizes for wellness staff member “winners.” And, encourage a healthier lifestyle by sponsoring workers who want to enter a local 5K for charity race, run a marathon or play a sport.

Wellness Program Introduction

The last ten years has brought major changes in business attitudes toward wellness programs. Interest in self-help and self-care programs has increased as growth in healthcare costs have encroached substantially into profits.

Changes in the organizational structures of health care facilities, particularly the growth of the for-profit health care sector, and the need to contain costs are changing the ways in which purchasers of health care plans are viewing their own efforts toward provision of worksite health care programs and facilities.

Projections for the next decade indicate that worksite health programs will continue to become important factors in the provision of health care, including avoidance activities, for both government and private industry.

In businesses with existing wellness programs, administrative rationale for sponsoring these activities ranged from improving worker health (28%) to improving worker morale (9.7%).

Programs include interventions associated with safety, health risk (assessment|appraisal}, smoking cessation, blood pressure (BP) control, nutrition programs and stress management. Benefits cited range from improved health and productivity to decreasing healthcare costs.

Demographics of the USA  Workforce

• 110 million American Citizens were in the civilian labor force in 1981; by the year 2000 the civilian labor force is expected to be almost 140 million.

• 44% of the 1984 labor force was female; 10% was Black.

• the median age of the workforce is 32 years and is expected to raise to 32 years by 2030.

• 57.9 percent of all employees work in companies with between 2 and 500 employees; 45 percent work in companies with fewer than 100 employees. an additional 7.5 million American Citizens are self-employed and 3 million are farmers.

• 18% of all wage and salaried workers in 1985 were union members.            

• 45% of all staff members are employed in offices.            

Prevalence of Corporate Wellness Activities            

Based on a 1985 survey, almost 66 percent of worksites with 50 or more workers had corporate wellness activities in 1985.  The frequency of worksite-based activities by selected categories in 1985 was -             

Wellness Program Activities            

Smoking Control          35.60%   

Health Risk (Assessment|Appraisal}    29.50%         

Back Care             28.60%

Stress Management       26.60%      

Exercise             22.10%

Off the Job Accidents    19.80%         

Nutrition             16.80%

Blood Pressure (BP) Control    16.50%         

Weight Control          14.70%   

Worksite size is the strongest indicator of program prevalence.            

Most employees believe the benefits of their corporate wellness activities outweigh the costs, even though few formal analysiss exist.            

The most frequently cited reason for starting programs and perceived benefit from programs is improved worker health.

At most worksites with activities (85.4%), all employees are eligible to participate. 30% of worksites with activities offer them to business dependents, and an equal% offer them to retirees.

When worksites seek outside program assistance, they turn to voluntary, not-for-profit organizations (57.1%), private for-profit providers-consultants (50%), local hospitals (44%), and insurance corporations (43%).

Smoking Cessation Programs

Use of tobacco related medical problems cost USA  corporations $26 billion per year in lost productivity and $7 to $8 billion in tobacco-related medical costs.

Employees who smoke are 50 percent more likely to be hospitalized than nonsmokers, have 2 times as many job-related accidents as nonsmokers and have absenteeism rates approximately 50 percent higher than nonsmokers.

Individuals  who smoked an typical of one or more packs of cigarettes per day had 118% higher medical expenses than nonsmokers.

76 percent of current smokers and 80 percent of former smokers and nonsmokers feel that businesses should restrict smoking to certain areas.

In 1985, 65 percent of smokers, 85 percent of nonsmokers and 78 percent of former smokers, felt that smokers should refrain from tobacco use in the presence of nonsmokers.

In 1986, 17 states had laws regulating smoking in offices or workplaces either in government-controlled offices or offices of private staff members.

Examples of use of tobacco cessation intervention program used by corporations include -

• offering nonsmokers a discount of health and life insurance;

• compensating full or partial fees for tobacco use cessation programs;

• providing cessation programs on corporation or shared time;

• offering cash payments to quitters after 6 of 12 tobacco-free months;

• participating in national quit smoking days; and

• adopting a smoke free corporation policy and establishing deadlines for starting the policy.

Fitness Programs

An active 55-year-old man can lead as vigorous a lifestyle as a sedentary 35-year-old.

Differences in work-related activity has been proven to yield a two- to three-fold difference in cardiovascular deaths between active staff members and their more sedentary counterparts.

In addition to improving strength, balance, and flexibility, exercise programs may reduce  the probability of back injuries among certain occupational groups.

93 million workdays in the United States are lost annually as the result of back problems.

Research findings support the notion that worksite fitness plans improve fitness and help reduce other health risks, although results related to improved productivity are weak due to lack of methods for accurately measuring productivity.

A very small proportion of worksites have on-site fitness facilities.

The majority of staff members sponsored physical fitness programs involve skills training like aerobic dance, low impact aerobics, strength training, preand post-natal exercise classes, and walking/jogging groups.

Some businesses subsidize staff member participation in community “Ys,” health clubs or other community programs when no onsite facilities are available.

Worksite fitness programs could reduce costs to employers by reducing worker health care claims and expenditures.

People  whose weekly exercise was equivalent to climbing less than five flights of stairs or walking less than a half mile, spent 114 percent more on health claims than those who climbed at least 15 flights of stairs or walked 1 1/2 miles weekly.

Health care costs for obese individuals  are roughly 11% higher than those for thin individuals .

Nutrition and Weight Control

One-third of the USA  population is obese to the extent of lowering their life expectancy.

Improvements in eating habits may reduce  the risk of serious medical problems like high blood pressure (BP) and cholesterol levels and is instrumental in the control of non-insulin-dependent diabetes.

The workplace offers several advantages for nutrition education; support and influence of colleagues and management, availability of a daily eating situation, and opportunities for follow-up and monitoring.

Worksite nutrition programs can be grouped in 6 broad categories -

• cafeteria programs;

• multi-component programs;

• weight control programs;

• cholesterol reduction programs;

• programs for pregnant and lactating women; and

• other nutrition education topics.

Men are less likely to participate in weight-loss programs than are female staff members.

Stress Management

Estimates suggest that 50% to 80% of physician visits can be attributed to psychosomatic or stress-related origins.

Company compensates many of the costs related to employee stress, both directly in the form of health care costs and in lower productivity.

Job factors which are associated with stress include -

• not allowing employees to participate in decisions about the work process;

• positions which require more or less skill than the worker has;

• changes in work demands;

• lack of clarity about expectations and standards; and

• conflict with colleagues or supervisors.

Most worksite stress management programs are implemented as a result of requests from workers.

Stress management programs focus on three kinds of skills -  relaxation skills, coping skills, and interpersonal skills.

Worksite stress management programs are often delivered in one of three formats -

• seminars conducted by trained specialists;

• self-learning tools; and

• personal teaching to assist with self-assessment, planning for changes, learning new skills and responding to life crises.

The two major techniques used in worksite stress management programs are -

• teaching people  to reduce the negative physical effects of stress; and

• teaching people  to recognize and control sources of stress at work and in personal life.

Seat Belt Usage

Motor automobile accidents are the largest single cause of lost work time and on-the-job fatalities of USA  company.

Motor car accidents account for 27% of all work-related deaths and 45 million days of lost work yearly.

More than 36% of the 11,300 accidental work deaths in 1983 involved automobiles.

Staff Members who routinely fail to use seat belts may spend up to 54 percent more days in the hospital.

Traffic accidents caused about 3 times as many days of restricted activity as any other type of disability.

Motor automobile crashes cost $15.2 billion in lost productivity, 88% of which is attributed to losses from workforce activities and future earnings.

In corporate establishings where safety belt policies, requiring use of belts by anybody riding in a business car or using a private car on business business, have been enforced, 60% to 90% use has been reported.

Incentive programs, accompanied by education and use requirement restrictions have resulted in 40% to 70% initial usage rates.

Factors influencing the sources of worksite safety belt programs include -

• active commitment by management;

• obviously defined and well enforced policy of required belt use on the job;

• positive incentives; and

• ongoing education and training programs.

Case Studies of Wellness Programs

Based on an robust evaluation of its robust staff member wellness program, LIVE FOR LIFE, Johnson and Johnson announced the break-even point for the program occurs in year 3 and by year 5 they have a net advantage of $316 per staff member. Their year 9 projected benefit is $677 per staff member.

Staff Members at four Johnson and Johnson corporations who were exposed to the wellness program increased their daily energy expenditure in vigorous activity by 104% compared to an increase of 33% among staff members at corporations that were offered only an annual health test.

Participants in the United Methodist Publishing House’s wellness program submitted more claims (1.14 per participating employee and .82 for the control in 1984, 1.44 and 1.3 respectively in 1985), but the typical cost per claim was less for participants ($316 for participants and $567 for control, in 1984, $262 and $602 respectively in 1985, $270 and $566 respectively in the first four months of 1986).

The United Methodist Publishing House attributes some of the lower than projected use in healthcare costs for 1985 ($902,116 projected with actual costs $142,884) to the wellness program even though the results are not conclusive.

In 1985, the Adolph Coors Corporation conducted a telephone interview of a random sample of its 10,000 employees to determine changes in health practices since the introduction of an employee wellness program 4 years earlier.

The sample of 495 workers was stratified to match the business profile in terms of age, sex and job description.

The survey announced that 65 percent of respondents began exercising in the last 4 years, 37 percent had improved their diets, 20 percent were regular users of the wellness center, 9 percent had stopped tobacco use as the result of the corporation’s tobacco use cessation program and regular participants of the wellness center miss an average of 1.96 workdays annually because of disease or injury compared to 3.08 days for non-participating staff members.

The Coors Business also achieved a cost savings from a cardiac rehabilitation program that was implemented in 1981. In 1980 staff members were out of work 7.2 months after a heart attack or bypass operation.

In 1984, cardiac patients were out an average 1.9 months saving $152,000 in lost work time and in 1985 cardiac patients missed an average of 2.6 months, saving $125,000 that year.