Health HandoutsHealth handouts, wellness handouts, fitness handouts and more…

For many corporations, a smoking ban would not even apply to all employees. That is because currently 30 states and the District of Columbia prevent corporations from banning off-duty smoking.21 Additionally, 13 states prevent corporations from banning alcohol use away from work. Only six states have broad statutes that prevent corporations from prohibiting any lawful behavior. Michigan is the only state that expressly prohibits discrimination on the basis of weight, however the cities of San Francisco and Santa Cruz, Calif., also have this provision (San Francisco makes exceptions for police offi cers, fi refi ghters and the San Francisco 49ers football team). When starting Employee Wellness Programs, corporations ought to keep in mind local statutes as well as established common law.

Savings of Voluntary Company Wellness Program = (number of participants x savings per participant) – (cost of program)
Savings of Incentive-based Employee Health Promotion Program = (number of participants x savings per participant) – (cost of program + cost of incentives)
Savings of Mandatory Company Wellness Program = (number of participants x savings per participant) – (cost of program + cost of policy-related turnover + cost of limited talent pool)

Constructing Workplace Health Promotion Program policies in a corporation that employs unionized employees can pose unique challenges. Workplace Health Promotion Programs may be perceived by some unions as a condition of employment and therefore would be subject to collective bargaining between the parties. However this postion can represent an opportunity for both groups, as a policy agreed upon between union leadership and management is likely to be received more favorably by employees. The United Auto Staff Members and General Motors worked together to create and position a joint Workplace Health Promotion Program which has successfully reached more than 800,000 participants. (See Case Studies, UAWGeneral Motors LifeSteps Workplace Health Promotion Program, p.21).

Unless specifically stated otherwise, most corporation-employee relationships in the United States are governed by the principle of at-will employment. Under this system a corporation, or the employee, can terminate the relationship without any necessitated showing of cause. This at-will standard gives private companies substantial authority in governing the behavior of staff members. In this environment, companies can Finding Wealth Through Wellness 10 creatively design Employee Wellness Programs based upon their specifi c corporate culture. Employee Wellness Programs generally take three main forms:

Voluntary Employee Wellness Programs – The most popular form of employee Employee Wellness Program, in most cases they are made available to workers but participation (or lack thereof) is not linked to any type of consequence. Due to ineffective communication, frequently workers are either unaware of these offerings or confuse them with insurance-based healthcare. Incentive-based – Employee Wellness Programs based on incentives reward workers for participation in Employee Wellness Program activities. Incentives usually include lower Medical Care premiums, fitness center membership or customized support offerings. In these programs, employees’ behavior can be linked to a particular reward.

Mandatory Worksite Wellness Programs – Some companies require, or ban, certain health-related actions. These can take the form of mandatory Health Risk Assessments for workers and limitations on smoking or alcohol use. While mandating behavior is an effective method to eliminate high-risk behavior, the cost savings must be gauged against the potential message sent to existing and prospective workers. Given that workers are already under various levels of scrutiny in the workplace, individuals may resist attempts by companies to regulate off-duty actions. In Addition, some workers may fi nd it diffi cult to comply, forcing companies into the uncomfortable postion of punishing an otherwise advantageous employee.

In the short-term a mandate-based Worksite Wellness Program can guide to an increase in turnover, as workers either choose to leave or are fi red for noncompliance. In the long-term, the policy may prevent the employer from hiring an otherwise qualifi ed applicant, or may serve as a deterrent for individuals thinking of the employer. Limits in recruiting, for instance, led CNN to rescind a 13-year ban on hiring smokers.18

Corporations need to make sure that Worksite Wellness Programs are aligned with the values and culture that lead organization operations. If a organization emphasizes trust and individual responsibility, then a mandate-based program will likely cause more dissension than it would in a organization that already heavily regulates organization conduct. Moreover, a work environment with a sizable disengaged population will likely have poor participation in a voluntarybased program. When calculating cost savings, corporations need to take a wider view and consider the effects on long-term employee program engagement.

In 2005, Michigan-based insurance benefits provider Weyco instituted a smoking ban for all of its nearly 200 workers. Employees are subject to random testing and if they fail a mandatory breathalyzer test, they will be fi red. It is believed that Weyco is the first employer to use testing to enforce a smoking ban – most employers ask workers to self-report behavior. Four workers (more than 2 percent of the total workforce) left Weyco as a result of the policy. A year prior to the ban the employer createed a $50 smoking fee, which would be waived if a employee passed a nicotine test or agreed to take a smokingcessation class. Weyco’s president Howard Weyers published that 20 workers quit smoking through this program.20 Employees were told they had one year before the total ban would go into effect. Under the new Corporate Health Promotion Program, Weyco does offer $35 a month for workers who want to use a fi tness center and another $65 a month for workers who meet fitness goals/objectives.

1. Undertake a utilization assessment – While corporations can’t get medical information on individual staff members, insurance providers will supply corporations with reports that detail patterns and rates of employee use for things such as physician visits, hospital stays and drug use. This information is critical for a corporation to set a benchmark of its current health risk status. Data from human resources(HR) can be integrated with benefits information to supply a complete picture of employees’ health-related costs. Then, corporations can determine the specific level of behavior modification necessary to result in cost savings. The utilization assessment helps a corporation identify the areas in which it must focus its Worksite Wellness Program to reap the greatest benefits.

2. Build a business case – Once a utilization assessment is in place, companies are able to quantify the Medical Care cost savings that will result from specific levels of lifestyle modification and risk reduction. This can be done by setting objectives and goals in terms of reductions in identifi able insurance utilization, attendance or disability variables, or by aiming for reductions in health risks and projecting the associated cost savings. Effective estimates factor in the expense of the Workplace Wellness Programs as well as the necessary internal marketing efforts that will surround the program. Says Betty-Jo Saenz, U.S. Medical Care Strategy lead for Motorola, “When we started our programs, our focus was on the 20 percent of workers that made up 80 percent of the costs. We’ve addressed that, and now we’re paying attention to those who are healthy and Finding Wealth Through Wellness 8 keeping them healthy. Wherever you are on the continuum, there are opportunities.”

3. Design a cross-functional wellness group – Businesses need to identify potential group members who can be champions of wellness within the company. It is important that the group is representative of the demographic and functional diversity of employees so that it can credibly address any specific needs groups may have. This group will serve as the voice and face for the Workplace Health Promotion Program within the company. Best practice corporations integrate members from human resources, communications, company development and upper management. Using the utilization analysis as a template, the wellness group should evaluate what programs would be most effective within each particular corporate culture, aligning health-risk priorities with initiatives that employees will be receptive to.

4. Build buy-in from management – The most effective Company Wellness Programs have support from the highest levels of a organization. Backing from management, both in words and in action, sends the message that Company Wellness Programs are a priority for a organization. The utilization analysis can be a powerful tool to build the organization case for Company Wellness Programs and convince executives that initiatives are worthy of investment and attention. Meaningful wellness-related messages are integrated into organization discussions and aligned with corporate objectives.

5. Create a comprehensive Employee Engagement plan – The most brilliantly conceived Company Health Promotion Program is meaningless if no staff members take part. Effective wellness discussions emphasize both health and monetary benefits at the personal and employer level. According to a 2004 survey by Towers Perrin, only 28 percent of staff members say their employer communicates about Healthcare topics other than cost. In addition, wellness-related information must be a part of existing employer discussions efforts and not coupled solely with benefits discussions. This helps elevate the significance of Company Health Promotion Programs and align initiatives with employer objectives.

Furthermore, talks around Employee Health Promotion Programs can share personal success stories and support corporation progress updates. Successful organizations not only use existing communications channels to generate discussion around activities, but also consider more interactive tools like message boards, forums, blogs and wikis. This helps personalize initiatives and authorizes for the sharing of best practices within the corporation.

Most corporations involve medical experts to advise in the construction, communication and substructure of the program. The use of outside authorities such as these will expand the credibility of the Employee Health Promotion Programs as well as combat skepticism from employees who may view the company’s motives as merely selfserving.

Another strategy available to corporations is to brand their Workplace Wellness Program. This move can increase the visibility and acceptance of the offering. Branded wellness programs are most common when corporations are also promoting an external campaign around Workplace Wellness Programs. An example of this is PepsiCo, which launched its HealthRoads Workplace Wellness Program internally along with a consumer campaign, Smart Spot, that puts special labels on healthier food and drink options.

These efforts are more effective when they are not owned solely by the internal communications department, but rather when managers serve as leaders of, as well as participate in, Worksite Wellness Programs within organizations. This establishes more immediate accountability and motivation.

6. Measure constantly and consistently – At every step of implementation, a Workplace Wellness Program must be able to show its value to a company. Workplace Wellness Programs ought to be designed to allow companies to set benchmarks and evaluate behavior modification. Measurement ought to consider not only quantitative health measures, but also qualitative measures of stress and employee engagement. Less than 10 percent of companies do extensive management of medical care cost, employee health risk status or employee satisfaction with benefit offerings, and less than half of companies do any assessment in these areas at all.16

Measurement is only useful if a company explicitly defines what data would constitute success. Potential measures of success comprise:

• Participation rates
• Increased employee engagement
• Reduction of risk status
• Decrease of direct health costs
• Diminished absenteeism
• Reduced disability claims

Motorola’s Saenz advises administrators of Workplace Health Promotion Programs to track as many measures as possible from the start, even if management only requires one, because it is very difficult to retrieve data later. She notes that even if leadership begins by looking at participation rates, they will eventually want to know about reductions in claims and costs.

Frequent measurement is the only way to build support among management and employees. Nearly half of companies feel a lack of useful data is a top barrier to their ability to manage employee health, and at least 20 percent of companies do not know how effective existing Employee Wellness Programs are regarding various outcomes. Companies ought to lead utilization analyses annually and reevaluate Employee Wellness Program priorities based upon changes. In Addition, progress ought to be shared with the wider business community to build support for initiatives. Managers and executives throughout a corporation are likely to support a program that can prove increased productiveness among employees. Effective Employee Wellness Programs are designed to be fl exible so they can respond to changes in both corporation objectives and larger health variations.

Worksite Health Promotion Programs first became popular during the economic boom of the late 1980s and early 90s. Programs featured on-Site health clubs and massages, and were used as recruitment tools for young employees searching for nontraditional work environments. Still, when the tech bubble burst, so too did the willingness to spend money on perceived perks, and companies returned to a more antiquated benefit structure focused on managed healthcare.

In recent years, as Healthcare costs have spiraled out of control, businesses have explored the potential of Company Wellness Programs as a cost-saving strategy. Companies such as Johnson and Johnson, General Motors, Motorola and Union Pacifi c Railroad have all seen a signifi cant return on investments in employee health (See Case Studies, p.20). Company Wellness Programs can help decrease the costs associated with:

Health Care premiums – The cost a employer pays for health insurance: According to a 2005 study by Hewitt, the Health Care cost per employee in the U.S. in 2006 will average $8,046, with companies absorbing nearly two-thirds of that cost.

Prescription costs – The price of a drug plan: According to a 2005 study by Mercer, the average annual drug costs for big organizations grew 11.5%, making it nearly a decade straight of double-digit rises in cost.

Short-term disability (STD) – The price of offering short-term disability insurance to employees: According to a 2004 study by insurance provider Cigna, the average short-term disability claim results in $13,094 in direct disability payments and medical costs. The report also found that 26% of claims related to health care events were a result of chronic conditions that could likely be mediated through Worksite Health Promotion Programs, and that these cases amount for 56% of the STD-related medical costs.

Absenteeism – The cost of missed work: Absenteeism cost companies $660 per employee in 2004, with nearly one-third of companies characterizing the trend as a genuine problem.

Presenteeism – The price associated with workers who work at decreased productivity levels: Sixty% of the total cost of employee illnesses come from presenteeism, according to a 2004 study by the Institute for Health and Productivity Studies at Cornell University.

The evidence is clear that strategically designed Company Health Promotion Programs can decrease both direct and indirect Medical Care costs. A 2004 review of Company Health Promotion Programs revealed that, in total, an investment of $1 by a company in Wellness Programming returned a median cost savings of $2.05 to $4.64.

Employee Program Engagement is the level at which staff members are aligned with and working toward company objectives. Employee Program Engagement is influenced by a wide range of factors that comprise of internal talks, company structure, benefits and recognition.

Organizations that have high levels of employee engagement benefit from better productivity, retention and performance than peers with disengaged workers.  Levels of engagement among workers in America have been declining over the past several years as individuals have become disillusioned with the treatment of workers by companies. The inability to engage workers is one of the reasons why, despite steady rises in hours worked, America lags behind several other nations in terms of employee productivity per hours worked.

Company Wellness Programs may increase employee engagement in several ways. First, when communicated properly, they verify to staff members that the organization cares about their wellbeing. This can improve retention and turnover as well as supply increased discretionary effort from staff members. During a period of significant downsizing, Motorola found more of an interest in its Company Wellness Programs as managers recognized the value of providing for the health and wellbeing of staff members.

In addition, the health improvements will lower absenteeism and presenteeism (when staff members continue to work despite decreased productiveness), allowing for more time spent at full productiveness. Lastly, healthier staff members are more likely to have increased morale, which translates into a more enjoyable and more effective work environment.

The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports defines wellness as “a multidimensional state of being describing the existence of positive health in an individual as exemplified by quality of life and a sense of well-being.” Wellness looks beyond the current model of treating disease and focuses on preventive conduct and healthier lifestyles. Worksite Wellness Programs, also usually referred to as Worksite Wellness Programs, serve as a complement to existing insurance-based health benefit programs and can take many forms and address a myriad different potential health conditions. They are a powerful strategy to promote positive lifestyle changes that can result in significant cost savings for companies.

Examples of potential elements of a Employee Health Promotion Program cover:

Health Risk Assessments / Employee Health Screenings – Health Risk Assessments (aka Health Risk Appraisals), evaluate the most prevalent lifestyle-related risks of an individual. HRAs often include screenings for Blood Pressure (BP), cholesterol, glucose levels and other health indicators. These analyses support valuable benchmarking measures that ideally will allow workers to prevent or cut their risk of diseases. Finding Wealth Through Wellness, As noted by Kathryn Krivy, director of Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Wellness Institute in Chicago, “Medically based Health Risk Assessments are a necessity because in order to affect change in your company, you need to know what the problems are, and you just don’t know until you get the data.”

Physical Activity and Weight Management – One of the most popular Workplace Wellness Programs is for companies to provide access to a fitness center, often on-Site. Other potential measures include offering healthier snack machines and cafeteria options, weight management support groups and fitness challenge programs. Some companies, like hospital group Baptist Health South Florida, will even pay for employees to frequent weight-loss courses such as Weight Watchers.

Awareness and Education Programs – Most  employers have events addressing the benefits of nutrition, safety or physical fitness, among other issues. Other options are to host a health & wellness fair or lead a disease-awareness campaign.

Behavior Modification – This covers issues like smoking, wearing seat belts, and alcohol use. While many employers will supply assistance for workers looking to modify behavior, some employers, like medical benefits administrator Weyco, Inc., mandate transformation, such as quitting smoking, as a condition of employment.

Alternative Treatments – Other Worksite Wellness Programs can include absorbing some or all of the costs for massages, stress-reduction activities like yoga or even herbal medicines.

A more progressive and systemic solution may include businesses starting Workplace Wellness Programs, which allow businesses to be proactive in preventing disease and promoting healthier lifestyles for staff members. When implemented effectively, this approach can guide to lower direct costs from claims, a reduction in Health Care premiums and increased employee productivity.

Yet while Company Wellness Programs potentially offer businesses tremendous cost savings, the success of the programming is dependent upon the ability to engage staff members in them. In Addition, businesses must navigate the legal and cultural challenges posed by Company Wellness Programs: Corporations have to be careful that initiatives respect protected classes and the privacy of staff members. Furthermore, businesses must battle resistance from staff members wary of their company regulating off-the-clock actions.

Over the next 6-12 posts we’ll layout the case for Worksite Wellness Programs in today’s employment environment, arguing that the cost savings and increased employee engagement outweigh potential restrictions. We will investigate the considerations a employer must make before beginning a Worksite Wellness Program and the communication necessary to create successful engagement from workers. Finally, we will discuss several successful Worksite Wellness Programs and support a list of resources that businesses can use for guidance.

During the past decade health care insurance costs have climbed at a steady pace. This is taking a toll on the bottom-line of organizations, cutting into profits, limiting growth and forcing a reevaluation of a once sacred employee benefit system. According to a projection by McKinsey & Co., at the present rate, by 2008 health benefits will eclipse profits at the average Fortune 500 business.

Businesses, through private health insurance businesses, are the leading provider of medical services in America. In 2004, 59.8% of Americans were covered by a company-based health insurance program, accounting for 88% of all private health insurance. Yet the increasing costs of Medical Care, ever-growing prescription drug prices and a steady rise in chronic illnesses have brought the corporate society to a breaking point.

For many companies the growing burden has become too difficult to carry. During the past five years health care insurance premiums have grown an average of 11.6 percent annually, more than four times the average rate of inflation and employee earnings over that time.3 Not surprisingly, this growth in premiums has caused the number of companies offering Health Care services during that time to drop from 69 percent to 60 percent.4 In addition, in 2005,  health care insurance premiums jumped 9.2 percent, more than three times the rate of inflation – and that was the lowest increase in the past five years.

In this environment organizations need to discover innovative ways to mitigate the rising costs of Health Care coverage. Seemingly, the easiest strategies to accomplish this goal would be to lower benefits coverage or pass on an increasing burden to workers and retirees. Greater than 80 percent of organizations have chosen one or both of these cost saving measures in the past few years and almost half of all sizable organizations are likely to increase the amount workers pay in 2007.5

Nonetheless, these methods do nothing to mitigate the primary causes of rising costs, one of which is a population that needs increased medical care. To make a lasting and meaningful impact on costs and overall health, organizations need to look beyond a antiquated reactive-based approach.

Planning organization fitness and Corporate Wellness Programs is not about creating a grand scheme that is so complicated it is underutilized.

Company Health Promotion Programs are about starting an environment that encourages fitness and healthy living. The program ought to be accessible and make sense to the people it is directed at throughout the day.

The outcomes will be a plan that gives plenty of opportunity for exercise, teaches proper nutrition and stays current on health topics constructive to the workers.

The outcomes will be a plan that provides plenty of opportunity for exercise, teaches proper nutrition and stays current on health problems productive to the employees.

Designing Employer Fitness Programs and Workplace Health Promotion Programs – Making a Proposition

Structuring organization fitness and Worksite Wellness Programs means understanding there are many directions the program can take. For starters, it must be of interest to workers at all levels.

The company’s proposal to the employee is this: you take better care of yourselves and we will help you accomplish your goal. To be effective, the Company Wellness Program must be pervasive.

In other words, it must address the needs of the top executives as well as the warehouse workers. The variety of jobs within a business usually indicate wide differences in stress and strain levels on the body and differences in mental and emotional stress.

The program must also take into account employee habits at work and at home. A company with a company fitness and Company Wellness Program in place sends the message to its staff members and customers is that the company takes health seriously.

Designing organization fitness and Corporate Wellness Programs involves determining the types of movements that will be most effective for the situation.

Every organization will need a different plan. A organization fitness plan can cover a lot more than just an physical activity program and dietary planning.

It can offer real opportunity to enhance the entire corporation environment. A Workplace Wellness Program can comprise of the following:
• Health intervention for existing health issues
• Recreational programs that engage employees and their families
• Ergonomics to decrease work strain and resulting injuries
• Specialized programs that target staff members with physical conditions interfering with work performance
• Addressing health and fitness topics related to an aging work force
• Beginning fitness programs specifically designed to broaden employee work-specific strength

The benefits of carefully planning organization fitness and Corporate Wellness Programs are obvious. Staff Members get access to the exercise program either workplace or through organization membership at the fitness center.

Structuring company fitness and Worksite Health Promotion Programs means including those components important to good health.
• Meal coordinating and sound eating choices
• Courses instructing on the food pyramid and how the body processes nutrients
• Instruction on exercising safely
• Weight loss and weight management

The rewards for the employer are endless.
• Savings on Health Care costs
• Reduced employee sick days
• Workers with a sense of health fitness
• Lowerincidences of chronic sickness
• Attracts new workers dedicated to fitness

Structuring Organization Fitness Programs and Company Health Promotion Programs – Closing the Deal

Beginning and planning business fitness and Worksite Wellness Programs nets big benefits for staff members and the business.
workers are happier, feel better, are more satisfied with their work, are healthier and have more vitality.
Stress is lowerd which positively impacts the attitudes of staff members, lowers injuries and makes staff members more positive.
Closing the deal on a fitness program means the employer and employees sign on the dotted line of health. Do not let Health Care care costs continue to rise. Start now coordinating employer fitness and Workplace Health Promotion Programs.

Company Health Promotion Program proposals must be designed so that they meet employer intention.

Employee Wellness Programs for workers are the newest attack on employee unhealthy lifestyles that are equating to exorbitant health care expenses.

Employee Wellness Program Proposals for starting a program must take into consideration the type of corporation, the budget and the makeup of the employee population.

Employee Health Promotion Programs for office employee will be different than programs for construction workers

The mission will be same, but the approach to reaching those mission will be different. For a program to be considered successful, results must be measurable.

• workers achieve better overriding conditioning
• Healthcare claims decline
• Productiveness increases
• staff members experience less sick days
• Number of injuries declines
• Physical problems like high Blood Pressure (BP) are lowerd
In general, Company Health Promotion Program proposals must target the fitness concerns at the corporation and offer plans for improvement.

Worksite Health Promotion Program Proposals – Going the Distance

There are many different kinds of wellness proposals.

• One-one-one employee assessments by a  professional health care provider
• Outside specialist assistance for program design and implementation only
• Ongoing program monitoring by a personal trainer
• In-house program design
• Health Center memberships
• Employee Wellness Programs
• Comprehensive Company Health Promotion Programs including diet and fitness
• Programs that address a specific topic like injury at the workplace

These are just a few forms Workplace Health Promotion Program proposals can take. A Wellness program can be very basic or elaborate depending on the organization budget. A program can include up to 4 components.

• Education on health topics
• Assessment programs with follow-up screening
• Employer culture of health change

• Fitness and diet programs – supervised and unsupervised programs can cover a myriad of health and fitness information and exercises. The rewards for beginning a Employee Health Promotion Program are unlimited.

Corporate Wellness Program proposals provide a way for management to invest in their employees with a promise of returns in the form of productivity and cost savings.

Wellness Proposals – Healthy Alternatives

Corporate Health Promotion Program proposals offer employees alternatives to specific health ailments. Proposals can address particular concerns in addition to overriding fitness.

These topics cover stopping smoking, more flexibility for job performance, preventing back injuries, preventing repetitive motion strain, improving loss of functionality due to age and prenatal programs.

Company Health Promotion Program proposals ought to have intention that cover improving employee morale, growing productiveness, reducing absenteeism, growing employee vitality and netting Medical Care savings to the organization.

Corporate Wellness Program costs can significantly vary and many comprise of cost sharing between the employee and the organization to cover health club fees. The bottom line is that a organization can design a Corporate Wellness Program proposal that suits the organization budget, employee lifestyles, and employee and organization mission.

In any of the Corporate Health Promotion Program proposals, healthy alternatives to current business problems must be spelled out. Employee health is a top priority for any business that cares about its success.

Research online the different Company Wellness Program proposals that are available for organizations. Then choose the one that works as if your employees’ lives depended on it, because that very well may be the case.