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What is a Worksite Wellness Program? |
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Written by Webmaster
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Thursday, 12 March 2009 |
By John Bates
 An employee health promotion program is an organized initiative to assist and support staff members in adopting healthier lifestyles. This can include improving employee awareness on health topics, making available behavior change programs, and/or adopting company policies that support health-related goals. Employee Health Promotion policies and programs that encourage a higher level of physical fitness, smoking prevention and cessation, and healthier food choices are a few examples.
The Dimensions of Wellness
Wellness means more than just being a healthy eater and working out regularly. The wellness dimensions may include:
The Spiritual Dimension of Wellness,
Emotional Dimension of Wellness,
The Social Dimension of Wellness
Intellectual Dimension of Wellness and
The Physical Dimension of Wellness.
The wellness dimensions are generally shown as a "wellness wheel" with examples of wellness components that include physical fitness, nutrition life purpose, financial planning, support systems & social connections, stress management, mind-body health, career planning and continued learning. The key to individual wellness is maintaining a balanced wellness wheel. A truly comprehensive employee health
promotion program addresses most, if not all, of these wellness dimensions.
Why Provide a Corporate Wellness Program?
Staff members spend a great deal of time working, and research shows that our traditional work-week is expanding. In fact, the typical American adult now works approximately 47 hours each week. Plus, technologies such as laptops, cell phones, voice and email have blurred the boundary between home and work life. These facts reduce the time that the average person is able to devote to healthy activities, and yet staff members are expected to be at peak performance when on the job.
A study by the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses found that Corporate Health Promotion Programs are successful in assisting staff members make positive health changes due to numerous factors such as convenience, environmental support, and colleague or social acceptance.
What is the Link between Wellness and the Workplace?
Corporate Health Promotion Programs and Policies that encourage healthy behaviors can make a significant impact on employee health and wellness AND have an impact on the companys bottom line. Research studies have shown that for every dollar invested by businesses in Corporate Health Promotion Programs, there were savings ranging from $1.49 to $4.91 with the average employee health promotion program return-on-investment(ROI) being $3.14*. In companies terms, that's more than a 3:1 minimum health promotion return-on-investment(ROI) - a number that is virtually impossible to ignore, and a best practice that should warrant serious consideration from businesses. Additionally, a Worksite Wellness program literature review posted in Health Promotion Practitioner Journal found:
19 studies found a 28.3% reduction in time loss due to sickness
16 studies found a 5.6:1 return-on-investment(ROI)
23 studies found a 26.1% reduction in medical costs
4 studies found a 30% reduction in direct medical and workers compensation claims
There is no doubt that a Worksite Wellness Program targeted to meet a companys individual needs can save money by lowering absenteeism, lowering health care costs, lowering employee turnover, and enhancing productivity.
For assistance in launching a Worksite Wellness Program or to get free health promotion proposals you can visit www.WellnessProposals.com or www.InfiniteWellnessSolutions.com
* United States Department of Health & Human Services, 2003
Written by John Bates a wellness program expert and entrepreneur that owns /operates more than 200 health and wellness related websites.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 12 March 2009 )
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