Employee Wellness Programs

Improved Essays
Healthy employees are generally happier and more productive when compared to their non-healthy counterparts. This is one of the main reasons why employers are adding or enhancing their employee wellness programs. These programs take many forms, including on-site medical testing, group and individual health counseling, and weight management programs. Employee wellness programs offer certain advantages that employers need to consider

Reduced health care costs

Healthcare insurance is a major expense for most businesses. Adding an employee wellness program can actually bring down the insurance premiums, making the insurance more affordable for both the employer and the employee. Insurance companies look at a number of factors when it comes to setting premiums for a particular company. One of
…show more content…
Wellness programs helped employees manage chronic health conditions, such as diabetes and asthma. The programs also assisted employees with weight loss and smoking cessation, obesity and tobacco being major contributors to poor health.

More productivity

Another advantage cited by the 2013 RAND study was that employers saw an increased amount of productivity after implementing a wellness program. Fewer absences due to poor health was a part of this, but not all. Employers said that employees were more energetic and focused on doing their jobs. This helped increase productivity in both individuals and employee groups. Better health also contributed to better attitudes. This helped encourage a healthy work culture, which also improve productivity.

Improved employee retention

Hiring and retaining good employees is a major priority for most business owners and CEOs. The costs of recruiting and training a new employee are significant. That is why retaining existing employees is so important. Wellness programs can

Related Documents

  • Decent Essays

    As early as the great depression, visionaries like Henry Kaiser and Milton Hershey saw the value in making investments in employee health and wellness. Hershey firmly believed that healthy employees are happier and more productive, so he built a state-of-the-art employee recreation complex. (Take Care Health, 2015). In 1968, the roots of today’s Take Care Health Employer Solutions took shape with the formation of Corporate Dimensions and Meridian Health. In 1991, Whole Health Management was formed with a strong specialty in occupational health.…

    • 297 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Superior Essays

    According to Green (2012) “The goal isn’t just to get a job offer; it’s to get the right job, with the right people, in the right culture” (para. 6). The second decision case study centers on the Scotts Miracle-Gro Company which is faced with increased health-care costs and their strategies to reduce premiums. An aggressive wellness program and anti-smoking campaign is implemented where failure to comply with the extensive health-risk assessments increases the employees’ health premiums. Health coaches are assigned to employees whose…

    • 1131 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Henry Ford Marketing Plan

    • 1319 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, is a level one trauma center that is recognized for clinical excellence in cardiology, neurology, orthopedics, transplants, and treatment for cancer (Henry, 2016). Henry Ford Health Systems has over 23,000 employees, and is the fifth largest employer in the Metro-Detroit area, and is also one of the most diverse health systems (Henry, 2016). A major component at Henry Ford Hospital is the Wellness and Prevention Program. Wellness and Prevention programs are used to reward employees for changing health-related behaviors, and for improving measurable health outcomes (Horwitz, Kelly, DiNardo, 2013). Henry Ford Hospital offers Health and Wellness programs as educational sessions the workplace offers employees to…

    • 1319 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    In order to counteract the high costs of obese employees companies can encourage employees to lose weight. They can be educated about eating healthy and the benefits of exercise. They can also be educated about the many health risks that come with being obese. Some companies offer a lower insurance rate to non-smoking employees the same can be offered to obese employees who are willing to take steps to become healthy. A lot of companies sponsor competitions and challenges for employees to lose weight; various exercise groups are formed, for example, if an employee would prefer exercising outdoors as opposed to indoors there are programs geared to this.…

    • 711 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Summarises of a Comprehensive Workplace Health Promotion. Health Education: Tobacco use; Alcohol/drug misuse; Physical inactivity; Overweight/obesity Minimum Steps Moderate Steps Comprehensive Steps • Annual health risk assessments • Information and resources for healthy life changes • Self-care health resources • Use targeted risk interventions based on readiness to change • Provide workshops on medical consumerism • Health coaching (person to person, telephone, online) • On-site full-time wellness manager • Telephone nurse line Supportive social and physical environments Minimum Steps Moderate Steps Comprehensive Steps • Open conference rooms and other spaces for after-hours physical activity classes • Negotiate health club…

    • 310 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In terms of understanding ourselves, knowledge has increasingly grown. People have been able to know more I terms of diets and dietary. Many companies are finding amicable ways towards incorporating wellness and fitness in the workplace. Future of managed care.…

    • 899 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Additionally, all employers with fifty or more employees are required to provide health insurance or risk facing a fine. Healthy people 2020 built upon previous years, Healthy People…

    • 656 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    This program focused on employees' participation in physical activity, stress management, nutrition, smoking cessation, injury prevention, immunizations, access to healthcare, screenings (Blood pressure, cholesterol, mammograms, etc.). This program constituted as a reward program for employees who visited their physicians regularly for yearly physical, participated in physical activities and maintained healthy behavior as a way of life. By doing so, the employees received compensation as monetary deductions towards their health insurance co-shares up to $500.00 throughout the year. This reward initiative aimed at increase employees' awareness of their own health status and provides education and resources to help them get healthy, stay healthy and prevent existing illnesses/conditions getting worse. Evaluating the Workplace Wellness Program.…

    • 634 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Union Membership

    • 515 Words
    • 3 Pages

    When considering a position at a job, candidates consider the benefits that come along with it to determine the job is worth having. What is important to candidate depends on where they are placed in their life, for an example, McDonald is offering those to earn an accredited high school diploma if Employees want to be able to have security. The most valued benefit is health care benefits and if they are satisfied with it, then they will not request to change the wages in order to maintain the current coverage. Employers want to attract and recruit workers at all levels, so they would be mindful of the leverage that candidates may want to have. The top three benefits that help employers to recruit talented candidates are health care,…

    • 515 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    By incorporating such as a wellness program, it gives employees a place to relax and reboot. After a long day at the office, a wellness program provides them with the incentive to add some pleasantries outside of their work routine. It helps them balance their entire…

    • 832 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Great Essays

    Importance Of Duty Of Care

    • 4284 Words
    • 18 Pages

    Employers have what is termed ‘ a Duty of Care ‘ to employees. This means Employers must ensure all reasonable steps are taken to ensure that the employees health, safety and well being are protected. In real terms employers are bound by health and safety and employment law, together with common law duty of care. For an employer to ensure the physical and mental well-being of it’s employees, it should not be seen simply as a legal obligation but more as sound business sense; for this consideration from an employer builds trust and so increases productivity, staff retention and employee engagement. The main considerations for an employer under Duty of Care are: *…

    • 4284 Words
    • 18 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Controversy of Obesity Obesity is a major problem in America. The numbers of obese people in the United States have steadily increased since the 1970’s. Over a fourth of the population in America is obese, leading it to be the among the most obese countries in the world. Obesity can be solved.…

    • 549 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Current Health Promotional Strategies in the United States The National Prevention Strategy aims at increasing the number of healthy Americans at every stage of life (CDC, 2014). The approach was created by the National Prevention, Health Promotion, and Public Health Council as well as the Advisory Group of outside experts (CDC, 2014). This strategy acknowledges that the concept of health is a holistic approach which includes both effective treatment methods and appropriate preventive strategies. In the past, the United States health care sector focused relatively more on treating diseases rather than preventing them from occurring.…

    • 877 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Personal Wellness Plan

    • 2672 Words
    • 11 Pages

    Introduction In this paper, I will lay out a plan for my own personal wellness, it will cover the immediate future, and for the next two years. It will lay out a plan to improve all seven dimensions of wellness. I will also discuss the health benefits of fitness, benefits of it to my lifestyle, and also the importance of physical fitness to my future public safety career. I will also lay out a one month workout plan, detailing how many times per week, and the specific workouts that I will be doing.…

    • 2672 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Positive Work Environment

    • 761 Words
    • 4 Pages

    All human beings hugely rely on their environment and workplace surroundings. Since most people spend an extensive amount of their time at work, one of the most crucial factors that an employer should be concerned with is positive atmosphere within an organisation. Physical environment gives an effect on productivity, performance and even interaction between colleagues. A workplace setting is the most critical aspect in keeping an employee satisfied in today’s business world. Looking at the fact that the interior atmosphere changes constantly and workers have limitless job opportunities, it becomes nothing but logical that businesses are in a bigger need of their employees rather than the opposite, employees needing the business.…

    • 761 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays