PURPOSE
The purpose of this report is to conduct a feasibility study for The Wrights on the need for, and the benefits to be expected from, instituting an employee wellness program. The goal of the wellness program is to encourage employees to take part in fitness and health promotion programs.
PROBLEM
Due to current work hours and home schedules employees are prevented from exercising sufficiently. On an average work day employees sit at their desk for approximately eight hours and eat junk food. Company insurance premiums are increasing. The Wrights can not afford to have employees absent since the company has a small work force. Factors impacted by a lack of physical activity include heart disease and obesity, which is on the rise. Studies show that physically active people manage stress better, sleep better, and feel better. They are also likelier to be healthier, which means they are absent less often from work. A healthier workforce can produce lower health care costs, better employee morale and lower turnover.
SCOPE
This study was designed to establish the reasons and benefits The Wrights would attain if they were to institute a wellness program. This report includes a description and history of a wellness program, the needs and benefits for this plan, instituting a wellness program, policy changes, and a conclusion which summarizes the benefits, cost and recommended action.
BODY
DESCRIPTION OF A WELLNESS PROGRAM
A wellness program for employees is a risk control technique used by employers to promote preventative health care and healthy lifestyles. Wellness, as defined by the National Wellness Institute, is the active process of becoming aware of and making choices toward a more successful life (Chenoweth 47). Wellness is a multifaceted idea that incorporates mutually supporting areas of concern promoting the importance of a well rounded wellness philosophy. Intellectual wellness is indicated by self- directed behavior. This behavior includes independent achievements and instinctive skills and abilities. The goal is the achievement of a more satisfying existence (Anderson 35).
A workplace wellness program includes both the employer and employee working together to provide a work environment that is both accessible and supportive of the employee’s well being and encourages employee’s responsible. The purpose of the program is to provide a combination of educational, organizational and environmental activities to encourage employees to adopt healthier lifestyles.
Emotional wellness is an acceptance and awareness of a wide range of feelings for oneself and others. It includes the ability to effectively manage thoughts so that decisions can be made in an integrated manner. An emotionally well person functions separately, yet is aware of personal limitations and the value of seeking interpersonal support (Anderson 54). Physical wellness is the willingness to take time to pursue activities that increase endurance, strength, and flexibility. Occupational wellness is the personal fulfillment and enrichment of one’s experience through work. The occupationally well person has integrated his or her commitment to work into a total lifestyle that is rewarding and that seeks to express personal values through involvement in paid and unpaid activities (Anderson 63).
NEED FOR A WELLNESS PROGRAM
For a business to be successful, it is essential that employees are healthy and are able to work at full capacity. Providing preventative care that promotes a healthier lifestyle for employees while allowing employee’s to invest in the future of their company makes sound business sense. Thousands of Americans continue to ignore their health issues because they do not have access to health care or because they do not take the time to visit their physicians (Migliore). A workplace wellness program empowers employees to lead healthier lives. Employers have been hit hard by the soaring costs of providing employees with health care benefits. Companies are implementing a variety of employee wellness programs to counteract inflating medical claims. Most employees spend a significant amount of time at work and don’t have enough time to look after their health.
The percentage of health risks among employees are rising. Some of these categories include obesity, stress, mental illness, alcohol abuse, high blood pressure and cholesterol, and inactive lifestyle. Having a wellness program will contribute to reducing health care spending, improve productivity through employee health enhancement, reduce health care spending, and improve productivity through employee health enhancement and health risk management programs.
BENEFITS OF A WELLNESS PROGRAM
A wellness program can be one of the most valuable resources because employees’ health is fundamental in businesses achieving a success. A business can adopt a strategic balanced approach to workplace wellness, where employee health is valued and is a component of daily business decisions. Although The Wrights is a small company and health insurance is not a major issue because it is only offered to a small group of employees, absenteeism and productivity are.
The benefits of the wellness program for employees are increased knowledge about the relationship between lifestyle and health, increased morale due to employee’s interest in their health and well-being, reduced accidents and employee turnover, reduced absenteeism and stress, reduced compensation costs, improved employee relations and employee decision-making (Brisbin 23) . In addition, employee’s productivity is increased because exercise has an impact on job performance. NASA found that while the productivity of non-exercising employee’s decreased 50% during the final hours of the work -day, exercisers worked at full efficiency all day (Anderson 89). Studies show that physical activity can improve job satisfaction and team spirit. By instituting a wellness program in your company employees will receive the benefits of feeling better, less incidence of disease, more stamina, weight loss and better sleep.
Employers who invest in wellness programs not only save the company money but they receive the benefits of increased productivity, more satisfied employees and the company develops a reputation for being a good employer. By instituting a wellness program employers gain the potential benefits of increased worker proficiency, increased worker self-confidence, decreased organizational conflict, informed health care, cost-conscious, work-force-positive public relations, and a recruitment tool for new workers
( Anderson 123). In addition, it is a cost savings because it reduces employee replacement costs, claims and insurance costs. According to a study undertaken by the Wellness Institute, the overall cost-benefit analysis demonstrated a return of up to $1.64 for every dollar spent on improving the health of employees (Chenoweth 67).
INSTITUTING A WELLNESS PROGRAM
The Wrights could have minimal wellness program requirements. The program could be under the direction of the Health Promotion Coordinator. The Coordinator’s
main responsibilities would be to design and coordinate a wellness program that protects the health of employee’s. The first step a wellness program needs to take to gain employee participation is making employees aware of their personal health risks. In order to achieve a significant improvement, a company needs to set goals and devise a reasonable strategy for achieving them. An employee wellness program should be initiated only after sufficient research about the needs of the employees has been conducted. Elements of a successful wellness program include involvement and participation from top management, knowledge stimulating leadership, and medically sound and professionally planned activities (Hulett).
Preventative health care at the worksite recognizes the importance of illness prevention through self-care. Some steps that could be initiated in the workplace are education about individual lifestyles, incentives to change to healthy lifestyles, health screenings for early detection and treatment of health problems, and communication materials such as newsletters should be readily available. Specific elements of a wellness program might include classes on weight control, nutrition, smoking cessation, high blood pressure control and stress management. Immunizations should also be offered through the company. A company should encourage employees to participate in physical activities in order to help meet job related medical standards or physical requirements. Since there is no on- site fitness center at The Wrights, flextime could be offered to employees that want to exercise during lunch hours, as well as before or after work. Off- site facilities and resources should be addressed to employees. In addition, the company could offer gym membership discounts. Short periods of excused absences may be given for employees to participate in health fairs or one time educational awareness programs.
A wellness program policy promotes employee health, morale and productivity. Programs should provide equal opportunities for all employees regardless of age, sex, and should provide provisions for employees with disabilities. An estimated minimal wellness program costs an employer between $60- $80 per employee annually (Brisbin 76). Participants of a Wellness Program with three to five risk factors offer an employer a return of $2 for every dollar spent (Brisbin 89). By implementing wellness initiatives in the workplace cost savings can be expected in areas such as lost time, short- and -long term disabilities, training, and health care claims.
CONCLUSION
Companies are beginning to be responsible for ensuring that their employees’ environment fosters health not disease. If we believe that all injuries and most illnesses are preventable, then employee health becomes an integral part of each business. Health, like other facets of business, can be both managed and self-managed. Promoting the concept of preventative health care and wellness for employees is a positive endorsement of good health care and wellness for employees, longer and more productive careers, and a higher quality of life. “The success of an employee wellness program depends on how a company chooses to measure outcomes,” says Nancy Muller, health educator for CareAlliance Health Services (Hulett). A company can track medical care spending and absenteeism, look at worker productivity, get a sense of whether they’ve created and fostered a better work community. In the end, it’s a matter of retaining employees. It’s an investment in people.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Anderson, Rebecca. Promoting Employee Health: A Guide For Worksite Wellness. New York: American Society Co., 1999.
Brisbin, Robert. Workplace Wellness: The Key to Higher Productivity and Lower Health Costs. New York: PB Wiley, 1997.
Chenoweth, David. Worksite Health Promotion. Boston: Human Kinetics Publications, 1998.
Gutknecht, Douglas. Building Productive Organizations Through Health and Wellness Programs. New York: University Press of America, 1990.
Hulett, Molly. Wellness Programs Boost More Than The Bottom Line. 9 Sept. 2001. 17 Nov. 2003< www.crjb.com/Articles/2001/Wellness >
Odonnell, Michael. Health Promotion in The Workplace. New York: Delmar Learning, 2001.
Migliore, Henry. Healthy Employees: A Competitive Advantage. 30 March. 2002. 30 Nov. 2003 <www.ishn.com>
