Health Wellness ProgramHealth and Wellness Programs and Wellness Program Consulting

Research studies have repeatedly shown that comprehensive Employee Health Promotion Programs, or Employee Health Promotion Programs, can lower healthcare and insurance costs, decrease absenteeism, and improve performance and productivity. Other benefits shown in research studies include improved ability to attract and retain key personnel, greater employee allegiance, and improved public image of the corporation.

Health Care and Insurance expenditures

A number of studies support evidence of reduced medical and insurance expenditures for participants in Employee Health Promotion Programs, particularly wellness programs involving exercise.

For $30 per person, the Bank of America started a Company Health Promotion Program for retirees using a risk assessment questionnaire, self-care books and other mailed materials. Insurance claims were reduced 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 healthcare|medical|medical care|healthcare} claims with an physical activity program alone, saving $500 per employee per year for the workers (60%) who joined their HealthWorks exercise program. Prudential Insurance Organization reports that the organization’s major medical costs dropped from $574 to $312 for each attendant in its wellness program.

Decreased Rates of Absenteeism

Rates of Absenteeism has been shown to be impacted by wellness programs. The evidence indicates a significant decrease in absenteeism and resultant dollars saved as a result of employee exercise program.

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

Focusing Worksite Health Promotion Program efforts on high-risk workers can lead a better outcome. A national manufacturing corporation reports a reduction of 12.2 percent in illness days for these workers.

A two-year study by The DuPont Corporation of the effect of its inclusive Workplace Wellness Program on absences among workers reports that blue-collar workers at intervention sites had a 14% decline in disability days vs. 5.8% decline for controls. There were a total of 11,726 fewer net disability days.

Enhanced Performance, Productivity and Morale

A number of employers with Corporate Health Promotion Programs report documented improvement in job attitude, work success, energy level, and/or overall morale among program participants–all vital factors in enhancing productiveness.

A Johnson & Johnson study reported that employee attitude changes were greater at Corporate Wellness Program intervention sites with significant positive attitude changes noted in the categories of organization commitment, supervision, working conditions, job competence/security, and pay/benefits.

In a Canadian government study, the Canada Life Assurance Corporation experimental group realized a 4% increase in work rate after starting a organization physical activity program, compared to the control group. Further, 47% of program participants reported that they felt more alert, had better rapport with their co-staff members, and generally enjoyed their work more.

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

The Bottom Line

The following sample of Company Wellness Programs wellness program results have been reported by individual employers:

Employer: 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 strong evidence that a sizable portion of the billions of dollars now being spent by employers on health-related expenditures is avoidable by means of Employee Wellness Programs. Well-planned, all-inclusive Employee Wellness Programs (Employee Wellness Programs and Employee Wellness Programs) have been demonstrated to be cost-effective, particularly when the Employee Wellness Programs is matched to the health concerns of the specific employee.