Health Wellness ProgramHealth and Wellness Programs and Wellness Program Consulting

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

Voluntary Worksite Wellness Programs – The most popular form of employee Worksite 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 – Worksite Wellness Programs based on incentives reward workers for participation in Worksite Wellness Program activities. Incentives usually include decreased Health Care premiums, fitness center membership or personalized support offerings. In these programs, employees’ behavior can be linked to a particular reward.

Mandatory Corporate Health Promotion Programs – Some companies require, or ban, certain health-related conduct. These can take the form of mandatory Health Risk Assessments for employees and restrictions 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 employees. Given that employees are already under various levels of scrutiny in the workplace, individuals may resist attempts by companies to regulate off-duty conduct. Additionally, some employees may fi nd it diffi cult to comply, forcing companies into the uncomfortable circumstance of punishing an otherwise constructive employee.

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

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

In 2005, Michigan-based insurance benefits provider Weyco instituted a smoking ban for all of its nearly 200 employees. Workers 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 organization to use testing to enforce a smoking ban – most employers ask employees to self-report behavior. Four employees (more than 2 percent of the total labor force) left Weyco as a result of the policy. A year prior to the ban the organization started 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 announced that 20 employees quit smoking through this program.20 Workers were told they had one year before the total ban would go into effect. Under the new Worksite Health Promotion Program, Weyco does offer $35 a month for employees who want to use a fi tness center and another $65 a month for employees who meet fitness objectives and goals.