Online Wellness Programs

Wellness Programs are critical to improving the health of our nations. Most adults spend more of their waking hours at work than anywhere else, making it a excellent venue for promoting healthy habits.

The worksite organizational culture and environment are powerful influences on behavior and this needs to be put to use as a means of helping workers to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Benefits to Wellness Programs include -  

• Weight reduction

• Improved fitness

• Increased stamina

• Lower levels of stress

• Increased well-being, self-image and self-esteem

Businesss can also benefit from Wellness Programs. As reported by recent research, businesss’ benefits are -

• Enhanced recruitment and retention of healthy staff members

• Decreased health care costs

• Decreased rates of illness and injuries

• Lowered worker absenteeism

• Improved employee relations and morale

• Increased productivity

A USA  Department of Health and Human Services report revealed that at worksites with exercise programs as components of their Wellness Programs have -

• Reduced health care costs by 20 to 55%

• Decreased short-term sick leave by six to 32 percent

• Increased productivity by two to 52%

Thanks to modern medicine, life expectancy for Americans has continually increased. How much we enjoy these additional years, however, depends greatly on how we’ve lived our lives.

If our quality of life is to remain high so that we can fully enjoy these additional years, we must practice good eating habits, be active and refrain from using tobacco products.

Who needs Wellness Programs? When you work in an office or a jobsite or are a member of an organization who spends a considerable amount of time at work, you’ll benefit from a well-designed staff member wellness program. Staff Members spend a minimum of about 200 hours a month at work - a considerable amount of time.

Further, stress, distractions and the pressures of the job can take its toll on the staff member, which makes it important that a wellness program is implemented.

Today, all across America, Canada, Europe and Asia, top corporate Wellness Programs are being used to help improve staff member conditions at work and reduce the cost of staff member healthcare.

Some of the top Wellness Programs currently in use today include -

Wellness Programs - Health Risk (Assessment|Appraisal}s (HRAs)

Health Risk (Assessment|Appraisal} is a top Wellness Program currently in use globally. Organizations that implement it determine the safety and health concerns of staff members by the assessment of appropriateness of the facilities and equipment against the needs of the staff members.

It can, for instance, guide the organization into deciding how much air quality within an office room affects the users and then help the assessment team to come up with the measures necessary to correct the problem.

An HRA can also evaluate the level of exposure employees have to certain hazardous or hazardous materials and practices.

Wellness Programs - Immunizations.

This is not always practiced in every country since there are regions where government sponsored immunization shots are available. Nonetheless, it has also become an important component of the top Wellness Programs in many organizations in North America.

Immunization shots, such as those used to combat flu, for instance, are offered to staff members for free.

Worker Assistance Programs (EAPs)

Worker Assistance Programs (EAPs) consist of a wide variety of services. It can range from providing educational resources to workers regarding health issues to sponsoring health services and medical care. In many businesses, medical and insurance have also become a staple part of their benefits system.

Weight Management Programs

This is another wellness program that organizations use, specifically those that offer in-house commissary or cafeteria services. Instead of serving richer, high-calorie fare, cafeterias offer choices for a healthier diet, normally in the form of low-calorie foods and sugar substitutes.

Employee Wellness Newsletters - Health Education Programs

One of the top Wellness Programs that organizations can begin is a self-powered tool using a newsletter to promote wellness, coupled with a visible campaign.

The campaign might  be done periodically and focus on a specific topic, such as use of tobacco hazards, cancer, stress, carpal tunnel syndrome, safety in the workplace, etc.

The newsletter in itself could be an effective means to deliver information to employees or members of an organization but it is far from perfect. Some employees, for example, may not read the newsletter in its entirety or even pay attention to it.

If the issues outlined in the newsletter are promoted through an active and highly visible campaign, it’ll be easier to maximize positive results.

Fitness and Exercise Programs

Another top wellness program for organizations is one that involves physical activities. Corporations often sponsor exercise-related events like marathons and corporation sports programs to encourage employees to remain fit or lose excess weight. In mid- to large-sized organizations, businesses might even pay for gym memberships or in-house exercise facilities.

Wellness Program Incentives.

Some of the top Wellness Programs implemented by corporations involve incentive rewards. This involves company-sponsored programs that reward employees for achieving specific wellness goals.

Participation in health campaigns and signing up for Wellness Programs are two of the most widely rewarded schemes. Rewards can range from special recognitions to points (for larger rewards) to specific gifts. In a few cases, cash may also be used.

However, incentive systems have had mixed reactions and levels of success. But it continues to be one of the top options among corporations who are willing to modify it to fit their unique needs.

Wellness Programs - Group Activities

In many organizations, businesses take benefit of peer pressure to encourage employees to participate in Wellness Programs. This is currently among the favorite worker Wellness Programs currently in use today and growing in popularity.

Colleague pressure is often leveraged to help promote competitions referring to corporate wellness and to persuade workers to be active in company-sponsored health fairs.

Wellness programs at the corporate level are beneficial, right? Wellness statistics obviously show that such wellness programs are not only cost-effective to the organization but can assist the worker in developing a healthier lifestyle.

With the rising cost of healthcare, wellness programs simply make sense. So where does the problem come in? Let’s examine the topic from both perspectives.

Wellness Programs -  the Good

• A sampling of corporate returns on investment for wellness programs -  Bank of America -  600%; General Motors - 370%; Pepsico -  300%; Citibank -  465%; and the Washoe County School District leading the pack at a whopping 1,560%. (Campbell,J., Wellness Improvement Experts, www.wellnessimprovementexperts.com, Albuquerque, New Mexico.)

• Companies with wellness programs have realized a 28% reduction in sick leave, a 26% reduction in adjunctive healthcare costs and a 30% reduction in disability and workers compensation costs. (Health Affairs, Volume 21, No.2, March, 2002.)

• the Washoe county School District in Northern Nevada realized a $15.60 return on investment for every dollar spent due to a 20 percent reduction in absenteeism. (Hardy,A. (2005). at the Top of the Class. WELCOA’s Absolute Advantage Magazine, 5(1), 14-20.)

• Wellness programs provide the structure, encouragement, incentives and ongoing support that many individuals need in order to make lifestyle changes.

• Staff Members also realize returns on their efforts. FiServ, a financial services technology business, gave employees who filled out a health risk (assessment|appraisal} a significant discount on their medical insurance premium. (Holland, Kelley, the New York Times, July 22, 2007.)

Wellness Programs -  the Bad

The flip side of the argument centers on basic human rights. Do we want/need our corporation to tell us to eat our veggies or lose 30 pounds? Some corporations are doing just that and at least one lawsuit has resulted because of it.

• Three hundred corporations have requested assistance from a national employment and labor law firm to institute more assertive wellness programs.(Cornwell, Lisa, Associated Press, Albuquerque Journal, September 10,2007.)

• Clarian Health, based in Indianapolis, Will start reducing staff member paychecks by $10.00 for every staff member who’s a Body Mass Index  of greater than 29.9 because not enough workers were utilizing their wellness services.(Cornwell, Lisa, Associated Press, Albuquerque Journal, September 10,2007.)

• Scott Rodrigues filed a suit against his prospective company, Scotts Miracle-Gro, because he believed the corporation’s antismoking policy violated his civil rights. the corporation has a policy against hiring staff members who smoke and Mr. Rodrigues’drug screen was positive for nicotine.(Holland, Kelley, the New York Times,July 22,2007.)

• Employee advocates are concerned that health discrimination might not be covered underneath the Americans with Disabilities Act.(Cornwell, Lisa, Associated Press, Albuquerque Journal, September 10,2007.)

Penalizing workers by hitting them hardest where it hurts the most,their pocketbook, doesn’t appear to be a favorable approach to molding human behavior.

Such tactics may result in increased resentments and retaliation, primarily in the form of absenteeism and presenteeism (decreased productivity on the job.) Voluntary, incentive-based programs, like the one in the Washoe County School District, can and do produce results.

A positive attitude by management along with an opportunity for staff members to have a stake in the decision-making may yield the greatest dividends to both corporation and staff member.

The motivation and resolve needed to change unhealthy lifestyle habits can best be derived from the basic tenets of encouragement, respect and support.

Getting Started - Secure management support

• Justifications for having a wellness fair

• Health risk (assessment|appraisal}s

• Make certain to help for high-risk population -  smokers, obese staff members

• Early detection of diabetes, heart illness risk factors (high cholesterol, high blood pressure)

Wellness Fair Participation - Identify your audience

• Workers only, whole family, retirees?

• Community involvement? Theme?

Wellness Fair Time Line  

• Make certain to set a date and time Allow 4-6 months of planning time

Wellness Fair Planning

• Identify health-related screenings, tests, other activities you will offer Identify educational literature and other learning opportunities health fair will provide Include any “fun” activities, or food/beverage needs for the fair

Wellness Fair Location and Logistics

• Consider location large enough to accommodate the largest volume of people  at “peak time” periods

• Determine how booths/stations will be set up

Wellness Fair Providers

• Target relevant health/safety-related community and corporate vendors to provide services, educational materials, incentives and giveaways

Wellness Fair Marketing

• Determine advertising tools to be used to inform employees/participants (posters, mailings, e-mail)

• Determine any incentives or giveaways that’ll be included in the fair or used to encourage participation in the fair

Wellness Fair Scheduling

• Coordinate timing and events with staff and/or volunteers

Wellness Fair Personnel

• Schedule appropriate specialists Doctor or similar healthcare personnel to provide patient consultation for review of blood draw lab results

• Nurse(s) to administer immunizations

• Administrative/all-purpose individual to facilitate paper work, finger sticks and to provide general assistance

• Pharmacist or pharmacist assistant when appropriate Dietitian for nutritional counseling suggested personnel designated for health fairs

Footnotes

1 the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation via Reuters Health E-Line.

2 Kaiser Daily Policy Concerning Health Report, (9/11/03)

3 www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/press/archive/lower_cost.htm

4 “Is Stress Nibbling Away at Your Bottom Line?” By Stephen Alper, Nov. 15, 2002.

5 Wellness in the Workplace, Michael P. O’Donnell, page 415.

6 http - //www.bmpcoe.org/bestpractices/internal/dayto/dayto_6.html

As reported by Gordian Health Solutions, the effectiveness of wellness programs in improving health and decling health care costs is directly linked to incentives -  

• the more substantial the incentives,
• the higher the success rate.

Incentives can range from tokens of achievement, such as t-shirts, water bottles and sports equipment, to more substantial financial awards, such as cash incentives or copay vouchers for the successful completion of a program.

Nationwide Insurance is seeing results from a small incentive program initiated by one of the corporation’s onsite nurses. to encourage lunchtime walking, the worker has informally launched a “shoelace program” modeled after the karate-belt color system.

Staff Members progress through the color scale until they reach “black-lace” status. the reward system has resulted in more staff members making commitments to walk during their lunch hour.

At the high end of the reward spectrum, some corporations pay cash to workers who meet wellness goals. LuK, Inc. offers workers $250 for kicking the tobacco habit and remaining smoke free for 12 months.

For logging fitness points that add up to 10 miles a month, workers are eligible for health assessments, which could lead to reward amounts of up to $225.

The most effective motivator, according to Gordian research, comes through linking participation in wellness programs directly to insurance premiums. Doing so obviously demonstrates to employees the positive effects of wellness on their own healthcare costs.

Often, the first step in linking wellness programming to insurance coverage is lowering deductibles for wellness care or eliminating deductibles altogether. By adding this benefit, businesses can encourage employees to undertake routine screenings and other procedures to respond to medical problems before they become chronic.

Early detection benefits both patient health and company healthcare costs.

Incentivizing wellness program participation with healthcare credits

More frequently, businesss are going beyond increased wellness care coverage and looking to demonstrate the importance of wellness by linking participation to employees’ bottom lines.

Worthington Industries has lately rolled out a program that allows staff members to eliminate their portion of the insurance premium by enrolling in a Healthful Options wellness program.

During the first year of the Healthy Options program, workers and their spouses complete Personal Health Assessments and health testings to determine their levels of health risks.

Nurses, dietitians and exercise specialists are available to help moderate- and high-risk participants develop individual action plans for improved health through the use of educational materials, behavior modification, telephone help from third-party program health coordinators, and formal health management programs.

By completing the assessments, employees earn their full premium credit. Because some plans at Worthington require no worker contribution, a cash award takes the place of a credit in those cases.  

During year two of the program, the wellness bar is raised slightly. to continue to receive the wellness credit, participants in the moderate- to high-risk category will be required to work at setting objectives with third-party health coordinators.

Year three raises the bar again, requiring participants to show progress in meeting goals and to continue to work with health coordinators to reach goals.

After year three, Worthington Industries employees will be on the wellness track. the corporation believes that will mean a healthier workforce and cost savings for employees and the corporation.

The well being of Worthington staff members is the foundation of this program, and both staff members and the corporation are expected to benefit from the long-term advantages of the Healthful Options Wellness Program.

While Worthington has taken a wide approach to wellness, other companies have found success in offering incentives in specific areas. Longaberger, for example, offers a discount on health care policies for employees who don’t use tobacco.

An individual worker who doesn’t use tobacco saves $7 per bi-weekly pay. for smoke-free staff members with family coverage whose families are also smoke-free, the savings increases to $14 per pay.

The next step -  Penalizing harmful behaviors

As it stands, health care is the only type of insurance that doesn’t focus on penalizing for behaviors that put the insured party at risk. With health care costs rising so dramatically, that could soon change.

Just as an accident likely raises auto insurance premiums, increasing premiums for those who engage in unhealthy behaviors is a possible next step in businesss’ attempts to manage health care costs.

Reports that employees would support this kind of action are stacking up. One Ohio company conducted an informal survey that indicated employees would consider it a morale improve when health-conscious employees were relieved of some of the burden of subsidizing care for employees who engage in behaviors that adversely affect their health.

Whether or not this type of program gains popularity, one thing is sure -  the need to control the rise in health care costs is becoming ever more pressing.

Take the first step

Whatever the strategy, from offering staff members health resources to providing incentives for healthy behaviors, employers have a real opportunity to improve morale and productivity, reduce rates of absenteeism and control health care costs through wellness.

The first step is committing to taking one, no matter what size effort is appropriate for your organization.  Big strides begin with small steps.

Preventing injuries is a high priority for corporations, namely in factory establishings such as Honda. That’s why the business offers a few programs-including line-site process analysiss -to identify potential hazards and help reduce the chance of injury.

As part of an early intervention program, Honda staff members who are feeling pain can receive a massage of the affected area during work time.

Stretching programs are another effective tool in injury prevention. As reported by the Best Practices in Manufacturing Web site, Dayton Parts, Inc. (DPI) in Harrisburg, Pa., conducted research that revealed approximately 80% of all manufacturing injuries occurred within the first two hours of each shift.

After beginning a program that required production employees to stretch for 10 to 15 minutes at the beginning of their shifts, they saw a dramatic reduction in injuries.

While the DPI program costs about $75,000 a year to operate, in conjunction with other corporation programs, it’s helped bring the annual cost of workers’ compensation from $700,000 to $200,000 per year.6

To help prevent lengthy absences and reduce workers’ compensation claims, Honda instituted a work recovery program. Through the program, workers who have had an injury can work in a adjusted job-getting better.

Staff Members in the program spend their work days receiving physical conditioning to raise overall fitness, physical therapy to restore functionality, health education and nutrition counseling. the program is based on data that shows fewer work days are lost when an worker stays connected to the work environment.

The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, www.ohiobwc.com, provides a “10-Step Company Plan” as a guide for businesses in providing wellness programs that aim to reduce injuries. the plan includes information on safety and health programs to prevent occurrences of on-the-job accidents, including -

Employee involvement - to ensure the success of any company wellness program, staff members must participate in the safety and health-management process.

This could be done through safety and health audits, accident analysiss, or by forming safety and health involvement teams, focus groups or committees.

Orientation and training plan - Conduct orientation and training sessions to educate employees on the corporation’s safety policies.

These sessions should include procedures for the safe use of machinery and tools, chemical hazards and how to prevent contact or exposure, specific job/task safe practices, and hazard recognition and prevention.

Communication - Open communication keeps employees informed and provides suggestions and feedback on the effectiveness of the corporation’s wellness program.

Through memos, bulletin boards and staff meetings, important health and safety information could be conveyed throughout the organization, keeping all management staff and workers knowledgeable about the corporation’s safe practices.

The company plan also outlines incentives for post-injury procedures, including -

Medical treatment and return-to-work practices - arly return-to-work strategies help injured or ill employees return to work in a timely manner.

Businesses should establish a disability management policy to help injured or ill staff members obtain quality medical treatment, making their transition back to work quick and effortless.

Timely notification of claims - Employers should document workplace injuries immediately after they occur and promptly send that documentation to a claims handler.

Rapidly providing claim information demonstrates care and concern for the injured employee, avoids delays and confusion with the claim process, and decreases the potential for abuse or needless litigation.

Record keeping - Internal documents should be kept to record work-time injuries and to assess the success of the corporation’s safety efforts.

Business audits, surveys and injury or illness reports can all be used to analyze which safety practices and policies have proven successful, and what areas of wellness need improvement.

Dr. Moore of Nationwide maintains that immunization is the most cost-effective treatment in medicine. for  instance, vaccinating children against the influenza virus averages a savings (including health care costs, parents’ missed work, etc.) of up to $35 per vaccine recipient.

And specialists predict that estimate is low, because it doesn’t take into account the rapid spread of the flu.

The American Association of Family Physicians’ Web site, www.aafp.org, offers a advised adult immunization schedule developed by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

This schedule, tiered by age and chances of exposure, recommends diphtheria, tetanus, influenza, pneumonococcal, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, measles, mumps and rubella, varicella and meningococcal vaccinations.

Ideas to incorporate prevention and early detection -  

• Hold a health fair and invite organizations that provide screening services for such conditions as blood pressure, blood iron, cholesterol, Body Mass Index  and diabetes.

• Offer educational materials about well-baby care and immunizations.

• Choose health care coverage plans that include wellness check-ups and immunizations.

• Offer on-site mammograms for staff members.

• Sponsor onsite flu shots to coincide with flu season.

Advantages of Stress Reduction Programs

While stress can’t be eliminated from life, or even from the workplace, coping skills can be created with relative ease. Stress management skills lead to reduced absenteeism and more effective, more productive workers.

Because stress has been proven to contribute to such physical conditions as ulcers, high blood pressure (BP) and stroke, stress reduction has a direct impact on bettering physical health.

Studies have shown that heart patients who attend stress management programs have 42% lower health care costs. Other studies have documented a 50% reduction in medical services use when stress management programs are employed.

Moreover, Worker Assistance Program (EAP) professionals estimate that 20% of any workforce is affected by personal problems that can influence work performance.

Stress reduction tactics to consider -  

• Offer on-site yoga or meditation classes.

• Organize support groups among employees.

• Sponsor stress management classes during the workday.

• Offer an employee assistance program that includes both counseling and referral.

• Offer onsite counseling for staff members in a work-related trauma, such as the death of a colleague.

Advantages of Prenatal Care and Breastfeeding

The old proverb “an ounce of avoidance is worth a pound of cure” is namely relevant to when applied to preventive measures taken during pregnancy, when several extra ounces of birth weight can save a child’s life.

During pregnancy, simple precautions can help avoid catastrophic results; giving up tobacco use, for example, drastically decreases the risk of miscarriage and pre-term labor.

The March of Dimes reports that if all women took adequate folic acid before conception and during pregnancy, the number of babies born with a neural tube defect could drop by as much as 70 percent.

The physical and emotional benefits of proper prenatal care to a mother and child are underscored by a strong business case for offering prenatal wellness benefits. Nationwide’s Chief Medical Director, Dr. Michael Moore, estimates costs to care for one baby delivered prematurely could approach $500,000.

First steps in fostering a prenatal program -  

• Invite the March of Dimes to present information about prenatal health at an staff member brownbag lunch or breakfast meeting.

• Hold prenatal care information courses for interested workers during lunch.

• Provide educational materials about the effects of alcohol, drugs and smoking on an unborn child.

• Offer incentives for adopting healthy lifestyles during pregnancy.

• Offer prenatal programs and education as part of the company healthcare package.

Advantages of Tobacco use Cessation Programs

Instances of respiratory illnesses, cancer and other illnesses could be decreased through tobacco use cessation efforts. Smoking cessation programs can provide gigantic opportunities for improved health.

The American Cancer Society reports that use of tobacco staff members cost corporations an typical of $1,429 per smoker per year in increased healthcare costs over non-use of tobacco staff members.

Implementing a tobacco use cessation program costs an typical of $45 per employee per year, saving companies an typical of $1,383 per year for each employee who quits tobacco use. Additionally, the American Cancer Society reports that smokers are absent from work 50 percent more often than nonsmokers.

They are also 50% more likely to be hospitalized and have 15% higher disability rates. Tobacco use decreases onthe- job productivity as well. Staff Members who take four 10- minute smoking breaks a day work more than a month less per year than employees who don’t take smoke breaks.

Places to start with tobacco use cessation programs -  

• Develop a “buddy” program to provide encouragement for those who commit to stop tobacco use.

• Offer lung capacity tests at company wellness fairs.

• Consider reimbursement for smoking cessation tools -  nicotine gum, patches and inhalers.

• Limit smoking areas in the workplace.

• Present on-site smoking cessation sessions.