The primary advantages for initiating a wellness program in the workplace include keeping employees healthy and cutting costs associated with employee illness. Healthy employees are more productive, express higher job satisfaction and commitment and have lower absenteeism, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). Wellness programs can encourage participants to eat better, exercise, lose weight if necessary, stop smoking and more.
Management Disinterest
A successful wellness program requires leadership from company supervisors and management, as indicated by a national survey of nearly 3000 employees conducted by the AHA in 2007. Employees in work environments that highly encourage program participation are more likely to participate, but only 18 percent of survey respondents perceived their employer as very or extremely encouraging. Additionally, 32 percent said their organizations don't really encourage participation in the wellness program. Workers may be more inclined to join in if they see company leaders taking walks, exercising, eating healthy and participating in activities such as blood pressure screening.
Cost Factor
Wellness programs cost money. The program should include health education, screening for various health conditions, availability of healthy food in lunch rooms and vending machines, as well as a place to exercise and time to participate, as noted by the AHA. Although wellness programs are designed to save organizations money, the company is not guaranteed a return on investment.
Certain People Avoid It
Wellness programs are generally effective in encouraging workers to exercise regularly and for providing health education, according to an article published in the January 1991 issue of Business and Health. However, these programs don't tend to attract participants who most need the activities, such as overweight people, smokers and people in poor health. Additionally, employees with chronic illness not caused by behavior may feel left out, as noted by WorkingWithChronicIllness.com. Wellness program emphasis tends to be on prevention and on people whose conditions are self-inflicted.
Time Factor
To encourage employee participation, the organization may need to allow time for wellness activities during the workday. A total of 41 percent of AHA survey respondents not participating in their company's wellness program said they would be more likely to do so if they had time during the workday. Eighteen percent said they would be more likely to participate if they had support from management, and 17 percent said they had too much work to participate.
Lack of Privacy
Privacy was the most common concern in the AHA survey, expressed by 41 percent of respondents. These employees don't feel comfortable with their employer having access to their personal health information.
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