If you're in the work force, especially if you work for a mid-sized or larger employer, you may find that your employer offers a wellness program. These programs, which occasionally also are offered to the public by hospitals and health care systems, pledge to help keep employees and community members healthy by teaching them healthy behaviors. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that more than half of all workers have access to a wellness program. To be effective, the programs need to reach people and persuade them to adopt healthy behaviors.
Wellness Basics
Most wellness programs include what are called "health coaching" activities to encourage workers to adopt healthier behaviors, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These activities may center around losing weight, quitting smoking, lowering cholesterol or making healthier food choices. They also might encourage exercise and fitness, perhaps by offering gym memberships or providing structured exercise classes.
Encouraging Participation
To work effectively, wellness programs need to lure people to join and persuade them to stay. In the case of an employer offering a wellness program, incentives can take the form of small bonuses or prizes for participants who complete a program. Health care systems also can offer prizes, free health screenings and other incentives to join and stay in the program.
Physical Activity Programs
On-site physical activity programs may represent one of the most effective wellness programs. Employers who offer on-site physical activity programs find that their wellness programs effectively reduce absenteeism and increase productivity, notes the Maryland Department of Budget and Finance. Employer health care costs can fall by up to 55 percent with physical activity-based wellness programs, while productivity may rise up to 52 percent and short-term sick leave can fall by nearly one-third, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Considerations
Effective wellness programs tend to incorporate five factors: assessment of the person's needs, an intervention tailored to those needs, health education, access to tools such as a physical fitness program and incentives to persuade people to participate. If wellness programs work effectively, they can save employers money on health care costs.
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