Businesses invest in their employees through a variety of outlets, and one popular method is establishing wellness programs. Such programs can take on a number of different forms, from incentive-based operations and competitions among employees to unstructured gym time in a corporate fitness center. However, all wellness programs have potential benefits for both workers and companies.
Types
Businesses typically offer wellness programs for a purpose that's twofold: to improve the health of their employees and, by extension, reduce their own costs for health insurance and care. Incentive-driven programs are one successful choice that encourages healthier behaviors among employees by offering rewards for those who reach certain benchmarks or goals. Some large corporations may have more nebulous programs in place and leave greater freedom to their employees by simply offering a free fitness center and optional workplace fitness classes. Still others go a step further and take an innovative approach by urging employees to use treadmill desks or fitness balls rather than traditional desk setups.
Benefits
Studies have shown that employees who opt in to the programs have better morale, are more productive, are fitter, experience clearer concentration and take fewer sick days. Such benefits extend to employers as well. National Health Care Canada reports that businesses with wellness programs in place save money, experience less worker turnover and cultivate better relationships between employees and management personnel.
Drawbacks
There's no question that employers and employees who participate in wellness programs enjoy some significant benefits, but not everyone agrees that those benefits are worth the cost. Businesses spend as much as millions of dollars a year to maintain wellness programs. Moreover, some employees feel that wellness programs cross a personal line and are an invasion of privacy. Fitness, diet, health and weight loss, they argue, shouldn't be within an employer's realm of influence.
Considerations
Some companies take employee health and wellness more seriously than others. According to a 2008 Forbes.com article, a company called Westgate, which deals in vacation properties, issued a mandate that all employees who smoked would have to quit within a year or could be fired. Other companies are legally allowed to fire employees who are overweight, as only Michigan and the District of Columbia, as of 2008, had laws that prohibited workplace discrimination based on how much an employee weighs. For those companies and employees, much more is at stake than just small, incentive-based reward systems for improved wellness.
Member Comments