What's good for employees is good for the company, at least in terms of health and fitness. Employees who smoke less, watch their weight, work out and manage stress are less likely to miss work, become injured on the job, lower their productivity or otherwise cost the company money. In addition to anecdotal evidence, there is documented information on how wellness programs help both employees and businesses.
Employee Benefits
Corporate wellness programs typically aim to improve the physical health of employees as well as address some mental health issues, such as stress-management and alcoholism. Employees who participate in wellness programs have the opportunity to get professional support for losing weight, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, building cardiovascular endurance, quitting smoking and decreasing or stopping alcohol use. Wellness programs often include professional counseling, general health information via video and book libraries and pamphlets, exercise areas with fitness equipment and seminars and classes ranging from cooking to prenatal care to alcoholism and smoking cessation. Studies show that employees who participate in wellness programs improve their health, decrease their chances of heart disease, stroke and other illness, and they are less likely to become injured at the workplace.
Company Benefits
Decreased absenteeism and tardiness, higher productivity, lower workers' compensation premiums and fewer claims and lower healthcare costs are just some of the areas where companies with wellness programs benefit. According to the Wellness Council of America (WELCOA), smokers alone costs U.S. businesses $1,300 per year, per smoker, in healthcare costs. Workplace injuries cost companies more than $100 billion in medical care and lost productivity, with 100 million workdays lost to lower back pain alone. A workplace injury happens every five seconds in the U.S., with a permanent or temporary disability occurring every ten seconds.
Society Benefits
When businesses can significantly reduce their costs, they can pass those savings on to consumers. Because healthcare and health insurance are shared costs, healthier employees with fewer paid medical treatments keep health insurance premiums lower for everyone. According to Fries et al. in the "New England Journal of Medicine," the average person in the U.S. will need $225,000 worth of healthcare during his lifetime, resulting in a total cost to the economy of $1 trillion per year. Approximately 50 percent of deaths in the U.S. each year, as well as 70 percent of illness burden and cost, is preventable. Corporate wellness programs help reduce those preventable illnesses and costs.
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