Wellness programs not only help employees improve their health and fitness, but also improve the bottom line of companies that offer them. Physically healthy employees miss less work and make fewer insurance claims. Happy, stress-free employees have higher productivity levels. For these reasons, businesses offer a wide variety of wellness programs to improve the total health of their employees.
Smoking Cessation
According to the Wellness Council of America (WELCOA), employees who smoke cost employers an average of $1,300 per employee per year. Tobacco, alcohol and other drug use cost American businesses more than $100 billion each year. Company wellness programs often offer help with smoking cessation, including classes on how to quit, as well as aids such as patches and hypnotherapy. Wellness programs that include smoking cessation programs for pregnant women can save more than $6 for every $1 the company spends.
Diet
Poor eating habits lead to obesity, high cholesterol, increased risk of cancer and coronary heart disease, diabetes and other health problems. Wellness programs frequently include information on diet and nutrition in the form of libraries with books, videos and pamphlets on healthy foods. Some wellness programs include cooking classes and lectures on healthy eating habits. Healthy menus in corporate cafeterias are often a part of an overall wellness program.
Pregnancy and Prenatal
Larger companies offer counseling to pregnant employees to help reduce pregnancy complications and post-birth health problems for mother and child. An unhealthy baby means more phone calls to the home, more personal days taken and more on-the-job distractions, all of which can all lead to lower productivity. Classes and one-on-one counseling for employees and spouses help families stay healthy and employees keep working.
Personal Counseling
From alcoholism to stress and obesity, employees face a number of personal health issues. Corporations that offer one-on-one counseling increase the success of wellness programs by quickly identifying problems and helping employees find solutions.
Fitness
Out-of-shape employees, whether performing strenuous physical tasks or sitting behind a desk, can cost corporations money. According to WELCOA, lower back pain alone causes employees to miss 100 million work days each year, costing employers about $20 billion. In the U.S., an employee is injured every five seconds, with a disability happening every 10 seconds. Fitness is a key component of wellness programs, with businesses offering a variety of the following fitness options: workout rooms and fitness centers; memberships to health clubs; rebates on or subsidies for home exercise equipment; corporate sports teams; aerobics classes; personal fitness evaluations
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