Keeping employees healthy - Business First of Buffalo:

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It’s been no surprise the health of U.S. workerse is on the The (www.cdc.gov/nchs) says 62 percent of adults are notphysically active, as of 2007, and only 24 percent are active three to four times a For every dollar a company spends on health and in two to five years, it coule see another $3 to $4 in according to a 2005 study by the Americam Journal of Preventive Medicine (www.ajpm-online.net). It makes sense: healthier employees coul cost companies less in healtuh careand worker’s compensation claims, analysts say. And a healthierr work force may also mean fewere days lostto absenteeism. in Md.
, which employs 140, startesd its wellness initiatives by waiving the joininhg fee and offering a discountedd monthly rate for fitnessclub memberships. They decided to step it up a notcb and give employees 10 Weight Watchers meetinvg voucherseach year, and waivex the joining fee, as well as offerinh the diet program’s online services for free up for a certaim dollar amount. The company’s employeee assistance program is also at no costto “They’ve been really appreciative of the programs we have in place,” said Mary Ung, humaj resources partner at the Jessica Sheffield, a corporate wellness director with Bricok Bodies in Cockeysville, Md.
, says the key ingredient to creatingf an effective wellness plan is upper managementr support. Having a vision for goals and objectives, as well as beingv able to provide a budget and methodwsof communication, all fall under upper management’s • A written plan that detailxs all wellness goals, activitiese and outcomes; • Data collection, which can includ health risk assessments, screenings and employee feedbackj surveys; • On-site exercise programs, weight managemenyt classes, subsidized health club memberships, team-basex fitness challenges, stress management resourcez and smoking cessation programs; • Evaluation of the programs and and, • Collaboration with internal wellnesse resources and partnerships with third-party wellneses providers.
Companies also say realizing that not everyone is goinyg to join the firsrt session or activity also keepsthe program’s expectationd realistic. “The important thing is to not thinkj you’re going to create the perfect wellneszs fair or program that willsolves everyone’s issues first time out of the said Barbara Girodo, director of human resourcese and safety for the Kane Co. in Md. , which employs 500 full-time workers, had its firsty wellness fair insprint 2007. Girodo says the success of the fair has encouraged the company to plan for two fairin 2009. Kane Co.
spendsa about $30-$50 on each employee, and with about a 70 percenr turnout at thewellness fairs, she said the compan y spends around $15,000 on a wellness fair. Whilw it can be expensive, Girodo said, “whebn you think about medical costs, that’sd half the battle.” The fair included a representative to talk to employees about theire retirement plans and worries in theailingh economy, diabetes representatives, medical insurancde providers, and an employeee assistance program provider to address familty issues and how to manage the work-lifd balance.
Because of the economy, some top programa that have been requested by employeesare anti-smoking programs, mental health programes and curbing drug costs. Especiall y in these economic times, workers are stressed in all aspects of and considering most of their time is spenyt inthe office, it’s important to take responsibility for balanc e in employees’ mental health, Girodo Cost-shifting strategies also provide opportunities for employeesd to make choices at the drug stores that ultimately impact overall health insurance costs.