Posts from — November 2008

Wellness might be the fatal flaw in your Corporate Wellness Program. Is Wellness part of your strategy? Does worksite wellness stop when your employees leave the office?

Wellness Continuity

If employees don’t have the tools to pursue health and wellness on a Individual level, then it becomes easy for them to “fall off the wagon” and slide back into a unealthy lifestyles. If you have a walking program, for example, it should encourage employees to build walking routes near their homes, perhaps with the cooperation of the neighborhood association or coworkers who live in the neighborhood.

Corporate Wellness Programs: Always on Your Mind

Your Corporate Health Promotion Plan coordinator should have “vacation wellbeing” as part of their job scope. In other words, you don’t want a Corporate Health Promotion Plan to stop at the boundaries of the worksite campus. Instead, integrate Individual health and wellness with your Corporate Wellness Programs.

This will benefit the Corporate Wellness Programs in two ways:

it reduces the chance that the worker will come back to the office feeling unfit, overwhelmed and unable to resume their Corporate Wellness Programs; and
it shows that their organization is just as invested in their Individual health and wellness as they are

Like a marathon, Individual health and wellness is a long-term venture and it’s challenging for anyone to do in isolation. Simply put, it’s easier to maintain your state of health when you know others are depending on you and watching your Individual performance. It’s easier to stick to an physical activity program when you have a jogging partner who wakes you up when you oversleep, or spots you when you’re lifting weights.

Similarly, it’s easier to stick to your Corporate Health Promotion Plan when you know your organization is supporting you and wishing you the best.

Don’t Dictate Individual Health

Just as Wellness surveys serve a vital function in building a Corporate Wellness Program, it’s vitally important that you involve employees in designing an off-site wellness strategy. No one enjoys being told what to do, but everyone enjoys having assistance in tacking tough problems. Make it clear that employees are in charge of their own health and wellness. Your role as their health management partner is to support, advise, counsel, offer resources and information.

Of course, don’t forget that part of Individual health and wellness responsibility is to offer good health risk assessment baselines so employees can proceed safely on the road to better physical fitness.

Is It Necessary to Incent Corporations to Initiate Corporate Wellness Programs?

Wellness incentives may seem like an effective way to get employees excited about Corporate Health Promotion Plan – but is it wise?

This helps and encourages corporations to understand the importance of maintaining a healthy employees, not only for the welfare of its employees, but as well as the welfare of the organization bottom line … then, yes, it could be necessary.

Tax Breaks as Wellness incentives

In 2007, two senators decided to band together to create the “Healthy Workforce Act.” This act is designed to encourage corporations to keep employees healthy and prevent disease. The senators believed that having a country focused on “well care” versus “sick care” would decrease the overall costs of medical care for everyone. They decided to start with America’s employees.

The legislation, introduced by Iowa Senator Tom Harkin and Oregon Senator Gordon Smith, notes that corporations would receive a Wellness incentive – a fifty percent tax credit – if they offer to their employees a Corporate Health Promotion Plan that meets the following criteria:

1) A health education and awareness component, which could include Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals and Health Testings.
2) A behavioral change component – such as counseling, seminars, or self-help materials to empower employees to lead healthier lifestyles.
3) A supportive environment component – including providing meaningful incentives to taking part in employees, such as a reduction in medical premiums or allowing employees to engage in walking Corporate Wellness Programs during the workday.
4) The creation of an worker engagement committee – which would tailor the Corporate Health Promotion Plan to the needs of the employees at a particular corporation.

If this law gets passed, many corporations will be scrambling to offer Corporate Wellness Programs in hopes of receiving the Wellness incentives.

Corporate Wellness Programs: An Attainable Goal

Was Wellness on your company’s new year’s resolutions list? Here we are a little over midway into the third month of 2008, the time when resolutions start to falter if they haven’t lost momentum completely. Has your Worksite’s wellness resolution fallen by the wayside? If so, there are still ways to get back on track.

One Wellness tip comes to us from the YMCA of Greater Des Moines, reported from the Jersey Shore. Rod Shirk, the YMCA’s chief financial officer, participated in the organization’s first executive Corporate Wellness Program, which registered his cholesterol as higher than normal. That prompted him to get a physical, which showed high levels of a prostate-specific antigen (PSA that often indicates prostate cancer. The outcome? His doctors caught a life-threatening illness just in time.

Thanks Corporate Wellness Program.

So of course, Shirk is a huge proponent of Corporate Wellness Programs. He says, “For us here at the YMCA, if we are telling people to be healthy, we had better set a good example for our employees.”

Wellness Decreases Health Care Costs

Though cases like Shirk’s dramatic cancer save are the most desirable effect of Corporate Wellness Programs, it isn’t the initial draw for corporations. They do it to reduce medical care costs, and there’s no doubt that Corporate Wellness Programs do just that. Corporate Health Promotion Plan Statistics show that Corporate Wellness Programs return anywhere from $2.30 to $10.10 per dollar spent on wellness. “Health care costs should go down as people think about changing their diets and getting more active,” Shirk says.

The Corporate Health Promotion Plan savings aren’t just in the Medical Insurance department. Human resource departments report that Corporate Wellness Programs also reduce absenteeism and increase productivity.

Still, corporations have been loath to invest that elusive Wellness dollar despite the well-documented returns. A Principal Financial Group and Harris Interactive survey found that only 10% of small- to medium-size corporations have made worksite Health Testings – like the one that saved Shirk’s life – available to their employees.

Employee Obesity: The Facts

Employee obesity has become one of the fastest growing medical care problems in America. It is well known that America is considered one of the, if not “the”, heaviest countries in the world. This is largely in part due to fast food, un-healthy snacks and a very sedentary lifestyle. However, what many people are not aware of is that the rate of obesity in our country has doubled in the last 30 years and this weighs heavily on a company’s bottom line.

According to a new report from The Conference Board, Weights and Measures: What organizations Should Know about Obesity, obese employees cost private corporations an estimated $45 billion each year. Following are some of the report’s findings:

Obesity is associated with a 36% increase in spending on medical care, more than smoking or problem drinking.
34% of adult Americans fit the definition of “obese”
Obesity related health problems are costing U.S. corporations millions of dollars each year in medical expenditures and work loss.

Employee Obesity: How corporations Can Help

With the increase in obesity and organization costs associated with it, it is more and more imperative to create a way to assist employees with their healthy living choices. Corporate Wellness Programs can help corporations help their employees. By providing assistance with Health Testing, Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals and by conducting Corporate Health Promotion Plan surveys; Corporate Wellness Programs allow the organization non-invasive ways to communicate their concerns about their worker’s health.

We suggest establishing a Walking Corporate Health Promotion Plan to assist your employees in meeting their weight-loss goals. Walking Wellness is a program designed to get your employees away from their desk and get them outside for a little physical activity. Keep it fun by having contests, setting up weight-loss teams and having organized healthy picnics.

What is a Corporate Health Promotion Plan Proposal?

You probably have seen the term many times and wondered what exactly does it mean. A Corporate Health Promotion Plan Proposal is a proposal put together by a wellness consultant that makes suggestions for what type of Corporate Wellness Programs you should choose, what tools you will need to accomplish your corporation’s wellness goals, and costs associated with it.

Corporate Health Promotion Plan Proposals Assist Human Resource Departments

A Corporate Health Promotion Plan Proposal is a great thing to have in hand when HR Departments go to upper management to request funding for a Corporate Wellness Program. It will offer necessary stats and trends, background information, and costs that will enable the HR Department to fully present their case. Upper management will appreciate the preparedness and the research that has gone into your wellness request.

Corporate Health Promotion Plan Proposals Lead to Better Corporate Wellness Programs

A well thought out Corporate Health Promotion Plan Proposal can lead to a better Corporate Wellness Program, because the building blocks will already be in place. Corporate Health Promotion Plan Proposals will guarantee that your corporation gets the proper Corporate Health Promotion Plan established. Corporate Wellness Programs can vary greatly, but when your employees ask, you can tell them that they generally include the following:

Walking programs which offers employees with incentives to take their walking breaks at their worksite.
Company teams, worksite yoga classes and massage therapists at the worksite.
Nutrition advice, weight-loss and healthy cooking classes, stress management sessions, and either a Corporate Health Promotion Plan resources column in the worker newsletter or a wellness newsletter.
Stairwell initiatives to show how stair-walking can improve health.

Wellness Competitions Are Popping Up Everywhere

Wellness Competitions are definitely hot right now and they are encouraging more and more people to get healthy and live better. Whether it is a city or a school or a social group or even a whole state, competitive spirits are being ignited by the challenge to be the healthiest team. The Wellness Competitions are usually about a six months to a year in length and they are made up of several teams, these teams all get points for physical activity, selecting healthy foods, and just making better life and health choices overall.

The best part about Wellness Competitions is even though there really is only way “real” winner; everyone that participates in the challenge is a life winner.

Wellness Competitions offers incentive to Get Healthy

Establishing a Wellness Competitions in your office is a great way to get employees to participate in your established Corporate Wellness Program. Have employees form teams and receive points for everything from attending a organization Wellness Fair to getting a health risk assessment to beginning an physical activity regimen. At the end of the year, the teams will win prizes based on the number of points they have accumulated.

Wellness Competitions Enhance Corporate Health

Not only will Wellness Competitions improve the health of your employees, it will improve the overall health of the corporation by providing benefits such as fewer injuries, worker’s comp claims, decreased medical care costs, better worker attendance, and better organization morale.

Like we said earlier, everyone is a winner in a Wellness Competitions!

The 61st annual World Health Assembly is taking place this week in Geneva, Switzerland and at this assembly; the World Health Organization (WHO) is presenting its report titled “Preventing Non-communicable Diseases (NCD) in the Workplace through Diet and Physical Activity.”

The report calls for Corporate Wellness Programs to be promoted and implemented worldwide.

Importance of Corporate Wellness Programs

The report notes that Non-Communicable Disease related deaths have surpassed transferable disease related deaths and have become the leading global killers. Examples of Non-Communicable Disease’s are heart disease, diabetes and stroke. In 2005, 60% of worldwide projected deaths were caused by non-communicable diseases. They are predicting that this health trend will continue through at least 2030.

Diet, caloric intake, lack of physical activity and tobacco use are the major risk factors in the cause of Non-Communicable Disease’s. Now more than ever, the understanding of the importance of health and wellness is crucial.

Corporate Wellness Programs are Effective Tools

The report notes that Corporate Wellness Programs are found to be effective in improving health-related risk factors, such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes. The report also notes that Corporate Wellness Programs will improve the health of employees, improve the organization image, improve worker morale, reduce worker absences and sick leave, increase worker productivity, and reduce organization medical care expenses.

Corporate Wellness Programs Monitoring

Finally, the report mentions that to have a successful Corporate Wellness Program, monitoring and evaluation through Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals and health outcomes are essential and should be included in the Corporate Health Promotion Plan implementation. The evaluations ensure that the Corporate Health Promotion Plan developed meets the proper needs of the employees. Staff Members should be reevaluated on an on-going basis to make sure the Corporate Health Promotion Plan is still working, or to see if there are any adjustments that need to be made.

Corporate Health Promotion Plan ROI: Fact or Fiction?

Corporate Wellness Programs … do they offer a strong return on investment? This is a question that we are sure goes through ever company’s mind. HR Magazine addresses the Corporate Health Promotion Plan ROI topic in their June 2008 issue.

Corporate Health Promotion Plan ROI: The Bottom Line

According to the article, titled “Finding Wellness’ Return on Investment,” determining Corporate Health Promotion Plan ROI is not an easy thing to do for corporations because it involves a lot of different variables and time.

However, the corporations that have taken the time to determine the Corporate Health Promotion Plan ROI of their Corporate Wellness Programs have found that it is quite significant. Not to mention, the Wellness program’s effect on the improvement of worker health and the slowing of the rate of their worker medical care expenses.

Corporate Health Promotion Plan ROI Alliance

Corporate Health Promotion Plan ROI is such an important part of today’s organization culture, that several large corporations have come together to form the Alliance for Wellness ROI, Inc. According to the HR Magazine article, The Alliance for Wellness ROI was specifically created to address the lack of consistency in proving the value of Corporate Wellness Programs.

The alliance, formed by BMW of North America, Henry Ford Health System, Kraft Foods Global, Schlumberger Limited and MasterCare Worldwide, strongly believes in showing the value of Corporate Wellness Programs and want to develop a standard for how Corporate Wellness Programs are measured.

Corporate Wellness Programs Components

According the alliance, the following components should make up an organization-provided worker Corporate Wellness Program:

Employee assistance Program (EAP)
Disease Management Program
Fitness and physical activity Programs
Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals
On-Site medical care Programs
Individual wellness profiles
Preventive Health Testings and immunizations
Tobacco-cessation Programs
Phone based Corporate Wellness Programs
Weight Management and Weight Loss Programs
Self-Care Programs.

Wellness During the Summer

Wellness is important all year long; however if your employees haven’t gotten on the Wellness bandwagon, then now is the perfect time to get them there.

Summer is an ideal time of year to get back into shape and improve overall Wellness.  The weather is beautiful, employees can get outside and they are motivated by the thought of having to wear clothes with less coverage.  Fitness, or lack of physical fitness, is apparent in the summer.

Wellness in the Summer has Advantages

There are many advantages to beginning a Corporate Health Promotion Plan in the Summer.  Employees are more likely to get outside and walk or participate in group activities during the summer than they are in the cooler months of the fall and winter.  Summer is also a great time to start a Wellness challenge with your employees and celebrate the completion of the challenge with a participant picnic or cookout.  Finally, it always seems easier to eat healthy during the summer with all the fresh vegetables and fruits that are available during this time.

Corporate Health Promotion Plan Kick-off

We recommend following these steps when starting a Corporate Health Promotion Plan in your office.

Pick a wellness coordinator for the Corporate Health Promotion Plan who is willing and able to see it through.
Make sure that you have the support of organization leadership.
Create a Wellness committee
Use a Corporate Health Promotion Plan survey to uncover the obstacles and goals of your Corporate Health Promotion Plan
Provide Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals
Analyze the Corporate Health Promotion Plan and changes as needed
Do not forget to stress that the Corporate Health Promotion Plan is for the employees.  Corporate Wellness Programs have been found to prevent obesity, cancer, heart disease and hypertension.  Taking part in in a Corporate Health Promotion Plan that offers all that should be an easy decision for the corporation and for the employees.

Corporate Wellness Programs and Medical Care Costs

Corporate Wellness Programs are more important now than ever.  A recent article in the Wall Street Journal, with the troubles in the economy it seems that the costs of organization offered medical care keep continuing to grow and it doesn’t seem like it is going to change.  The article notes that during the year 2008, U.S. corporations can expect to see an increase of 10% in medical care costs.

This increase in medical care costs is causing some small corporations to reduce their worker health benefits or get rid of them altogether.

Corporate Wellness Programs for Healthier Lifestyles

Corporate Wellness Programs do offer an option for small corporations.  The corporations can offer discounted co-pays and deductibles to those employees that fully participate in the provided Corporate Wellness Program.  Full participation means getting health screens, receiving a health risk assessment, and then working with their wellness coordinator to work towards a healthier lifestyle.

The healthier the employees, the reduce the overall medical care costs for the corporation.  Just one lengthy hospital stay can almost deplete a small business’ medical care budget.

Corporate Wellness Programs and Your Bottom Line

Corporate Wellness Programs offer many advantages to a company’s bottom-line. Corporate Health Promotion Plan Statistics from Prudential Insurance show a benefit expense of $312 per individual enrolled in a Corporate Health Promotion Plan compared to an expense of $574 per worker that wasn’t enrolled.  Coors Brewing Company showed a positive side-effect of participant absenteeism dropping by 18%, thus greater production and less medical care costs overall.