A recent article in the Herald-Citizen, a Tennessee publication, talks about how the Cookeville Regional Medical Center has implemented an employee wellness program that’s working out very well. The director and vice president of human resources at the medical center noted that it’s all about the incentives when it comes to employee wellness programs.

With incentives, employee wellness programs can be fun and rewarding. They motivate employees to want to join in. Some incentives can include paid days off work, discounts on insurance, bonuses, money and more. One incentive may appeal more to one employee wellness program participant, but it seems safe to say every participant has their eye on one of the rewards. Especially with the holiday season, many of the participants of CRMC’s Employee Wellness program found the paid time off, money prizes and bash back off health insurance to be very appealing. Some say that the employee wellness program is an extra push that helps them meet their health goals, and that’s certainly a big reward.

This is a yearly event for CRMC, and they note that some find it comforting to have it happen each year. Some participants go up and down with their goals, while others improve a bit each year. Simply participating in the program provides employees encouragement to be healthier and stick to it.

The article points out how investing in the lives of employees can be a good thing, as they are one of the many assets of an organization. Implementing an employee wellness program can help improve morale and health. It can also lower health insurance costs and improve a company’s bottom line.

If you’re interested in starting up an employee wellness program at your place of business, contact Employee Wellness USA to find out your next steps and get a free wellness proposal.

Companies that have instituted employee wellness programs talk about the improvements they’ve noticed around their workplace in a recent article from InsuranceNewsNet.com. Of those improvements, they mention that they’ve noticed employee morale and camaraderie has gone up.

It’s no secret that employee wellness programs lead to a better workplace when they’re implemented correctly. Business are always looking for ways to improve productivity and the bottom line. Also, experts have pointed out that employee wellness programs keep health insurance premiums reasonable for corporations.

In the article, they talk about how suggesting to employees that they need to exercise can “nudge against privacy concerns,” so they instead have to figure out how to get people to want to be healthy. Easier said than done, sure, but it’s worth trying.

One company, for example, added an online wellness program to their insurance, which allowed participants to redeem points they accumulated for prizes like TVs and magazine subscriptions. This system paid off more than they probably ever imagined when one woman got a physical and a mammogram and found out she had breast cancer. Since it was caught so early, she is expected to recover.

Another thing employee wellness programs can help with is absenteeism. Though, as the article points out, presenteeism can be just as bad as absenteeism when employees show up for work when they’re sick. Some do it because of their work ethic, while others may do it because they just can’t afford to miss the day. But presenteeism affects the bottom line just as absenteeism does.

To help with this problem, one recycling company started offering a half-day medical clinic every other week, where employees could drop in to get minor problems like a sore throat checked out by a doctor. This was beneficial since employees didn’t have to take a half-day or full day off of work to go to the doctor. The company says this measure has helped to control their insurance costs as well as help with productivity.

A fascinating article in the Rocky Mount Telegram talked about how earlier this week at a seminar in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, experts got together to discuss the benefits of healthy workers. These experts talked about how employee wellness programs increase productivity and keep employees healthy, which also means health care costs paid by businesses are kept low.

Benefits of healthy workers include decreased days of calling in sick and higher productivity and efficiency, and healthy workers can even keep health insurance premiums at bay.

Still, to get the benefits of healthy workers, these employee wellness programs need to be implemented successfully. And what’s very important, noted the experts at the seminar, is that there be incentives that make participation appealing to the employees. While this may sound expensive, it actually doesn’t have to be, said the experts. Incentives can be something as simple as a gift card or a T-shirt.

Other ways to make an employee wellness program successful in order to see the benefits of healthy workers include:

• Offering an ergonomically efficient workplace that reduces the risk of employee injuries
• Encouraging workers to take the stairs by painting the steps
• Creating an environment that encourages exercising while taking a break
• Tracking workers’ steps with a pedometer, then raffling off prizes monthly for people who take a certain amount of steps

An expert on the panel remarked that employee wellness programs typically help keep health insurance premiums reasonable. Another expert suggested to keep in mind that you should try to make employee wellness programs fun, and change up what you’re doing in order to find what works.

The benefits of healthy workers are undeniably valuable to businesses as well as employees. If you’d like to start offering an employee wellness program at your business, contact EmployeeWellnessUSA today to get started with an evaluation of your business. You will also get a free wellness proposal to assist you in your approval efforts.

An employee wellness investment is good even during a financial crisis, says a recent article from MarketWatch.com. Since the financial crisis has companies looking for ways to cut costs and increase productivity, an employee wellness investment just makes sense.

Companies are realizing the benefits that come along with an employee wellness investment as they take note of how employee health care costs are a risk to the growth and profitability of a business. The article points out how investing in employee wellness may be a moderate up-front expense, but it is no doubt an investment with a demostrable ROI.

Employee wellness and corporate wellness programs deliver results. Great for both employees and employers, employee wellness programs can offer lower employee absenteeism and lead to fewer injuries and provide better productivity. It can also result in fewer worker’s compensation claims and disability claims. What’s more is that employee wellness programs can increase morale and improve employee retention. Workers will appreciate getting employee wellness as a part of their overall compensation package.

Though the financial crisis has many companies evaluating their budgets, they could overlook a simple way to cut costs: an employee wellness investment. With so many advantages for employees and employers, it’s really a win-win situation for everybody.

Start Investing in Employee Wellness

Start investing in employee wellness today by calling one of our healthcare management representatives. From there, you can get started with an evaluation of your company along with a free wellness proposal to help you in your approval efforts. An employee wellness investment is one that can really pay off.

Wellness Programs Provide Long-Term Results

Wellness programs, according to an article in Crain’s Detroit Business, come in two choices:  workplace wellness programs or health insurance products that aim at lower costs if healthy habits are followed.  Both options are a good choice, but only one will really provide long-term health benefits for your employees and lower costs over the years.

Wellness Programs Offer Assistance

Insurance-based products offer employees the opportunity, according to the article by Jay Green, to save money on their premiums if they follow certain steps, including performing an online health assessment, visiting their physician, and agree to adopt a healthy lifestyle.  These plans usually involve one coach call to the employee during the first 90 days.  We wonder if these brief wellness encounters will actually change a person’s lifestyle.

It is the overall change in a person’s lifestyle, as well as disease prevention that will lead to lower health costs in the future.

Onsite workplace wellness programs, like the ones that EmployeeWellnessUSA works with you to establish in your place of business, offers convenient health risk assessments and screening tests for things like diabetes, cholesterol and blood pressure.  As the article states, these have initial start-up costs, but the savings accrue over time and employees are more likely to stay active in an onsite employee wellness program.

Wellness Programs Get Results

Finally, the article states that companies with an effective employee wellness program can expect to see “500 percent lower absenteeism, 400 percent fewer disability claims, and 350 percent lower health care costs.”  These are numbers that are very hard to argue with.

If you are ready to start seeing those numbers in your company, contact one of our wellness experts today.  They are there to answer all of your questions, as well as provide you with a free wellness proposal.

Wellness Programs Becoming Popular

Wellness programs are becoming popular outside the workplace, showing the ever-increasing importance of disease prevention and health risk management.  Private insurance companies, as well as state Medicaid and Medicare offices are working on ways to improve the health of the people they insure in hopes to save money in the long run.  They are finding that mini-wellness programs are definitely the way to go.

Wellness Programs Help with Early Intervention

According to an article that appeared in The Indianapolis Star, employers, insurers and government agencies are turning to “early intervention to change the behavior of those struggling with common but dangerous health conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, heart failure and coronary heart disease.”
The tactics that they incorporate to improve their beneficiaries’ wellness postcard reminders for different lab tests or check-ups; and possibly even phone calls from nurses to work with the patients to make sure that they are taking their medicines properly and following the lifestyle changes that were suggested by their health care provider.

Wellness Programs Offer Quality Benefits

There are more benefits to a wellness program than just the cost savings that an employer or a state agency will see; there is the benefit to the actually patient.  The patient is going to get the motivation and the incentive to get better or to manage their health and their health risks by having to answer to someone, whether that someone is a full-time wellness employee at their company or a nurse affiliated with their insurance company.

Wellness Programs are Customized for Your Company

EmployeeWellnessUSA.com understands all the benefits that a wellness program can provide to the employer and to the employee and is here to help you get a custom corporate wellness program started today.  Call one of our wellness experts today and answer their questions so that they can put together a free wellness proposal for you and your company.

Employee Wellness and Healthcare Costs

Employee wellness programs are important now more than ever.  According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, with the troubles in the economy it seems that the costs of employer provided healthcare keep continuing to grow and it doesn’t seem like it is going to change.  The article states that during the year 2008, U.S. employers can expect to see an increase of 10% in healthcare costs.

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

Employee Wellness for Healthier Lifestyles

Employee wellness programs do provide an option for small businesses.  The corporations can offer discounted co-pays and deductibles to those employees that fully participate in the offered 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 lower the overall healthcare costs for the corporation.  Just one lengthy hospital stay can almost deplete a small business’ healthcare budget.

Employee Wellness and Your Bottom Line

Employee wellness programs provide many advantages to a company’s bottom-line.  Corporate wellness statistics from Prudential Insurance show a benefit expense of $312 per person enrolled in a wellness program compared to an expense of $574 per employee that wasn’t enrolled.  Coors Brewing Company showed a positive side-effect of participant absenteeism dropping by 18%, thus greater production and less healthcare costs overall.

Employee Wellness is Smart Business Decision

With the down economy and the increase in healthcare costs, deciding to implement a wellness program is a smart business decision.  Not to mention, it is very simple to do with the help of our wellness representatives.  They will work with your staff in putting together the best and most appropriate wellness program for your employees.  Contact them today to receive your free wellness proposal and start cutting your healthcare costs.

Wellness is Increased during Summer

Wellness is important year-round; 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 season 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 fitness, is apparent in the summer.

Wellness in the Summer has Advantages

There are many advantages to starting a corporate wellness program 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.  The summer months are also a great time to establish 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.

Wellness Program Kick-off

If you are ready to start an employee wellness program and take advantage of the summer months, than EmployeeWellnessUSA can help you.  We recommend following these steps to getting a wellness program started in your office.

• Pick a coordinator for the program who is willing and able to see it through.
• Make sure that you have the support of the corporate leadership.
• Formulate a wellness committee of leaders
• Perform an employee wellness survey to uncover the obstacles and goals of your wellness program
• Establish a good starting point through health risk assessments
• Build the program that fits your goals
• Constantly analyze the program and make improvements and adjustments as needed

Wellness Programs Provides Benefits

Remember to stress to employees that the wellness program is for them.  Employee wellness programs have been found to prevent obesity, cancer, heart disease and hypertension.  Participating in a program that provides all that should be an easy decision for the corporation and for the employees.

What is a Wellness Proposal?

You probably have seen this term many times and wondered what exactly it means. A wellness proposal is a proposal put together by a wellness company, such as EmployeeWellnessUSA.com, that makes suggestions for what type of wellness programs you should choose, what tools you will need to accomplish your corporation’s wellness goals, and costs associated with it.

Wellness Proposals Assist Human Resource Departments

A wellness proposal is a great thing to have in hand when HR Departments go to upper management to request funding for a wellness program. It will provide 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.

Wellness Proposals Lead to Better Wellness Programs

A well thought out wellness proposal can lead to a better wellness program, because the building blocks will already be in place. Wellness proposals will guarantee that your corporation gets the proper wellness program established. Wellness programs can vary greatly, but when your employees ask, you can tell them that they generally include the following:

• “Walking Wellness,” which incentivizes employees to take walking breaks around the vicinity of their workplace.
• Company sports teams, yoga classes and massage therapists at the workplace.
• Dietary advice, weight-loss and healthy cooking classes, stress management sessions, and either an employee wellness resources column in the employee newsletter or a wellness newsletter.
• “Take the stairs” initiatives to show how stair-walking can improve health.

How to Get a Wellness Proposal

You can get a wellness proposal by contacting an Employee Wellness USA corporate wellness representative. They will ask you all sorts of questions regarding your corporate goals, employee goals, budgets, etc, to assist them in putting together your personalized wellness proposal. The best of all, at Employee Wellness USA, it’s FREE. So what are you waiting for?

The Wellness Councils of America Have an Employee Wellness Test for Your Community

Employee wellness program administrators, get ready. The Wellness Councils of America have thrown down the gauntlet.

No, they’re not inviting you to some bare-knuckle confrontation in the parking garage. That would be counter to the principles of the twenty-one-year-old Omaha, NE, non-profit, which is dedicated to encouraging healthier lifestyles, focusing primarily on better employee wellness through the workplace. WELCOA, as it’s more succinctly known, is an organization of like-minded individuals, corporations and Wellness Councils in the United States that defends the health of the American worker.

The corporate wellness challenge? To see if your organization can help catalyze and catapult your community to prestigious “Well City” status.

Are You Fit for “Well City”?

According to WELCOA, Well Cities are those cities that take health management seriously at every level, from the individual citizens to the small non-profits to the largest employers.

In Well Cities, a significant portion of the community has taken a committed approach to employee wellness. Employers are drawing lines in the sand, agreeing to help employees eat healthy, get exercise and de-stress.

Employee Wellness Is a Win-Win Proposition for Employees and Employers

As you may already know from reading the articles in our employee wellness library, a focus on health risk management and proactive employee wellness planning has tangible benefits for both employees and employers. Employee wellness statistics show that better health means better productivity and job satisfaction. Some employees actually consider corporate wellness programs to be compensation – as valuable as a high salary.

But it doesn’t stop there. The numbers also show that employee wellness ROI can be in the range of $2.30 to $10.10 per dollar spent on corporate wellness programs, benefits and initiatives. These savings come in the form of lower absenteeism, less sick time and lower health insurance premiums.

Current Well Cities

The list of WELCOA Well Cities is diverse and exclusive:

• Bangor, ME
• Kanawha Valley, WV
• Kearney, NE
• Gainesville, FL
• Hobart, IN
• Lincoln, NE
• Chattanooga, TN
• Omaha, NE
• Jacksonville, FL

Employee Wellness Mavericks – Get Well City Soon!

We at EmployeeWellnessUSA believe that service-minded employee wellness coordinators should think long and hard about the ancillary benefits of shooting for Well City status in your community. Not only is it a good opportunity to meet like minded organizations and city officials in your area, but it has the potential to galvanize your workforce. Applying for Well City status suddenly makes their health and wellness a matter of civic pride.
For more on employee wellness and Well City, see the WELCOA Well City website. Or simply contact our employee wellness specialists about your corporate fitness plans.