At The Partners Group, we continue to see an increase in employers offering wellness programs. This is likely because they’re witnessing tangible benefits both to their organization and to their employees. In a recent poll of Northwest employers, we found that nearly 70% of employers were offering some type of wellness program. The program could be a one time activity, for example a walking challenge, or a new worksite policy, such as a smoke free campus, or perhaps transitioning from exclusively sitting desks to sit stand. According to a recent National Business Group on Health study, where employers with less than 500 employees were surveyed, 61% offered general wellness programs, increased from 51% last year.
The benefits of an employee wellness program from an employer perspective:
• Improved employee health
• Controlled healthcare costs
• Increase productivity
• Reduced absenteeism
• Improved job satisfaction
• Easier recruitment and retention of employees
There are a variety of reasons employers are focusing on and prioritizing workplace wellness. The worksite is a great place to be able to showcase your support of an employee’s well-being, and in return you can expect to see increased productivity, reduced absenteeism, improved job satisfaction and more. When we meet with our employer groups about wellness, the first question we ask is: “What is motivating you to put in a wellness program?” Our employers cite a variety of different reasons, from wanting to improve the health of their employees and create a more engaged and satisfied employee population, to controlling healthcare costs and putting strategies in place that allow them to be more competitive in the marketplace.
The benefits of a workplace wellness program from the employees’ perspective:
• Weight loss
• Stress relief
• Reduced health risks and/or conditions
• Improved work performance
• Increase energy and satisfaction
We know that employees who engage in a workplace wellness program for six consecutive months tend to see more positive results than those that don’t participate. Many employees have reported positive results such as weight loss and stress relief by participating in focused programs. Many employees have also experienced reduced health risk and/or conditions because they’ve participated in a biometric screening.
We’ve also heard from employees that it simply makes them feel better to participate in wellness programs. Their work performance goes up when they participate with their peers in friendly competition. Workplace wellness program benefits often go beyond what meets the eye.
Full article– Create an outcomes based approach to wellness with a focus on prevention, click here.
Case Study:
We’ve highlighted a particular employer and how they went down the path of implementing a workplace risk reduction strategy in this case study.
Legal Guidelines:
Additionally we’ve invited our legal counsel, Iris Tilley from Barran Liebman Attorneys, to address legal considerations to be aware of when moving forward with a health contingent wellness program. For details around the legal requirements of incorporating a contingent outcomes based program into your workplace, click here.
View the entire Webinar Video covering:
Improving Health & Productivity in the Workplace
Creating an Outcomes Based Approach to Wellness with a Focus on Prevention
Author:
Alexa Galluzzo, Managing Consultant, Health and Productivity, The Partners Group
