Health and Safety for Workers, Students, and Families

Are workplace wellness programs effective?

Workplace wellness programs are a “proven strategy” in reducing risk factors for heart disease, says a new American Heart Association (AHA) policy statement. These risk factors include smoking, overweight, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

We can all save money

Every year the U.S. spends an estimated $304.6 billion on treating heart disease, says the AHA. Up to 30 percent of companies’ annual medical costs go toward health care for employees at high risk for heart disease and stroke.

“Research shows that companies can save anywhere from $3 to $15 for every $1 spent on health and wellness within 12 to 18 months of implementing a program,” says Mercedes Carnethon, a professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University’s School of Medicine and lead author of the AHA policy paper.

These cost savings can be passed onto employees in the form of lower premiums, co-pays, and deductibles; reduced need for higher coverage; and wage increases instead of burdensome insurance costs.

Striving together for better employee health

American businesses are becoming alert to the benefits of programs aimed at employees’ health improvement and prevention, health services expert R. Douglas Metz told Today’s Dietitian magazine. He says employers see health improvement programs as a way to boost productivity, reduce absenteeism, cut down on the number of sick (and possibly infectious) employees who show up at work, and lower the need for medical leave.

What should a company wellness plan entail?

The AHA policy cites these keys to a successful workplace wellness program:

• Tobacco cessation and prevention
• Regular physical activity (such as employee walking programs)
• Stress management and reduction
• Early detection and screening
• Nutrition education and promotion
• Weight management
• Disease management
• Cardiovascular disease education including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) training
• Changes in the work environment to encourage healthy behaviors
• Promoting occupational health and safety

How to establish a workplace wellness program

Start with the Centers for Disease Control’s Healthier Worksite Initiative.

photo credit: Andreas D.