A Wellness Program is an organized health promotion program to assist and support staff in establishing healthier life choices. This can include increasing staff member awareness on health topics, scheduling behavior modification programs, and/or establishing organization policies that support health-related objectives.
Programs and policies that promote increased physical activity, tobacco use avoidance and cessation, and healthful food selections are several examples.
Dimensions of Wellness
Health Promotion is more than fitness. In addition to fitness, the dimensions of optimal health include
• Spiritual Wellness Dimension
• Emotional Wellness Dimension
• Social Wellness Dimension
• Intellectual Wellness Dimension
These Wellness Dimensions are often depicted as a “life wheel” with examples of health components that include –
• fitness,
• nutrition,
• purpose in life,
• financial planning,
• social connections and support systems,
• stress management,
• mind-body health,
• career planning and
• continued learning.
The key for individual health is keeping the “life wheel” in balance. A robust wellness program addresses most, when not all, of these dimensions.
Why Employee Wellness?
Staff Members spend a excellent deal of time on the job, and the fact is that our traditional work-week is increasing. In truth, the average American now works about 47 hours per week.
Plus, technologies like modems, laptops, cellular phones, voice and email have blurred the work-life boundary. These realities reduce the amount of time that the typical individual can devote to wellness pursuits, and yet staff members are expected to be at top performance when at work.
A recent research study by the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses found that corporate wellness or wellness programs are successful in helping workers make positive health changes due to several factors such as convenience, environmental support, and coworker or social acceptance.
What’s the Link between Wellness and the Workplace?
Programs and policies that promote healthful behaviors could make a big difference on employee wellness AND have an impact on the company’s bottom line. Studies have shown that for every dollar invested by companys in employee wellness/wellness programs, there were savings ranging from $1.49 to $4.91 with a median savings of $3.14*.
In corporation terms, that is more than a 3 – 1 minimum return on investment – a number that is hard to ignore, and a best practice that should warrant serious consideration from corporations.
Indeed, a employee health promotion literature review posted in Health Promotion Practitioner Journal found –
• 19 studies found a 28.3% reduction in sick time
• 16 studies demonstrated a 5.6 – 1 return on investment
• 23 showed a 26.1% reduction in healthcare costs
• 4 found a 30 percent reduction in direct medical and workers’ compensation claims
There is little doubt that a extensive wellness program targeted to meet a corporation’s specific needs can cut costs by decreasing absenteeism, lowering health care expenditures, decreasing employee turnover, and increasing productivity.
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2003
