Wellness Assessments

For well over a decade, research has been showing the effectiveness of Workplace Wellness Programs. For every dollar spent on Workplace Wellness Programs, the returns have been cost savings of between $2.30 and $10.10 in the areas of decreased rates of absence, fewer sick days, reduced WSIB/WCB claims, lowered health and insurance costs, and improvements to staff member performance and productivity. 

Statistics do show that Workplace Wellness Programs increase staff member morale, improve the ability to attract and retain key workers, all while having more alert and productive employees. Some Workplace Wellness Program return on investment statistics of note: 

• Canada Life Insurance reported a return of $3.43 on Workplace Wellness Program, and an overall Workplace Wellness Program return on investment of $6.85 on each corporate dollar invested on reduced turnover (32.4% lower), productivity gains and decreased medical claims,

• DuPont’s Workplace Wellness Program pilot sites saw a saving of 11,726 disability days and a return of U.S. $2.05 for every dollar invested by the end of the second year,

• The Canadian government’s Workplace Wellness Program return on investment was $1.95-$3.75 per staff member per dollar spent (as reported by Dr. Roy Shephard),

• Municipal employees in Toronto, missed 3.35 fewer days in the first six months of their Workplace Wellness Program than employees not enrolled in the program,

• British Columbia Hydro employees enrolled in a Workplace Wellness Program had a turnover rate of just 3.5% compared with a Business average of 10.3%,

• Johnson & Johnson estimated an average saving of U.S. $224.66 per staff member per year for the four years examined after the program introduction, with the bulk of the savings being in the third and fourth years,

• Pacific Bell reported that overall rates of absence decreased after starting a Workplace Wellness Program,

• Coca Cola report saving $500 every year per staff member after starting a Workplace Wellness Program, with only 60% of their employees taking part,

• Coors Brewing Co. reported that for each dollar spent on their Workplace Wellness Program they saw a $5.50 return, and the employees who participated reduced their absentee rate by 18%, and

• Prudential Insurance Company reported that the benefits costs for employees taking part in their program were $312, as opposed to $574 for non-members 

 

Workers breathe life and value into your company.  Within the modern worksite there are increasing instances of stress, anxiety, obesity, depression, and heart disease.  The modern worksite has become increasingly physical fitness-free. 

Technological advances have lessened the need to “walk” at work.  Moving a mouse has the same level of physical exertion as pressing the buttons on a remote control.  Emails, the fax, and the internet have meant that it is possible to run a company without having to leave the chair.  The “advances” affect physical and mental health in a disastrous manner ultimately affecting your company’s profit. 

A sedentary lifestyle is a recipe for disaster – heart disease, chronic back pain, repetitive stress disorder, and low employee self-esteem are symptomatic of a work environment in which the only physical fitness available is surfing the net.  Business morale will invariably suffer if an physical fitness policy is not endorsed and put in place. 

Regular physical fitness can significantly improve worksite health.  Instances of absenteeism and staff turnover, low staff morale and reduced productivity can be alleviated with a Workplace Wellness Program that energizes and motivates tired employees.  Boredom, repetitive motion injuries and worksite fatigue can only be combated with physical and mental stimulation.  

Studies show, employees who are physically active on a regular basis record less sick days each year and are more energetic, dynamic, and industrious.  Investing in the health of your staff pays dividends through increased productivity and goodwill.  Physically active employees are happy employees. 

• Lowering medical insurance and compensation costs through reduced need for medical services

• Raising productivity

• Lowering rates of absence

• Raising morale

• Lowering stress 

On top of improving the health of your staff, a comprehensive Workplace Wellness Program shows your employees you care about their well-being. 

Golds Gym Workplace Wellness Programs is committed to creating a healthy, active workforce, providing employers with training incentives for employees at our state-of-the-art facilities. Golds Gym Employee Wellness also provides training services and facility design at your office location. 

Incorporating all aspects of fitness training (strength, core, cardiovascular, flexibility), performing comprehensive fitness assessments, designing personalized fitness programs, and dynamic group training programs.  We take pride in our talented, professional employees who provide innovative and effective Workplace Wellness Programs for diverse workforces.

 

Golds Gym Workplace Wellness Program’s employees reach beyond the walls of the excercise center to motivate, educate, and encourage employees to embrace and maintain healthy active lifestyles.  Applying practical experience the Golds Gym Workplace Wellness Program delivers dynamic cost-effective Workplace Wellness Program that help employees work happier, harder, and healthier. 

To motivate your employees to exercise, eat better, and lose weight, you could invest heavily in equipment, facilities, and staffing to develop worksite Workplace Wellness Programs for employees, thereby hopefully creating a healthier, more productive workforce.  However, the problem with corporate excercise facilities is that employees spend one quarter of their lives at work and typically are not motivated enough to come in early or stay late to do an exercise program. 

Golds Gym Workplace Wellness Programs provides attractive discounts for organizations to train at our professionally coordinated facilities.  When your company becomes a member of our Workplace Wellness Program, your employees are eligible for savings off of our regular training rates.  No matter what size of company you keep, we have a Workplace Wellness Program to keep it healthy, happy, and working strong. 

• Coca Cola reported saving $500 per staff member every year after starting a Workplace Wellness Program with only 60% of their employees taking part.

• Pacific Bell reported that overall rates of absence decreased after starting a Workplace Wellness Program.

• Coors Brewing Company reported that for each dollar spent on their Workplace Wellness Program they saw a $5.50 return and the employees who participated reduced their absentee rate by 18%.

• Prudential Insurance Company reported that the benefits costs for employees taking part in their program were $312 as opposed to $574 for non-members (American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, 2004). 

To learn more about Gold’s Gym Workplace Wellness Programs contact us at (336) 725-8624.

 

Flu Shot Facts & Myths 

Myth: The flu isn’t a serious disease.

Fact: Influenza (flu) is a serious disease of the nose, throat, and lungs, and it can lead to pneumonia. Each year about 200,000 workers in the U.S. are hospitalized and about 36,000 workers die because of the flu. Most who die are 65 years and older. But small children less than 2 years old are as likely as those over 65 to have to go to the hospital because of the flu. 

Myth: The flu shot can cause the flu.

Fact: The flu shot cannot cause the flu. Some workers get a little soreness or redness where they get the shot. It goes away in a day or two. Serious problems from the flu shot are very rare. 

Myth: The flu shot does not work.

Fact: Most of the time the flu shot will prevent the flu. In scientific studies, the effectiveness of the flu shot has ranged from 70% to 90% when there is a good match between circulating viruses and those in the vaccine. Getting the vaccine is your best protection against this disease. 

Myth: The side effects are worse than the flu.

Fact: The worst side effect you’re likely to get from a flu shot is a sore arm. The nasal mist flu vaccine might cause nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat and cough. The risk of a severe allergic reaction is less than 1 in 4 million. 

Myth: Only older workers need a flu vaccine.

Fact: Adults and children with conditions like asthma, diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease need to get a flu shot. Doctors also recommend children 6 months and older get a flu shot every year until their 5th birthday. 

Myth: You must get the flu vaccine before December.

Fact: Flu vaccine can be given before or during the flu season. The best time to get vaccinated is October or November. But you can get vaccinated in December or later. 

For more information, ask your healthcare provider or call 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636).  You can also get more information about flu shots by visiting the following Website: www.cdc.gov/flu 

Source: The Department of Health and Human ServicesCenters for Disease Control and Prevention

Benefits of Workplace Wellness Programs: Easy to Find 

Employer’s are learning that Workplace Wellness Programs is an effective way to increase productivity, improve staff member health, decrease healthcare costs and reduce rates of absence. 

A report published in 2003 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) highlighted how important it is for employers to incorporate Workplace Wellness Programs as part of their corporate strategy. The report asserts that chronic diseases which are largely preventable place a heavy toll on company, including lower productivity and higher medical insurance costs. 

The Department of Health and Human Services estimates that $1.66 trillion was spent on medical care in 2003 and it attributes a majority of those costs to chronic diseases and conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity and asthma. Sadly, the money allocated for preventing or controlling these conditions is negligible. 

In a recent article, American Cancer Society CEO John Seffrin reported two thirds of cancer deaths in the U.S. could be prevented through lifestyle changes in diet, physical fitness, cancer screening and “especially” tobacco use. A well-designed Workplace Wellness Programs initiative serves the best interests of employees and employers alike. 

Benefits of Wellness Progams: ROI 

Ron Goetzel, a nationally recognized expert in the science of health management, data analysis and applied research, said in a recent interview that with an investment of $100 to $150 per staff member per year in Workplace Wellness Programs, an employer can expect an average return on investment of approximately $3 for every $1

invested ($300 to $450 savings per staff member per year).  Goetzel says, however, that these returns are not typically found until two to three years into the Workplace Wellness Program. 

Benefits of Wellness Progams: Tax Breaks 

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) has been an outspoken proponent in seeking legislative solutions for a strained healthcare system. 

“As a nation, we have a ‘sick care’ system that is focused on helping workers after they get sick, rather than a ‘health care’ system which focuses on keeping healthy workers healthy,” he says. 

Harkin introduced the Healthy Lifestyle and Prevention (HeLP) America Act of 2004. One of the initiatives under Title II – Healthier Communities and Workplaces, provides tax credits to organizations that offer comprehensive programs to promote staff member health and grants for small company. 

Benefits of Wellness Progams: Getting Started 

Implementing a Workplace Wellness Programs can be accomplished with simple, low-cost strategies. 

• Provide incentives for participation.

• Establish a wellness informational campaign.

• Schedule wellness seminars on diabetes, nutrition, physical fitness and cholesterol.

• Establish programs such as fitness, sleep diary, smoking cessation and injury prevention.

• Provide onsite chair massages or simple stretching exercises to do at the desk.

• Change snack machine options to offer healthier, low-fat snacks and drinks.

• Actively promote staff member participation in all Workplace Wellness Programs. 

A successful Workplace Wellness Program can boost company morale, enhance productivity, reduce organizational conflict, attract superior workers and decrease the rate of staff member turnover. The case for establishing a Workplace Wellness Program is well worth the effort.

Demographic and technological transformations are changing the nature of work in our society. As these changes occur the comprehensive model of Workplace Wellness Programs described above will evolve and continue to develop. If current trends continue, the workers of tomorrow will be older, more racially and ethically diverse, increasingly female, and will frequently be located off-site. In the later case, technological advances are making it possible for more and more consultants to conduct their work from their homes. Thus the very character of the worksite will change and so must our efforts to deliver Workplace Wellness Programs. As an example, in the future it is likely that a great deal of health education programming will be delivered through personalized interactive multimedia formats, conveniently supplied to any number of employees through telecommunication systems.

 

As technological innovations increase in the worksite, Workplace Wellness Program consultants will face new health related challenges. In the past, some have assumed that technology would make workers more efficient, thereby allowing employees to work less, while being more productive. In reality, increases in technological innovation have simply allowed more of us to take our work with us where ever we go and feel guilty for not being increasingly productive. 

This trend may absorb increasingly greater amounts of leisure time that is normally devoted to recreation and relaxation. Subsequent increases in stress and fatigue will ensure the continued need for effective Workplace Wellness Programs. 

When considering the scope of Workplace Wellness Programs described in this article, many will think of substantial investments made by large organizations. The reality is that 60% of individuals working in the U.S. work for a company of less than 100 employees (U. S. Bureau of Census, 1988). Due to economy of scale, it has been difficult and expensive for small company owners to supply adequate healthcare insurance as well as prevention programming for workers. 

Workplace Wellness Program consultants must understand this challenge and develop the method to overcome these obstacles. The proof is clear that much more could be done to advance the health of our society through the worksite. As change agents, health educators must work to empower employers and employees through education of the benefits of Workplace Wellness Programs. 

Worksites do not exist in a vacuum. They are part and parcel of the community in which they are located. Successful corporate administrators are cognizant of the need for positive community relations and should do what is necessary to promote good will. What better way to bridge relationships than by utilizing existing community Workplace Wellness Program services and programs whenever possible (e.g., voluntary, private and public health agencies) and providing health related services back to the community. Since the community is also the home of the staff member, an effective mode of health promotion is through programming directed at the larger community. Sponsorship of community related health fairs is one example more are listed below. 

• Encourages staff member/employer involvement in the community

            Blood drives

            Sponsorship of fund raising for community schools and social services

            Community recycling programs

            Youth league sports sponsorship

            Job training programs

• Media and public relations programs advertising a healthy company image

• company newsletters and press releases on health issues to local media

• Environmentally sound use of community resources and waste disposal 

At times Workplace Wellness Programs have been instituted as public relations vehicles intended to enhance the corporate image with little concern for improvements in staff member health. Companies who are truly committed to enhancing staff member health and wellness, are organizations who have worked to include Workplace Wellness Programs into the company’s mission statement. With this commitment, policies and procedures can be written to address short and long term goals of increased staff member health, productivity, and morale. These policies and procedures are critical to the establishment of supportive organizational cultures conducive to staff member health and wellness.

• Active staff member involvement in Workplace Wellness Program committees and company decision making
• Availability of flextime work schedules
• No smoking policy
• Drug use policy and drug screening
• Motor vehicle seatbelts and the use of other protective/safety equipment
• Sexual harassment policy
• Family leave programs
• Consistent and frequent awards and recognition of staff member work efforts

The environmental conditions of the worksite can be divided into both physical and psychosocial domains, both of which influence the climate and culture of a worksite. The cultural norms of a worksite have been identified as powerful determinants of worker health and behavior (Baum, 1995). Ultimately, workers benefit most from a healthy, supportive; eustressful worksite community was they feel valued and respected. Since adults spend approximately one third of their waking hours at work, one would hope that employees view work as less of a necessity and more of an enjoyable experience. 

The climate of a worksite is also more conducive to enhancing health and human performance when the environment is safe, clean, aesthetically pleasing and ergonomically engineered. While some occupations maybe inherently dangerous (e.g., fire fighter, military personnel) all comprehensive Workplace Wellness Programs should control exposure to unhealthy conditions including: hazardous chemicals, noise, temperature, radiation and other risky conditions. Program examples include:

 

• Workplace Wellness Programs grounded in supportive cultural change strategies

• Environmental and safety compliance measures

            Lighting

            Ventilation

            Heating

            Control of toxic substances

            Noise

            Universal precautions

• Ergonomically designed workstations

• Sanitary, clean, well maintained physical environment

• Recycling promoted programs

• staff member & management training in emergency procedures 

An staff member’s psychological health can never be neglected in a comprehensive model of Workplace Wellness Programs. Originating out of a need for alcohol abuse initiatives in the worksite, today’s employee assistance programs (EAP) encompass assessment and counseling for substance abuse and dependency, stress related disorders, family conflicts and other personal issues.

Evidence of the need for such programs is wide spread. In a national survey conducted by the Northwestern Life Insurance Company (1992) 46 percent of employees reported that their job was very stressful, 34 percent thought about quitting their jobs because of worksite stress, and 14 percent did leave their job because of stress. Alcohol and substance abuse problems as well as issues of worksite violence and harassment are common areas of concern. For many the only viable treatment solution is the Workplace Wellness Program. Exemplary Workplace Wellness Programs will include:

• Individualized assessment of staff member concerns
• Assistance in treatment choice
• Emphasis on prevention as well as treatment
• Individual and family counseling programs
• Treatment for addictions:
Drugs
Alcohol
Gambling
• Crisis intervention programs
• Stress Management Programs
• Ongoing support groups
• Management and staff member training to identify individuals at risk.
• After treatment assistance

Small and large organizations carry a significant proportion of the provision of health care for families in this country by providing healthcare insurance for their employees. With the escalating increase in healthcare cost many organizations are attempting to slow the increase of healthcare insurance premiums by providing innovative cost control programs. Greater emphasis is being put on primary prevention to keep employees healthy and secondary prevention to identify and treat health conditions before they can become serious.

At some workplaces, employees are being encouraged to take greater responsibility for their health related behaviors through risk rated incentive packages. Linking wellness to staff member benefits of gain sharing and co-payment cost reductions will provide new opportunities requiring efforts of collaboration between the human resource managers and the Workplace Wellness Program specialists. These two sets of consultants may also work together for the ongoing evaluation of cost effective Workplace Wellness Programs.

In conjunction with the above programs most large organizations also have a nurse or physician on staff to dispense worksite medical and preventive care. Some programs have also found it cost effective to provide their own physical therapy programming to assist injured and infirm workers in regaining optimal functioning. A comprehensive selection of health related staff member services and benefits would include the following:

• Free or low cost health screenings provided on site by company clinical personnel or through outside contractors:
Serum cholesterol
Colorectal cancer screening
Blood pressure screening
Mammography
Vision and hearing testing
Diabetes
• Referral and follow-up procedures (e.g., Hypertension, Cholesterol, Cancer)
• First Aid and emergency care
• Disease control and prevention programs
• Child and infirm adult care services
• Pre-retirement and financial planning
• Continued learning/educational opportunities
• Coordination of company picnics and outings
• Parent-child work visitation programs
• Workers compensation/rehabilitation