Corporate Wellness Program Proposal

Establishing an active Health Promotion Committee provides opportunities for both upper management and employee involvement in the wellness program.  The Committee must be a team of staff members and managers who formally meet to plan activities to promote healthier employee lifestyles.

Typical Functions of a Wellness Committee -

o  Assessing needs and interests

o  Brainstorming health promotion program ideas

o  Planning activities

o  Developing communication plans

o  Promoting health promotion programs to colleagues

o  Serving as champions of the Health Promotion Programs

o  Assisting with evaluation

Your Health Promotion Committee ought to be representative of all levels of the corporation.  Consider all areas of the workforce ?.” multiple sites, shift staff, diversity (race, gender, ethnicity), and departments.

It is also crucial to consider who will chair or co-chair the Wellness Committee and whether or not there are the finances to support a wellness manager or occupational health expert, even on a part-time or contractual basis.  Click here for additional information on the advantages of a health expert.

Depending on your corporation size and resources, when you already have a corporation Safety Committee you could want to consider making it the Safety and Wellness Committee.  You can request volunteers or invite staff to participate.

The number of Health Promotion Committee members depends on the size of your company; nevertheless, you need enough members to get the work done and yet not too many to keep it manageable, ordinarily a minimum of 4 members and maximum of 12 to 15 members.

It’s vital that you include skeptics of wellness as well and not just those staff members already practicing healthy life choices.

Depending on your worksite, consider representatives from the following areas -

o  Worker representatives from a cross section of different departments,

o  Executive management ,

o  Health and safety expert(s),

o  Human resources (HR) specialist(s),

o  Benefits staff or someone from finance,

o  Your employee assistance program (EAP) provider (if applicable), Click here for more information on EAPs

o  Medical or occupational health staff (if applicable).

Establish an effective Wellness Committee!  the Wellness Committee ought to meet regularly with a planned agenda and action items.  Successful Wellness Committees have a shared mission, vision and objectives.

Members need to believe that their participation is worthwhile and appreciated, that their work is important, benefits the corporation and peers, and they are recognized for their contributions. Refer to the NC Workplace Programs section for instances of what other corporations have implemented.

As with any wellness program, the two crucial elements for the success of your wellness program are executive management support and employee involvement. Senior level management sets the vision and provides the resources from which action plans flow.

Genuine support from senior level management also lends credibility to the wellness program. It is key that senior level management be visible supporters and role models for your Wellness Program.

Staff Members need to be involved on a few levels so that they feel ownership of the health promotion program. Staff Members are the health promotion program stakeholders!

All employees should have an opportunity to provide input and feedback through needs and interest surveys and health promotion program examination tools.  The information gathered ought to be used to plan health promotion programs that target those needs and interests to ensure participation, buy-in, and support.

There are a few methods to identify worker needs and interests such as -

o  Conducting Staff Member Focus Groups

o  Discussing Health Promotion Interests During Department Meetings

o  Distributing and Summarizing a Needs and Interest Survey

o  Including an Opportunity to Provide Suggestions on Each Investigation Tool

Any one or combination of a few techniques will ensure that the wellness program meets what personnel want.  Click here for a sample Needs and Interest Survey.

Step 3 provides additional information on deciding health promotion program needs.  But first, establishing a Health Promotion Committee can help you involve executive management and workforce, determine need, and plan your health promotion program.

Health Promotion Program Step 1 – Be sure to set the Foundation -

Build Support Among All Levels of the Organization

A key to a successful Health Promotion Program requires management commitment and employee involvement.

Wellness Program Step 2 –  Form a Wellness Committee

An active Wellness Committee ensures worker involvement, provides buy-in, executive management support, and maintains a crew that is ready to act to integrate health promotion programs.

Wellness Program Step 3 –  Gather Data to Identify Key Needs and Expectations

The next critical component is to base the Wellness Program on the needs and interests of your company and its workforce.

Health Promotion Program Step 4 –  Establish Objectives and Goals

Goals and objectives are the road maps to guide you where your program needs to go.   These are the foundation for planning and investigating  activities to ensure that your wellness program is going to meet your unique needs.

Wellness Program Step 5 – Create a Detailed Action Plan

There’s no such thing as over planning!  the best of intentions can get lost, overstepped, or forgotten without adequate planning, and then it would be all for naught.

Wellness Program Step 6 – Choose and Implement a Plan

Armed with the needs assessment information, a Wellness Committee, and goals and goals, it’s now time to put your plan into action!

Wellness Program Step 7 –  Monitor and Evaluate Your Wellness Program

Evaluation is a necessary step to keep a wellness program on target, as well as to ensure that the wellness program is reaching its goals or achieving the desired results.

Summary

These Seven Steps outline considerations for a comprehensive approach to establish an effective wellness program. Are you able to implement components of wellness activities without following these steps?

Certainly, but you might not have the sustainability or ability to obtain desired outcomes.  Following the Seven Steps does not have to be complicated or burdensome.  A very simple approach can achieve a successful wellness program!

As a result, to ensure a successful wellness program consider the key components as you plan your wellness program or improve your current wellness program -

o  Senior Management Support and Staff Member Involvement

o  Active Health Promotion Committee

o  Wellness Program is Based on Worker Needs and Interests

o  Goals and Objectives are Established

o  Detailed Action Plan Based on Resources and Budget

o  Wellness Program Implementation and Internal Advertising and Marketing

o  Analysis of Wellness Program Outcomes

The wellness program design options depend on the goals and desired outcomes of your wellness program. If your goal is to help workers change behavior, reduce risk factors, or save healthcare dollars then your wellness program would be designed to accomplish those outcomes and a budget would be necessary to support that design.

There are different wellness program design levels depending on desired outcomes and budgets.  Each level has advantages and drawbacks.  The intentions or results are quite different, aren’t interchangeable respecting obtaining the same results, and consequently should not be confused.

For  instance, scheduling activities like an worker health fair or lunchtime education sessions, or having brochures available do not usually result in behavior change, but may increase awareness on a topic.

When the goal is behavior modification then a different design is required, such as Lifestyle/Behavior Change Programs and Organizational Support.  The outline below describes the wellness design levels with a brief explanation.

Awareness Programs –   at this level a business makes health information available and accessible to employees.  This kind of health promotion program can include flyers on a selection of topics, wellness articles in newsletters, bulletin board displays, e-mail health messages, etc.

Moreover, most health fairs are designed as awareness programs with providers providing information and providing biometric testings to workforce.

Awareness programs are cheap and do not require robust staff member or business time commitments. Nonetheless, these wellness programs do not normally lead to healthier behavior change.

Increasing awareness isn’t usually enough to generate lifestyle changes for most individuals, unless used to motivate workforce to register for a wellness program being offered at the corporation or community on the topic.

An example of this would be providing information on the harmful effects of use of tobacco and inviting staff members who smoke to register for a use of tobacco cessation class.

Education Programs –   Educational wellness programs often provide more information on a topic and can also provide time for questions and answers, but are similar to awareness wellness programs.  An example is lunch-n-learn sessions on a health related topic.

These cost the organization a little more than awareness programs; however, they are still cheap and do not require a excellent deal of time for planning or attending a session.

Again, increasing awareness and providing information might not lead to the desired behavior modification unless ongoing support or incentives are also planned.

Lifestyle/Behavior Change Programs –   These wellness programs are designed as 4 to 12 weekly sessions or workshops to provide wellness education, address barriers and provide opportunities to practice the desired skills.

Behavior change programs consequently require more business resources, cost more, also require more staff member commitment, time and effort.  The results are often the desired positive lifestyle change, which when sustained can lead to potential cost savings.

Examples are use of tobacco cessation classes, weight loss and weight management meetings, or an ongoing fitness program.

Environmental and Organizational Support –   Environmental support is usually considered the highest and most crucial level to include when designing your wellness program to support and maintain healthful behaviors.

These types of design options include policy changes like -

o  Creating a smoke-free worksite

o  Designating a walking path,

o  Establishing on-site gyms,

o  Ensuring healthful vending machine selections,

o  Offering healthful food options in the cafeteria, and/or

o  Establishing flex-time policies.

Other examples include subsidizing healthy vending machines or cafeteria choices; reimbursing health club or weight reduction and weight control program memberships; or providing insurance incentives for healthy behaviors.

Ideally, the wellness program design would include some of all these options.  The more extensive and integrated the approach, the more successful the results will be.  For example, a corporation can -

o  have tobacco cessation information available;

o  can schedule a one hour awareness session on the harmful effects of smoking and how to quit;

o  can begin an onsite tobacco use cessation program,

o  supply self quit smoking kits, or

o  support personnel to attend a community program; and/or

o  on an environmental support level can establish a tobacco-free workplace and grounds,

o  offer lower insurance premiums for non-smokers, or

o  provide pharmacological quit smoke aids for free.

Wellness Program –  Components for Success

There are a few key components or elements that ought to be considered to ensure the success of your Health Promotion Program or wellness program.  These include -

o  Senior Management Support and Worker Involvement

o  Active Health Promotion Committee

o  Program is Based on Staff Member Needs and Interests

o  Goals and Objectives are Established

o  Detailed Action Plan Based on Resources and Budget

o  Program Implementation and Internal Advertising and Marketing

o  Investigation of Outcomes and Program

Major advantages of healthy staff include -

o  Lower Healthcare Costs

o  Decreased Injuries

o  Reduced Absenteeism

o  Increased Morale and Loyalty

o  Higher Productivity

o  Lowered Use of Healthcare Benefits

o  Lowered Workers’ Compensation / Disability

o  Positive Perception in Community

o  Decreased Turnover

o  Improved recruitment for skilled employees

What is NOT having a Health Promotion Program costing your organization?

Consider the health risk factors that are increasing chronic conditions for adults -

o  59% of adults are overweight or obese

o  More than 60% of American adults don’t exercise regularly

o  Greater than 75 percent of adults do not consume the minimum recommendations for fruits and vegetables

o  Heart illness is the most common cause of death and the leading cause of death in smokers

o  26 percent of staff reported they were often or very often burned out or stressed by their work

Health Care Costs are Increasing –  Health Care costs are at a record high of $1.7 trillion with no signs of holding steady let alone decreasing.  The typical cost of annual healthcare spending is over $5,000 per individuals and with dependents almost $10,000.

Current data shows that health care related costs now cost North Carolina organizations thousands of dollars per employee, annually.

Most Diseases can be Prevented –  While it sounds unbelievable, professionals indicate that preventable illness makes up 60% – 70% of the entire burden of illness in the USA

In North Carolina, it’s estimated that more than 53% of all deaths are preventable, and that 2/3 of all avoidable deaths are as a result of tobacco use, lack of exercise, and poor nutrition.

Stress Levels are Increasing –   as company resources become less and companies adopt leaner work practices, the effects of absenteeism and productivity lost have a greater impact.

In a recent national poll, 78% of American Citizens described their jobs as stressful, and the majority felt that stress levels have become worse over the last 10 years. Furthermore, high levels of organizational stress can adversely affect a business by increasing injuries, absenteeism, and health care costs while lowering productivity.

Simple solutions such as stress management education, flexible work schedules, quality social interaction, and increased participation in business decision-making can improve stress levels in the worksite.

What’s the Upfront Cost and Time Investment for a Wellness Program?

The cost depends on the type of Wellness Program implemented.  There are several options to promote employee health with benefits and drawbacks of each.  The health promotion program design depends on the objectives of the health promotion program, the organization resources, and the community resources available.

Improving dietary practices, increasing physical activity levels, managing stress or addressing work life balance issues, and reducing/eliminating tobacco use, are primary strategies for preventing many of the most common avoidable chronic conditions.

The possibilities of how your business addresses these issues are endless and can range from increasing worker awareness, which could include buying a few pamphlets on a variety of topics, and measuring walking distances around your facility.

Other possibilities include establishing organizational support such as funding a fulltime occupational health professional or building an on-site health and fitness center.

When well planned and based on your objectives, any of these health promotion programs can help you succeed.  Refer below to Wellness Program Design Options for more ideas.

A Health Promotion Program is an organized health promotion program to assist and support staff in establishing healthier lifestyles.  This can include increasing staff member awareness on health topics, scheduling behavior modification programs, and/or establishing business policies that support health-related goals.

Programs and policies that promote increased physical activity, smoking avoidance and cessation, and healthful food selections are a few examples.

Dimensions of Wellness

Health Promotion is more than physical fitness.  In addition to physical fitness, the dimensions of optimal health include

o  Spiritual Dimension of Wellness

o  Emotional Dimension of Wellness

o  Social Wellness Dimension

o  Intellectual Dimension of Wellness

These Wellness Dimensions are often depicted as a “life wheel” with examples of health components that include -

o  fitness,

o  nutrition,

o  purpose in life,

o  financial planning,

o  social connections and support systems,

o  stress management,

o  mind-body health,

o  career planning and

o  continued learning.

The key for individual health is keeping the “life wheel” in balance.  A robust health promotion program addresses most, if not all, of these dimensions.

Why Corporate Health Promotion?

Workers spend a excellent deal of time on the job, and the reality is that our traditional work-week is increasing. In fact, the average American now works about 47 hours per week.

Plus, technologies such as modems, laptops, cellular phones, voice and email have blurred the work-life boundary.  These realities reduce the amount of time that the average individual can devote to wellness pursuits, and yet workforce are expected to be at top performance when at work.

A recent research study  by the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses found that company health promotion or health promotion programs are successful in helping personnel make positive health changes due to several factors such as convenience, environmental support, and coworker or social acceptance.

What is the Link between Health Promotion and the Workplace?

Programs and policies that promote healthy behaviors may make a big difference on staff member wellness AND have an impact on the company’s bottom line.   Studies have shown that for every dollar invested by employers in employee wellness/wellness programs, there were savings ranging from $1.49 to $4.91 with a median savings of $3.14*.

In company terms, that’s 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.

In fact, a employee wellness literature review posted in Wellness Practitioner Journal found -

o  19 studies found a 28.3% reduction in sick leave

o  16 studies demonstrated a 5.6 – 1 return on investment

o  23 showed a 26.1% reduction in health care costs

o  4 found a 30% 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 save money by decling absenteeism, lowering healthcare expenditures, decling staff member turnover, and increasing productivity.

o  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2003

Ten Steps Toward Strategic Health Promotion Programs

The Wellness Program management world is evolving quickly. Each month, there are new research findings that support the premise that Wellness Programs and disease management have a long-term impact on healthcare costs.

Many big companies that began Wellness Programs three to five years ago are showing savings in health, disability, and workers compensation costs. Small to mid-size companies are watching all this and wondering where to start with wellness.

Getting upper-level management support and budget approval is one of the challenges at the beginning of a Health Promotion Program. This is the case because Health Promotion Programs may be expensive, averaging $150-300 per worker per year in large organizations.

Most of the savings aren’t realized for a number of years. This long-term investing is hard for organizations on the move.

The key to success for Wellness Programs is to take a strategic approach. Here are ten steps to consider when beginning a Wellness Program.

1. Begin with executive management. Without executive management support, a wellness strategy can fall flat. Begin with the health of your executive team and discover your wellness champions at the top of the company.

2. Analyze the problem. Look at your health care claims and analyze the trends. Which conditions are driving your medical, disability, and workers’ compensation claims and which are modifiable? What is worked and what hasn’t thus far? What is the long-term impact of doing nothing?

3. Hold an initial wellness meeting. Invite your key stakeholders both inside and outside the business. Ask your broker to facilitate the meeting and invite key health providers including health, disability, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), fitness, and occupational nursing.

Review claims and utilization data and identify key areas of concern. Look at current offerings and see how they are able to be tailored to the needs of the population.

4. Consider both healthful and unhealthful staff members. Since 85% of claims are typically attributed to 15% of claimants, it is essential to reach those with the most expensive conditions while also reaching individuals  who are at risk for developing preventable illnesses in the future.

Voluntary wellness programs like lunchtime wellness seminars miss many of the individuals  who need them most. Consider wellness programs that are population-wide or target intact workgroups. Health Promotion incentives help but do not motivate everyone.

5. Make sure to set short-term goals for the health promotion programs. Make sure to set some realistic short-term goals based on your key areas of concern. Are there any plan design changes that could have an immediate impact on spending? Are there some programmatic actions that could have immediate results?

6. Find out what workforce are thinking. Hold some focus groups to determine where people  are with wellness. What’s working? What isn’t? Exactly how much interest do people  have in the Wellness Programs? What obstacles and barriers are workforce experiencing when they try to change behavior?

7. Make certain you have a high-impact Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Your first wellness dollars should go into upgrading your Employee Assistance Program (EAP). A highly utilized Employee Assistance Program (EAP) can provide a foundation for all your future wellness activities.

A good Worker Assistance Program (EAP) is a trusted link to the hearts and minds of workforce.  At no additional cost, the Worker Assistance Program (EAP) can provide needed follow-up coaching and personal attention for workforce who are working on modifiable health behaviors or involved in disease management (DM) programs.

Nutritionists, fitness, pregnancy, and stress management specialists are all part of a high-value Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

8. Make sure to set three to five year objectives for healthcare savings and measure them. Get help from your broker and insurance carrier help you on long-term objectives for your health, disability, and staff members compensation plans.

Establish program metrics that will help you to measure Return On Investment (ROI). Go beyond participation rates, completion rates and program satisfaction. Measure changes in readiness, changes in behavior, and changes in risk factors. Establish rigorous methods to measure healthcare savings over the long term.

9. Make certain to set objectives for organizational health. Consider the more intangible benefits of a wellness program and quantify them whenever possible. Include worker turnover rates, cost of new hires, worker morale, benefit satisfaction data, and company of choice issues in establishing objectives. Establish ways to measure success in these areas.

10. Add specifics to your short and long-term plan. Include a program strategy, a communication strategy, and an incentive strategy that will fit with your corporate culture. Focus on integration of related components along a health continuum with communications that are focused, simple, and human.

Establish a budget that includes key components such as consumer education, wellness, health risk appraisals, and regular biometric screens.

Health Promotion Programs are critical to bettering the health of our nations. Most adults spend more of their waking hours at work than anywhere else, making it a great venue for promoting healthy habits.

The workplace organizational culture and environment are powerful influences on behavior and this needs to be put to use to assisting personnel to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Benefits to Health Promotion Programs include -

o  Weight reduction

o  Enhanced physical fitness

o  Increased stamina

o  Reduced levels of stress

o  Increased wellness, self-image and self-esteem

Corporations can also benefit from Health Promotion Programs. According to recent research, companys’ benefits are -

o  Better recruitment and retention of healthful staff

o  Lowered health care costs

o  Lowered rates of illness and injuries

o  Reduced worker absenteeism

o  Better worker relations and morale

o  Enhanced productivity

o  Weight loss

o  Improved fitness

o  Enhanced stamina

o  Reduced amounts of stress

o  Improved wellness, self-image and self-esteem

Businesss can also benefit from Wellness Programs. As reported by recent research, businesss’ benefits are -

o  Improved recruitment and retention of healthy employees

o  Reduced health care costs

o  Decreased rates of disease and injuries

o  Decreased employee absenteeism

o  Improved worker relations and morale

o  Enhanced productivity

A USA  Department of Health and Human Services report revealed that at workplaces with physical activity programs as components of their Wellness Programs have -

o  Reduced healthcare costs by 20 to 55%

o  Decreased short-term sick time by six to 32 percent

o  Improved productivity by two to 52 percent

Thanks to modern medicine, life expectancy for Americans has continually increased. How much we enjoy these additional years, nonetheless, depends greatly on how we’ve lived our lives.

If our quality of life is to remain high so that we can fully enjoy these extra years, we must practice good eating habits, be active and refrain from using tobacco products.

Who needs Wellness Programs? If you work in an office or a jobsite or are a member of an organization who spends a considerable amount of time at work, you’ll benefit from a well-designed worker wellness program. Staff Members spend a minimum of about 200 hours a month at work – a considerable amount of time.

Moreover, stress, distractions and the pressures of the job can take its toll on the employee, which makes it important that a health promotion program is implemented.

Today, all across America, Canada, Europe and Asia, top corporate Health Promotion Programs are being used to help improve staff member conditions at work and reduce the cost of staff member health care.

Some of the top Wellness Programs currently in use today include -

Health Promotion Programs – Health Risk Assessments (HRAs) (HRAs)

Health Risk Appraisal (HRA) is a top Wellness Program currently in use globally. Organizations that start it determine the safety and health concerns of staff by the assessment of appropriateness of the facilities and equipment against the needs of the staff.

It can, for example, guide the organization into determining how much air quality within an office room affects the users and then help the assessment team to come up with the measures necessary to correct the problem.

An Health Risk Appraisal (HRA) can also evaluate the level of exposure employees have to certain perilous or perilous materials and practices.

Health Promotion Programs – Immunizations.

This isn’t always practiced in every country since there are regions where government sponsored immunization shots are available. However, it has also become an important component of the top Health Promotion Programs in many corporations in North America.

Immunization shots, like those used to combat flu, for instance, are offered to staff members for free.

Staff Member Assistance Programs (EAPs)

Staff Member Assistance Programs (EAPs) consist of a wide variety of services. It can range from providing educational resources to workers regarding health issues to sponsoring health services and medical care. In many corporations, medical and insurance have also become a staple part of their benefits system.

Weight Management Programs

This is another health promotion program that organizations use, especially those that offer in-house commissary or cafeteria services. Instead of serving richer, high-calorie fare, cafeterias offer options for a healthier diet, ordinarily in the form of low-calorie foods and sugar substitutes.

Staff Member Wellness Newsletters – Health Education Programs

One of the top Wellness Programs that corporations can begin is a self-powered tool using a newsletter to promote wellness, coupled with a visible campaign.

The campaign may  be done periodically and focus on a specific topic, such as tobacco use hazards, cancer, stress, carpal tunnel syndrome, safety in the worksite, etc.

The newsletter in itself could be an effective means to deliver information to staff or members of an organization but it is far from perfect. Some staff, for example, may not read the newsletter in its entirety or even pay attention to it.

When the issues outlined in the newsletter are promoted through an active and highly visible campaign, it’ll be easier to maximize positive results.

Physical Fitness and Fitness Plans

Another top health promotion program for companies is one that involves physical activities. Organizations often sponsor exercise-related events like marathons and organization sports programs to encourage personnel to remain fit or lose excess weight. In mid- to large-sized companies, companies might even pay for health club memberships or in-house exercise facilities.

Health Promotion Program Incentives.

Some of the top Wellness Programs implemented by corporations involve incentive rewards. This involves company-sponsored programs that reward employees for achieving specific wellness goals.

Participation in health campaigns and signing up for Health Promotion Programs are two of the most commonly rewarded schemes. Rewards can range from special recognitions to points (for bigger rewards) to specific gifts. In a few cases, cash might also be used.

Nevertheless, incentive systems have had mixed reactions and levels of success. But it continues to be among the top choices among companies who are willing to modify it for fit their unique needs.

Wellness Programs – Group Activities

In many corporations, corporations take advantage of coworker pressure in order to encourage workers to participate in Health Promotion Programs. This is currently among the favorite staff member Health Promotion Programs currently in use today and growing in popularity.

Colleague pressure is often leveraged to help promote competitions referring to corporate wellness and to persuade staff members to be active in company-sponsored health fairs.

Wellness programs at the corporate level are beneficial, right? Wellness statistics clearly show that such wellness programs aren’t only cost-effective to the company but can assist the worker in developing a healthier lifestyle.

With the rising cost of healthcare, wellness programs simply make sense. So where does the problem come in? Let’s examine the topic from both perspectives.

Health Promotion Programs –  the Good

o  A sampling of corporate returns on investment for health promotion programs –  Bank of America –  600%; General Motors – 370%; Pepsico –  300%; Citibank –  465%; and the Washoe County School District leading the pack at a whopping 1,560%. (Campbell,J., Wellness Improvement Specialists, www.wellnessimprovementspecialists.com, Albuquerque, New Mexico.)

o  Corporations with health promotion programs have realized a 28 percent reduction in sick leave, a 26 percent reduction in adjunctive health care costs and a 30 percent reduction in disability and personnel compensation costs. (Health Affairs, Volume 21, No.2, March, 2002.)

o  The Washoe county School District in Northern Nevada realized a $15.60 return on investment for every dollar spent due to a 20 percent reduction in absenteeism. (Hardy,A. (2005).  At the Top of the Class. WELCOA’s Absolute Advantage Magazine, 5(1), 14-20.)

o  Health promotion programs provide the structure, encouragement, incentives and ongoing support that many person need in order to make lifestyle changes.

o  Staff Members also realize returns on their efforts. FiServ, a financial services technology organization, gave staff members who filled out a health risk appraisal a significant discount on their health insurance premium. (Holland, Kelley, the New York Times, July 22, 2007.)

Health Promotion Programs –  the Bad

The flip side of the argument centers on basic human rights. Do we want/need our company to tell us to eat our veggies or lose 30 pounds? A number of businesses are doing just that and at least one lawsuit has resulted because of it.

o  Three hundred companies have requested assistance from a national employment and labor law firm to institute more aggressive wellness programs.(Cornwell, Lisa, Associated Press, Albuquerque Journal, September 10,2007.)

o  Clarian Health, based in Indianapolis, Will start reducing worker paychecks by $10.00 for every worker who has a BMI  of greater than 29.9 because not enough workforce were utilizing their wellness services.(Cornwell, Lisa, Associated Press, Albuquerque Journal, September 10,2007.)

o  Scott Rodrigues filed a suit against his prospective corporation, Scotts Miracle-Gro, because he believed the corporation’s antiuse of tobacco policy violated his civil rights.  The corporation has a policy against hiring staff members who smoke and Mr. Rodrigues’drug screen was positive for nicotine.(Holland, Kelley, the New York Times,July 22,2007.)

o  Staff Member advocates are concerned that health discrimination might not be covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act.(Cornwell, Lisa, Associated Press, Albuquerque Journal, September 10,2007.)

Penalizing workforce by hitting them hardest where it hurts the most,their pocketbook, does not appear to be a favorable approach to molding human behavior.

Such tactics may lead to increased resentments and retaliation, primarily in the form of absenteeism and presenteeism (decreased productivity on the job.) Voluntary, incentive-based health promotion programs, like the one in the Washoe County School District, can and do produce results.

A positive attitude on the part of senior management along with an opportunity for staff to have a stake in the decision-making may yield the greatest dividends to both company and staff member.

The motivation and resolve needed to change unhealthy lifestyle habits can best be derived from the basic tenets of encouragement, respect and support.