Health Handouts : Company Health Promotion Programs

Company Exercise Programs Plans Improve Employee Health and Wellness

Instituting a Worksite Wellness Program improves the health of employees, decreases employee absenteeism and saves the business money, too. Learn more about initiating an Worksite Wellness Program in the office.

Benefits of Corporate Health Promotion Programs

• A business expenditure of $100-$150 per employee each year to take part in an Worksite Health Promotion Program can save businesses $300 to $450 for each employee every year, according to Ron Goetzel, Director, Cornell University Institute for Health and Productivity Studies. The savings are able to take a few years to actualize, says Goetzel, and are seen in decreased health expenditures.
• The Wellness Councils of America stated a $24 return for every $1 spent on a Worksite Wellness Program for small employers.
• According to a 2005 survey by The Art of Health Promotion, businesses who adopted Company Health Promotion Programs realized a 30% decrease in health care and absenteeism expenditures in less than 4 years.

A thriving Corporate Health Promotion Program starts with Upper Management. Business owners should lead by example, taking part in their company’s fitness program and working closely with a wellness coach. Upper Management should make sure employees are well knowledgeable about their wellness efforts, posting weight loss results or smoking cessation results on company intranet or bulletin boards for everyone to see.

Corporate Wellness Programs that Really Work

• Encourage staff members to kick start their own wellness programs by visiting their doctor. A complete physical ought to include information about blood sugar, cholesterol levels and general health.
• Target specific health-related concerns in a corporate exercise program. Information about how to fight obesity, smoking, alcoholism and drug abuse ought to be at the forefront of an Employee Health Promotion Program, along with related conditions.
• Hire a wellness coach to instruct workers on how to lead a healthy lifestyle.
• Reward staff members for taking part in company wellness plans. Let staff members accrue health and wellness points that they have the potential to redeem for prizes. Make the prizes healthy, too- a free massage, private training session with the company’s wellness coach or health diet gift certificate encourages even healthier lifestyle choices.
• Acknowledge employee health and wellness leaders in employer newsletters, in posted bulletins and on the employer intranet.

Company Health Promotion Programs Provide Big Results

For employer owners who want to expand employee participation in a Employee Wellness Program, consider Johnson & Johnson’s approach. Faced with only 26 percent of employees participating in their employee wellness and health program, Johnson & Johnson offered employees a $500 discount on health care insurance costs if they completed a health risk profile. The number of employees participating in the Johnson & Johnson employer physical activity program jumped after they provided the incentive — to more than 93%.

Ron Goetzel encourages those looking to pitch a corporate fitness program to Senior Management to use basic facts about the advantages of Company Wellness Programs as part of their argument. Keep it simple, and share results from other company’s employee wellness plan success stories.