Why Invest in a Company Wellness Program?
When it comes to considering the cost-saving-advantages of investing in a company wellness program for employees, many people consider the cost of high insurance premiums. But there are other more significant, hidden costs which are strongly influenced by poor health: absenteeism, disability, turnover, decreased productivity, and replacement/recruiting. It is estimated that every year 500 million workdays are lost because of illness or disability.
Chronic disease such as heart disease, cancer, and stroke are the leading cause of death and disability in the United States. These diseases stem in large part from lifestyle habits such as poor diet, lack of exercise, stress, and smoking. Studies show that improving health behaviors, such as diet and exercise, reduce risk factors such as high cholesterol and blood pressure. This saves companies money and in addition leads to a healthier and happier workforce. Health promotion programs improve employee relations and morale!
Sustainable Diets wellness programs are backed by research that show significant weight loss and diet change after taking the program.
Effective health promotion programs enable long-term economic benefits which are well worth the relative minimal expenditure involved.
Businesses save costs associated with absenteeism, hospitalization, disability, excessive job turnover, and premature death. A healthier and more productive work force has been documented by many companies that have initiated a wellness program or who have attempted to reverse risk factors associated with heart disease. For example: after initiating health promotion programs Kennecott Copper experienced a 55% drop in medical care costs; Prudential Life Insurance employees in a fitness program averaged 3.5 disability days versus an 8.6 day company average; and New York Telephone saved more than $2.5 million a year in absentee and medical costs.