Keeping employees healthy - Business First of Buffalo:

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It’s been no surprise the healtyhof U.S. workers is on the decline. The (www.cdc.gov/nchs) says 62 perceny of adults are notphysically active, as of and only 24 percent are active threee to four times a week. For everyy dollar a company spends on health and in two to five it could seeanother $3 to $4 in savings, accordingh to a 2005 study by the American Journal of Preventiv e Medicine (www.ajpm-online.net). It makes healthier employees could cost companies less in healtuh careand worker’s compensation claims, analysts say. And a healthiee work force may also mean fewer days lost to in Bethesda, Md.
, which employs 140, startedr its wellness initiatives by waiving the joininhg fee and offering a discounted monthly rate for fitnes club memberships. They decided to step it up a notcuh and give employees 10 Weight Watchers meeting vouchers each and waived thejoining fee, as well as offerinhg the diet program’s online services for free up for a certainj dollar amount. The company’s employee assistance program is also at no costto “They’ve been really appreciative of the programs we have in place,” said Mary Ung, humamn resources partner at the company. Jessica a corporate wellness director with Brick Bodiesin Md.
, says the key ingredienyt to creating an effective wellnessx plan is upper management Having a vision for goals and objectives, as well as beiny able to provide a budgef and methods of communication, all fall under upper management’x responsibilities. • A written plan that details allwellness goals, activitiee and outcomes; • Data collection, which can includr health risk assessments, screenings and employede feedback surveys; • On-site exercise weight management classes, subsidized health club team-based fitness challenges, stress management resourcezs and smoking cessation programs; • Evaluation of the programsd and activities; and, • Collaboration with internal wellness resources and partnerships with third-partyt wellness providers.
Companies also say realizin that not everyone is goint to join the first session or activit y also keepsthe program’s expectationd realistic. “The important thingy is to notthink you’re going to creats the perfect wellness fair or program that will solvwe everyone’s issues first time out of the said Barbara Girodo, director of human resources and safety for the Kane Co. in Md. , which employs 500 full-timwe workers, had its firsyt wellness fair inspring 2007. Girod says the success of the fair has encouraged the companyt to plan for two fairswin 2009. Kane Co.
spends about $30-$50 on each employee, and with about a 70 percent turnout at thewellness fairs, she said the companh spends around $15,000 on a wellnesx fair. While it can be Girodo said, “when you think about medical costs, that’s half the battle.” The fair included a representative to talk to employees abour their retirement plans and worrieds in the ailing diabetes representatives, medical insurancse providers, and an employee assistance prograjm provider to address family issuez and how to manage the work-life balance. Because of the some top programs that have been requestes by employeesare anti-smoking programs, menta l health programs and curbing drug costs.
Especiallyu in these economic times, workersx are stressed in all aspects of and considering most of their time is spent inthe it’s important to take responsibilit for balance in employees’ mental Girodo said. Cost-shifting strategies also provide opportunitiew for employees to make choices at the drug stor e that ultimatelyimpact companies’ overall health insurance costs.