Tips for Small Business Employee Wellness Programs
Keep employees healthy and productive while controlling health insurance costs
DENVER, December 1, 2008 — As small businesses struggle to stay alive by streamlining operations and cutting costs, engaging their employees in employee wellness programs can provide a variety of economic benefits, including lower health insurance costs.
Employee wellness programs are designed to prevent illness through health screenings, while keeping people healthy with nutrition and weight loss programs. If you’re a small business owner, encouraging wellness programs in the workplace will not only impact your employee’s productivity and help to reduce sick days, it can provide a long-term solution to controlling your future healthcare insurance costs.
Employee Wellness Programs – Health Screenings
The Journal of National Cancer Institute published a report in November that showed a drop in the cancer rate by 1.8 percent, which is accredited to early detection programs and health screenings.
Encourage your employees in wellness programs’ health screenings, which also educate them on the prevention and early detection, risk factors and symptoms of diseases.
- Cancer screenings – Virtual CT colonography, colonoscopy, mammogram, CT lung scans
- Heart screenings – EKG, Cardiac Calcium Scoring, blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose analysis
- Body Fat Analysis
- Osteoporosis
- Diabetes
Employee Wellness Programs — Health Improvement
- Reducing Stress–According to the American Psychiatric Association APA), stress-related employee problems cost companies $80 billion dollars a year as a result of missed work days and illness. Employees can turn to their healthcare provider for classes on stress reduction techniques, coping with stress, along with yoga and meditation. Classes such as these will help to improve their clarity and improve both their physical and mental health.
- Reducing Stress–According to the American Psychiatric Association APA), stress-related employee problems cost companies $80 billion dollars a year as a result of missed work days and illness. Employees can turn to their healthcare provider for classes on stress reduction techniques, coping with stress, along with yoga and meditation. Classes such as these will help to improve their clarity and improve both their physical and mental health.
- New Year’s Resolution to Quit Smoking–If any of your employees smoke and have expressed the desire to quit, this is a great New Year’s resolution that will not only impact your worker’s health, saving them money on buying cigarettes, but will reduce the cost for their healthcare policy. Encourage them to get help through wellness programs that provide a doctor’s guidance, education, and aids to help them to quit smoking for good.
Wellness in the Workplace
Initiating steps for corporate wellness not only contributes to a productive workforce, it can result in content employees that could be the catalyst to getting you through these tough economic times.
- Your vending machine–Take advantage of the increase in vending machine companies who now offer nutritional choices, including dried fruit and nuts, baked chips, yogurt, diet green tea, and juices.
- Jumpstart employee exercise–Research has found that people are more prone to stick to a regular exercise regimen if they have a partner. Starting a lunch break walking program, a company softball team, or participating in the numerous walk/run benefits are just a few ways to rally your employees to get moving.
- Reducing germs in the workplace–Germs thrive and breed on computer keyboards and mice, on door handles, phones, and desktops, spreading colds and flu among your employees. Encourage employees to wash their hands often with warm soap and water, while providing disinfecting commercial wipes for their keyboards and workplace.
- Keep sick employees at home–Sick employees are less productive and more prone to spread their illnesses to other employees. So it’s smart to encourage them to stay home and return to work when they’re rested and healthy again.
Taking advantage of employee wellness programs will not only help keep your workers healthy and productive, but can help keep your health insurance costs from rising.
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