Wellness in the Workplace

Posted by on October 5, 2009 · Leave a Comment 

By: Jesse Davis

Our country is in an extreme parralled crisis. On one hand America ranks as one of the least healthy nations in the world – on another our employer healthcare premiums continue to sky rocket each year putting a tremendous financial burden on employees and employers. From poor nutrition to stress – we as a society have paved the way for undesirable wellness.

There is good news though. Changes have been made for the future and you can see it in our culture. From fast food companies offering fruit as a healthier option to the revitalization of physical education in our school systems to video game systems designed to get people out of their seats and engaged in a physical manner we are moving in the right direction.

Of course, nutrition is not the only danger facing us from a wellness standpoint. Stress is tremendous precursor to many of the wellness issues we face both psychologically and internally. Stress from family and stress from work all contribute but changes have been made here as well. Employers are putting a better emphasis on “work-life balance” in order to counteract the effects of stress in the workplace.

These changes have been great and I imagine that the future holds an even better emphasis on a healthy lifestyle, however, we face a problem. This current generation of “healthy kids” we are fostering won’t hit our workforce for another 10 to 15 years. So in the interim we are left to manage the bad habits of our own past and the increasingly aging workforce.

You must also take into consideration that our own personal wellness issues are also genetic. High Blood pressure, bad cholesterol and cancer potential are genetic wellness issues that can be handed down through the generations BUT many medical experts will also tell you that these issues can also be managed properly.

Let’s get a picture of the implications of poor wellness and how it can affect you in the one place that will get your attention – your wallet! Can you guess how much the average employees annual “out of pocket” medical expenses are? It is hard to believe but according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in 2005 the average annual “out of pocket” medical expenses for a non-elderly, non-disabled, privately insured, family of three, with an income of at least 200% above the poverty line was approximately $33,000. That is not including any medical premiums the employee may be responsible for. $33,000 in 2005 and growing at almost 3% each year. Does that get your attention?

So what do we do? How do we help manage our own wellness through lifestyle and help to promote a healthy lifestyle within our work culture in the hopes of helping ourselves and helping our companies? How can we alleviate some of the unnecessary medical claims that serve not only to drive up medical premiums but that also can put a lasting financial burden on employees and their families?

For employers the best solution is to seek out a wellness program. There are many companies out there that have programs and products that are designed to help you and your fellow employees understand the need for wellness and how to go about achieving wellness goals. It is a good idea to find a wellness program that works best for the specific needs of your employees. If there are a high number of smokers at your company then a smoking cessation plan would be a good place to start. If most of the company is overweight then companies like Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers have specifically designed programs for employers and their employees.

Since wellness has become a major topic for discussion there have been dozens upon dozens of companies started to help employers help their employee’s wellness. Take a look online or in the phone book to find one that is right for you. Remember, poor wellness doesn’t just affect an employer through medical premiums. It can also affect the employees’ production ability and time on the job. If your employees are out sick or come to work physically tired or emotionally tired then this too could affect your overall company bottom line. Of course, employee’s need look no further than the statistic listed above to show the potential problems that poor wellness can cause them and their families.

None of us can control the genetic characteristics that are handed down like high blood pressure and cholesterol but thanks to modern medicine we can keep these things in check. As for the other side of the coin the only advice I can give is “Stay Lean, Stay Green and if it taste good – spit it out!”

Filed under Human Resources