Posts from — October 2008

Health Risk Assessment: Helping Quantify Employee Health help you quantify worker health

An Health Risk Assessment (HRA) is an important tool to help you isolate the value of strong Company Wellness Program Programs.

Health Risk Assessment: What is it?

Does the term “Health Risk Assessment” have you puzzled? If so, then you are not alone.  Unfortunately there is no standard definition or format for a Health Risk Assessment. A health risk assessment is both a procedure and a document, too, depending on the context — you must answer questions and ideally undergo some simple Employee Health Testing to develop a document that describes what’s good and bad about your current state of health.

To add confusion to the situation, there’s a field called health risk management. Talk to an OSHA inspector about health risk assessment and they will likely assume you’re referring to an analysis of contaminants and industrial chemicals in a factory or manufacturing facility.

Health Risk Assessment: The Typical Health Risk Assessment

A comprehensive health risk assessment is aimed at producing a concrete baseline of a individual’s health, and includes most of these features:

• blood pressure check,
• testing for cancer,
• blood sugar test, and
• a analysis of the worker’s health status.

Health risk assessments would analyze the worker’s:

• lifestyle indicators,
• health conditions,
• medications,
• functional concerns and abilities,
• life quality,
• self-efficacy,
• physical fitness level.

Health and Wellness Fair activities put the spotlight on Company Wellness Programs

A Health and Wellness Fair is a outstanding way to shake your workforce out of the doldrums and into better awareness of their health and wellness. A Health and Wellness Fair brings your organization together to discuss Company Wellness Programs, examine Medical Insurance and “cafeteria” plans, explore health savings accounts, publicize Company Wellness Program Programs and share success stories and challenges.

Some common Health and Wellness Fair desired outcomes include:

better awareness of the health services and resources available to employees, both from their company and from local, state, regional and national health services;
increased motivation for improving health behavior
increased participation in Company Wellness Programs, commuter and carshare programs and health savings accounts
better awareness of individual health status through Health Testings, Health and Wellness Fair activities, displays, handouts, and demonstrations, and
better information on what employees are seeking from their company’s health management initiatives, and which employees are interested in participating.

Planning a Health and Wellness Fair

Planning a Health and Wellness Fair is a lot like starting an Company Wellness Program on a smaller scale. Just like an Company Wellness Program, your Health and Wellness Fair will need publicity, logistical planning, programming, targeted goals, in-house marketing and of course, executive approval. Festive touches like free food, kid-friendly activities, live music, art displays, talent shows and other community-minded fun will help cement the appeal of your Health and Wellness Fair and ensure that the Health and Wellness Fair becomes a welcomed, annual event.

You can find some Health and Wellness Fair planning tips at the Family and Consumer Sciences site of Texas A&M University. These Health and Wellness Fair tips are aimed more at community and non-profit organizers, but you can discover many useful Health and Wellness Fair ideas at the site.

Health and Wellness Fairs and Company Wellness Program Recruitment

Many Company Wellness Program planners find that Health and Wellness Fairs are the primary reason why employees sign up for walking Company Wellness Programs, health savings accounts and other pro-Company Wellness Programs.

Don’t forget - not only do employees value these programs highly, but the increased energy and decreased sick leave associated with Company Wellness Programs also saves your corporation money. The Company Wellness Program Statistics are clear - healthier companies work harder and pay less in Medical Insurance premiums.

Company Wellness Programs: The Grand Slam

Company Wellness Programs are as close to a grand slam proposition as you’ll find, according to most researchers and Company Wellness Program experts.

But if you have skeptics in your organization who are questioning the time and expense of starting an Company Wellness Program, you may be wary too. Aren’t worker Company Wellness Programs subject to the adage “There’s no such thing as a free lunch”?

Company Wellness Programs Don’t Have To Be Expensive

Fortunately, worker Company Wellness Programs don’t require a big investment. Like any other corporate project, mismanagement and “death by committee” can inflate the cost of Company Wellness Programs, but it’s hard to spend too much time and money on them. After all, Company Wellness Programs are mostly informational in nature. Flyers, e-mails, maps, and Company Wellness Program Health and Wellness Fairs can only cost so much. There’s no expensive, specialized Company Wellness Program machinery.

Company Wellness Program statistics on successful programs are particularly persuasive. Unlike many cost-saving measures, Company Wellness Programs actually add to worker satisfaction - but they also reduce Medical Insurance premiums and worker absenteeism.

What are some common Company Wellness Programs?

Company Wellness Programs run the gamut, depending on your worksite demographic, from exercise for health patients to nutritional initiatives that encourage workers to replace unhealthy snack foods with healthy fare like dried fruit and shelled nuts.

Here are some examples of Company Wellness Programs:

• ergonomic safety
• cardiovascular disease education and testing
• worker safety
• Health risk assessments
• walking Company Wellness Programs
• drug testing

Maintaining Company Wellness Program during Flu Season can be a challenge for any corporation. The average adult can get up to four colds in one year, and hundreds of thousands are hospitalized every year for flu complications. From December to March, there are more employees out of the office due to illness, and others who barely made it to the office and can hardly think over their constant coughing and sneezing.

Company Wellness Program: Prevention is the Key

Prevention is the key to maintaining good health in the worksite and increasing overall Company Wellness Program. Fighting infection after the cold and flu epidemics hit is a losing battle and can best be combated with early action, such as implementing a Company Wellness Program Program in the workplace for good health year-round.

Keeping the Office Germ-free During Flu Season

The typical office is the perfect breeding grounds for influenza or the cold virus. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases says that there are higher chances for the spread of infection during winter because people spend more time indoors. In an office, this risk is increased by cubicles, bringing many people into a close space. Onsite Health Testings conducted regularly as part of an overall health management program will increase the chances of Company Wellness Program year round, and especially during Flu Season.

Education Can Increase Company Wellness Program During Flu Season

Educating employees about various ways to stay healthy during Flu Season may help prevent the spread of any sickness to the entire office. Hand washing is a crucial component in maximizing Company Wellness Program, as bacteria collects on keyboards, mouses, around the water cooler and next to the community coffee pot. As employees shake hands, infection may be passed, multiplying the chance of getting a cold or coming down with the flu. Hand washing and anti-bacterial cleaners for surfaces can help reduce the spread of sickness.

Company Wellness Program is possible during Flu Season. With Company Wellness Program, your office can reach one step closer to immunity from sickness during Flu Season.

Company Wellness Program Study Shows Millions Lost Due to Illness

Company Wellness Program was shown to be a huge economic boon for companies in a recently-released joint report by  the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Nearly three million productive employees in labor markets worldwide add up to a lot of money. The Company Wellness Program study estimates that China will lose $558 billion, India $237 billion, and Russia $303 billion in national income from 2005 to 2015 due to only three chronic diseases: heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

Lack of Company Wellness Program A “Huge Expense”

The U.S. Center for Disease Control also reports that chronic disease accounts for approximately 75 percent of yearly worker healthcare costs in the U.S., which constitutes a huge expense for companies. And the Public Health Foundation of India estimates that its country will lose 18 million potentially productive years of life by 2030, a statistic no nation can afford, let alone a developing one.

Company Wellness Programs the Answer

A sustainable solution to these challenges cannot be solved by medical benefits alone. Workplace commitments to Company Wellness Program are also crucial. Companies are advised to implement on-site Health Testings for their employees, as well as look into a comprehensive health management program. These and other precautions are good secret weapons against the economic pitfall of unhealthy employees.

Company Wellness Programs - Staff Engagement Strategies

Company Wellness Programs without staff engagement are of little use to a corporation. How do you get employees to enroll in Company Wellness Programs - and stay engaged in the programs?

The brochures for these programs discuss the benefits to employees and businesses. Company Wellness Program statistics show that there are tangible benefits to a corporation for offering such programs. Company Wellness Programs actually do save lives by getting workers to take their health seriously, increase productivity, decrease absenteeism and more.

However, St. Louis, Missouri-based Maritz Inc., the world’s largest incentive corporation, has applied their own invigorating twist to health management by providing gift rewards to employees who participate in Company Wellness Programs. The wellness reward program is Maritz’s own Exclusively Yours® plan. Health management participants earn points, which can be then redeemed for merchandise, electronics, restaurant vouchers and travel, much like a frequent-flier program.

Enrollment rewards in Company Wellness Programs?

Undoubtably companies that don’t work in the rewards industry will be tempted to cry foul about using such a rich carrot to incentivize health program enrollments. Not every corporation can throw that kind of money at health management resources - and not every corporation has the built-in savings as a business that specializes in providing reward programs.

For certain rich rewards like Maritz’s will break through the glaze that appears over many employees’ eyes when they’re encouraged to do something new, different or challenging. For many employees uncomfortable with health management and exercise, “new, different and challenging” would apply to Company Wellness Programs. So where does that leave businesses who are unwilling or unable to provide rewards for health management program enrollment?

Successful Company Wellness Programs motivate employees - before and after signup

Company Wellness Program administrators should keep the long-term view in mind when trying to get employees to take that vitally important first step. Even the best rewards can fail in the face of faltering organization, badly-designed Company Wellness Programs and wavering support. Make sure to run good Wellness surveys before you build your Company Wellness Programs so worker input and needs are being met by your Company Wellness Programs. The goal is positive outcomes, not high enrollment numbers.

Company Wellness Programs cannot survive managerial apathy. If executive and managerial participation is widespread and heartfelt, employees will follow their leadership. The potential rewards and Wellness benefits are clearly worth reaping, for both your company and your co-workers.

Wellness might be the fatal flaw in your Company Wellness Program. Is Wellness part of your strategy? Does worksite wellness stop when your employees leave the office?

Wellness Continuity

If employees don’t have the tools to pursue health and wellness on a Personal level, then it becomes easy for them to “fall off the wagon” and slide back into a unealthy lifestyles. If you have a walking program, for example, it should encourage employees to build walking routes near their homes, perhaps with the cooperation of the neighborhood association or coworkers who live in the neighborhood.

Company Wellness Programs: Always on Your Mind

Your Company Wellness Program coordinator should have “vacation wellbeing” as part of their job scope. In other words, you don’t want a Company Wellness Program to stop at the boundaries of the worksite campus. Instead, integrate Personal health and wellness with your Company Wellness Programs.

This can benefit your Company Wellness Programs in a couple of ways:

it reduces the chance that the worker will come back to the office feeling unfit, overwhelmed and unable to resume their Company Wellness Programs; and
it shows that their company is just as invested in their Personal health and wellness as they are

Like a marathon, Personal health and wellness is a long-term commitment and it’s challenging for anyone to do in isolation. Simply put, it’s easier to maintain your health and wellbeing when you know others are depending on you and watching your Personal performance. It’s easier to stick to an physical activity program when you have a jogging partner who wakes you up when you oversleep, or spots you when you’re lifting weights.

Similarly, it’s easier to stick to your Company Wellness Program when you know your company is supporting you and wishing you the best.

Don’t Dictate Personal Health

Just as Wellness surveys serve a vital function in building a Company Wellness Program, it’s vitally important that you involve employees in designing an off-site wellness strategy. No one enjoys being told what to do, but everyone enjoys having assistance in tacking tough problems. Make it clear that employees are in charge of their own health and wellness. Your role as their health management partner is to support, advise, counsel, provide resources and information.

Of course, don’t forget that part of Personal health and wellness responsibility is to provide good health risk assessment baselines so employees can proceed safely on the road to better physical fitness.

Company Wellness Programs: An Attainable Goal

Was Wellness on your corporation’s new year’s resolutions list? Here we are a little over midway into the third month of 2008, the time when resolutions start to falter if they haven’t lost momentum completely. Has your Worksite’s wellness resolution fallen by the wayside? If so, there are still ways to get back on track.

One Wellness tip comes to us from the YMCA of Greater Des Moines, reported from the Jersey Shore. Rod Shirk, the YMCA’s chief financial officer, participated in the organization’s first executive Company Wellness Program, which registered his cholesterol as higher than normal. That prompted him to get a physical, which showed high levels of a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) that often indicates prostate cancer. The outcome? His doctors caught a life-threatening illness just in time.

Thanks Company Wellness Program.

So of course, Shirk is a huge proponent of Company Wellness Programs. He says, “For us here at the YMCA, if we are telling people to be healthy, we had better set a good example for our employees.”

Wellness Decreases Health Care Costs

Though cases like Shirk’s dramatic cancer save are the most desirable effect of Company Wellness Programs, it isn’t the initial draw for businesses. They do it to lower healthcare costs, and there’s no doubt that Company Wellness Programs do just that. Company Wellness Program Statistics show that Company Wellness Programs return anywhere from $2.30 to $10.10 per dollar spent on wellness. “Health care costs should go down as people think about changing their diets and getting more active,” Shirk says.

The Company Wellness Program savings aren’t just in the Medical Insurance department. Human resource departments report that Company Wellness Programs also reduce absenteeism and increase productivity.

Still, companies have been loath to invest that elusive Wellness dollar despite the well-documented returns. A Principal Financial Group and Harris Interactive survey found that only 10% of small- to medium-size businesses have made on-site Health Testings - like the one that saved Shirk’s life - available to their employees.

Is It Necessary to Incent Corporations to Initiate Company Wellness Programs?

Wellness rewards may seem like an effective way to get employees excited about Company Wellness Program - but is it smart?

This helps and encourages businesses to understand the importance of maintaining a healthy workforce, not only for the welfare of its employees, but as well as the welfare of the corporate bottom line … then, yes, it could be necessary.

Tax Breaks as Wellness rewards

In 2007, two senators decided to band together to create the “Healthy Workforce Act.” This act is designed to encourage businesses to keep employees healthy and prevent disease. The senators believed that having a country focused on “well care” versus “sick care” would decrease the overall costs of healthcare for everyone. They decided to start with America’s workforce.

The legislation, introduced by Iowa Senator Tom Harkin and Oregon Senator Gordon Smith, states that companies would receive a Wellness reward - a fifty percent tax credit - if they provide to their employees a Company Wellness Program that meets the following criteria:

1) A health education and awareness component, which could include Health risk assessments and Health Testings.
2) A behavioral change component – such as counseling, seminars, or self-help materials to empower employees to lead healthier lifestyles.
3) A supportive environment component – including providing meaningful rewards to taking part in employees, such as a reduction in health premiums or allowing employees to engage in walking Company Wellness Programs during the workday.
4) The creation of an worker engagement committee – which would tailor the Company Wellness Program to the needs of the workforce at a particular corporation.

If this legislation gets passed, many businesses will be scrambling to provide Company Wellness Programs in hopes of receiving the Wellness rewards.

Company Obesity: The Facts

Company obesity has become one of the fastest growing healthcare problems in America. It is well known that America is considered one of the, if not “the”, heaviest countries in the world. This is largely in part due to fast food, un-healthy snacks and a very sedentary lifestyle. However, what many people are not aware of is that the rate of obesity in our country has doubled in the last 30 years and this weighs heavily on a corporation’s bottom line.

According to a new report from The Conference Board, Weights and Measures: What companys Should Know about Obesity, obese employees cost private businesses an estimated $45 billion annually. Here are some of the report’s findings:

Obesity is associated with a 36% increase in spending on healthcare, more than smoking or problem drinking.
34% of adult U.S citizens fit the definition of “obese”
Obesity related health problems are costing U.S. companies millions of dollars annually in medical expenditures and work loss.

Company Obesity: How businesses Can Help

With the increase in obesity and company costs associated with it, it is more and more imperative to establish a way to assist employees with their healthy living choices. Company Wellness Programs can help businesses help their employees. By providing assistance with Health Testing, Health risk assessments and by conducting Company Wellness Program surveys; Company Wellness Programs allow the company non-invasive ways to communicate their concerns about their worker’s health.

We suggest establishing a Walking Company Wellness Program to assist your employees in meeting their weight-loss goals. Walking Wellness is a program designed to get your employees away from their desk and get them outside for a little exercise. Keep it fun by having contests, setting up weight-loss teams and having organized healthy picnics.