Workplace Wellness: Getting the Best Return on Your Investment

Workplace wellness programs are becoming more common as more companies become aware of the impact employee health has on performance in the workplace.

For many companies, though, workplace wellness programs are uncharted territory. Employers are unsure what types of programs are available and how these corporate wellness programs can be of value to their employees and provide a return on investment (ROI) for their company.

WHY WORKPLACE WELLNESS?

The work environment is an excellent place to encourage better health and wellness habits for employees, particularly as they spend the majority of their waking hours in the workplace. If an employer provides education on healthier habits and wellness, these guidelines can be incorporated into each employee's lifestyle and have a positive impact on their working environment.

According to Mayo Clinic Health Risk Assessment data, the most prevalent lifestyle risk factors include poor nutrition, emotional health, safety and weight. These risk factors are good places to begin for many companies seeking to develop wellness initiatives.

It makes sense that a healthy employee who focuses on the above factors will have positive results in terms of performance and behavior, which in turn contributes to their employer's bottom line.

What's more important when assessing the success of a wellness program: improvement in employee health, ROI for the company or both?

WHY WELLNESS PROGRAMS ARE NEEDED

Before addressing the benefits of wellness programs, let's consider the impact of poor health: heart disease, lack of productivity, stress, low energy and risk of illness and disease, to name just a few.

Research shows that individual health and well-being (quality of nutrition, stress management, physical activity levels, obesity and tobacco use) can have a significant impact on health costs for employers.

There are many types of corporate wellness programs that appeal to different companies and their objectives. The core of any corporate wellness programs basically is to encourage employees to take the necessary actions to create healthier habits and behaviors.

Corporations can choose from simple, log-in style online portals to educate their employees on various topics of health and wellness; full comprehensive wellness packages including health checks and tests; onsite gyms with personal trainers; and a wide range of other programs that fit just about any budget.

“The problem with most corporate wellness programs is that they are a ‘one-size fits all’ program,” says Janak Patel of JustWellness, which specializes in increasing employee participation in wellness programs. “These programs can only be of benefit if each employee can take the knowledge and tools and make it their own. A critical mistake companies make with wellness programs is offering the ‘how to’ but not the ‘want to.’ We all know we need to exercise, etc., but we don't necessarily do what we know. By addressing this, employee participation can be boosted.”

The main intention with any wellness program should be to get employees engaged and interested in actually implementing these healthier behaviors and participating in wellness initiatives.

“The main objective should be to have employees just start something and then build on that based on employee feedback,” says Patel. “Each employee is different, so certain aspects of wellness programs may suit some and not others. The key should always be to provide tools and information to each employee that they can modify to suit, so they can actually carry on with the positive changes. Any changes they then make would be in a positive direction.”

BENEFITS OF WELLNESS PROGRAMS

How do company wellness programs influence a business's bottom line? Does the benefit exceed the cost of the program? These are just some of the questions being asked about corporate wellness programs.

“The ROI for wellness programs is often elusive,” says Dr. Ron Leopold, New York-based national medical director and vice president for Metropolitan Life Insurance Co.'s institutional business division. “Most employers today have to make the decision to invest in some wellness initiative and they shouldn't expect hard numbers to demonstrate the ROI.”