Placing workplace wellness in proper context: value beyond money (original) (raw)

Incorporating wellness into employee benefit strategies--why it makes sense

Benefits quarterly, 2013

By putting together a comprehensive wellness strategy, employers are not only "doing the right thing" but also are able to see, believe and maintain the tangible return on investment (ROI) that wellness programs are capable of delivering. This article discusses employers' ROI from wellness initiatives, as well as innovations that support a culture of wellness and what enhanced opportunities for increasing employee wellness are available under health care reform. It also describes how wellness is a component of population health management, as well as a core component of the health care delivery system.

Workplace Wellness Programs Can Generate Savings

Health Affairs, 2010

Amid soaring health spending, there is growing interest in workplace disease prevention and wellness programs to improve health and lower costs. In a critical meta-analysis of the literature on costs and savings associated with such programs, we found that medical costs fall by about 3.27foreverydollarspentonwellnessprogramsandthatabsenteeismcostsfallbyabout3.27 for every dollar spent on wellness programs and that absenteeism costs fall by about 3.27foreverydollarspentonwellnessprogramsandthatabsenteeismcostsfallbyabout2.73 for every dollar spent. Although further exploration of the mechanisms at work and broader applicability of the findings is needed, this return on investment suggests that the wider adoption of such programs could prove beneficial for budgets and productivity as well as health outcomes.

The price is right: making workplace wellness financially sustainable

International Journal of Workplace Health Management, 2010

PurposeThe public health argument for developing and maintaining workplace wellness programmes in organisations is well‐documented, particularly within the healthcare sector which aims to “set the example” for workplace health. However, workplace wellness also makes good business sense, since it is established that investing in employee health can reduce absenteeism, improve job satisfaction and productivity and enhance corporate image. Organisations often place workplace wellness low in their priorities. The purpose of this paper is to present the case for an initial resource investment and top‐level support to pump‐prime a financially sustainable, and even profitable, programme.Design/methodology/approachA discussion is presented based on academic literature and practical applications from the authors' experiences in practice.FindingsThe authors use their own in‐house scheme, “Q‐active” as a case example based in an NHS Trust setting, to demonstrate how such schemes can be dev...

Workplace Wellness Programs: Services Offered, Participation, and Incentives

Rand health quarterly, 2015

This article leverages existing data on wellness programs to explore patterns of wellness program availability, employers' use of incentives, and program participation and utilization among employees. Researchers used two sets of data for this project: The first included data from the 2012 RAND Employer Survey, which used a nationally representative sample of U.S. employers that had detailed information on wellness program offerings, program uptake, incentive use, and employer characteristics. These data were used to answer questions on program availability, configuration, uptake, and incentive use. The second dataset included health care claims and wellness program information for a large employer. These data were analyzed to predict program participation and changes in utilization and health. The findings underscore the increasing prevalence of worksite wellness programs. About four-fifths of all U.S. employers with more than 1,000 employees are estimated to offer such program...

Corporate Wellness Programs: Implementation Challenges in the Modern American Workplace

2013

Being healthy is important for living well and achieving longevity. In the business realm, furthermore, employers want healthy employees, as these workers tend to be more productive, have fewer rates of absenteeism, and use less of their health insurance resources. This article provides an overview of corporate “wellness” efforts in the American workplace and the concomitant challenges which employers will confront in implementing these programs. Consequently, employers and managers must reflect upon wellness policies and objectives, consult with professionals, and discuss the ramifications thereof prior to implementation. The authors herein explore how employers are implementing policies that provide incentives to employees who lead “healthy” lifestyles as well as ones that impose costs on employees who lead “unhealthy” lifestyles. The distinctive contribution of this article is that it proactively explores wellness program implementation challenges and also supplies “best practices” in the modern workplace, so employers can be better prepared when they promulgate wellness policies, and then take practical steps to help their employees become healthier and thereby help to reduce insurance costs. The article, moreover, addresses how wellness policy incentives—in the form of “carrots” as well as penalties—in the form of “sticks” could affect employees, especially “non-healthy” employees, as well as employers, particularly legally. Based on the aforementioned challenges, the authors make practical recommendations for employers and managers, so that they can fashion and implement wellness policies that are deemed to be legal, ethical, and efficacious.

Doing Well by Making Well: The Impact of Corporate Wellness Programs on Employee Productivity

Management Science, 2018

This paper investigates the impact of a corporate wellness program on worker productivity using a panel of objective health and productivity data from 111 workers in five laundry plants. Although almost 90% of companies use wellness programs, existing research has focused on cost savings from insurance and absenteeism. We find productivity improvements based both on program participation and post-program health changes. Sick and healthy individuals who improved their health increased productivity by about 10%, with surveys indicating sources in improved diet and exercise. Although the small worker sample limits both estimate precision and our ability to isolate mechanisms behind this increase, we argue that our results are consistent with improved worker motivation and capability. The study suggests that firms can increase operational productivity through socially responsible health policies that improve both workers’ wellness and economic value, and provides a template for future large-scale studies of health and productivity.

Workplace Wellness Programs: Empirical Doubt, Legal Ambiguity, and Conceptual Confusion

Health Economics eJournal, 2019

Federal laws that protect workers from insurance discrimination and infringement of health privacy include exceptions for wellness programs that are ‘voluntary’ and ‘reasonably designed’ to improve health. Initially, these exceptions were intended to give employers the flexibility to create innovative wellness programs that would appeal to workers, increase productivity, and protect the workforce from preventable health conditions. Yet a detailed look at the scientific literature reveals that wellness program efficacy is quite disputed, and even highly touted examples of program success have been shown to be unreliable. Meanwhile, the latest administrative regulations on wellness programs were vacated by a district court in January, leaving the legal scope of wellness programs in flux. The U.S. District Court of Connecticut now has a case before it that could start a national overhaul of these programs. In this article we give a scientific and legal overview of wellness programs, an...

Working for wellness: defining, measuring, and enhancing employee well-being

The focus of this thesis was on the utility of the workplace in promoting employee wellbeing. The thesis applied principles of positive psychology (PP) to the field of occupational health psychology (OHP). Paper 1 reviewed employee well-being with a focus on both general and work-related dimensions. Paper 2 developed a niche for positive employee well-being programs. It reviewed a number of strategies for improving employee health and well-being, including occupational health and safety legislation, corporate wellness programs, worksite health promotion and disease management programs, and stress prevention. Although important, such programs do not focus on promoting positive psychological well-being. The utility of supplementing these approaches with positive employee well-being programs was discussed from an applied ethics perspective. Paper 3 detailed the design and evaluation of the Working for Wellness Program using a mixed method design. Outcomes were tested using a randomized control trial. Participant feedback and field notes were analyzed to x Acknowledgments My first acknowledgement is to my friend, Jeff McLean who brought me to Monash and introduced me to positive psychology. Thanks for starting me on my journey and being a fantastic friend and boss. Immense thanks to my thesis supervisor, and fourtime co-author, Dianne Vella-Brodrick, who provided endless support and encouragement and kept me on the straight and narrow. Most importantly, thank you to Adrian, Mum, and Reg. Adrian, it has been so special to share this journey with you. Thank you for your unconditional love and infinite belief in me. Mum and Reg, thank you for putting up with me all these years and for your constant flexibility and understanding. Thanks also to Dad, Matt, and Emily Page, and my other family, Marcia and Russell Medhurst and co. I am particularly indebted to my sister for her enviable-tech‖ abilities. This thesis could not have happened without the vision and commitment of Medicare Australia, particularly Zoran Ilic, Tony Dulson and the program participants. Thank you for making this project real. Thanks also to Simon Moss, who provided statistical advice and support; Simon Albrecht and the rest of the MOP staff; and finally, to Bill Pappas, Dale Nissen and the WorkSafe crew for putting my thesis into practice.

Creating a Wellness Culture through Human Resources

2014

Healthcare costs in the United States have been increasing in recent years. The increase in healthcare costs and the lack of affordable health insurance affects many individuals and organizations. Human resources (HR) departments have started to take strategic steps to lessen the effect of high healthcare costs to the organization. Creating a culture of wellness at work and implementing workplace wellness programs, allows HR to support individual efforts towards a healthy lifestyle. By proving why organizations should invest in their most valuable asset, their employees, the human resources department can strengthen their position as a strategic partner. This paper addresses the outcomes from successful workplace wellness programs. In order for HR to meet departmental and organizational goals from wellness programs, they must gain support from upper management, encourage employees to participate, mold the organization’s culture, and measure the outcomes of the wellness initiatives; ...