Five reasons why health promotion makes good business sense.

Worksite wellness programs make sense – for everyone.

Today, almost 2/3rds of all companies have some form of wellness program in place. Why? The benefits are indisputable: lower healthcare costs, reduced absenteeism, and increased productivity.

Like individual employees, wellness programs come in all shapes, sizes, and complexities. They can range from the very basic to the most comprehensive, covering such activities as smoking cessation classes, healthy eating tips, weight loss incentives, blood pressure and cholesterol testing, stress management programs and on site elaborate exercise facilities.

While each program needs to be custom designed for each worksite, the important thing to remember is that worksite wellness programs offer real benefits for both employers and employees.

Reason #1: The American workforce is considered to be “unhealthy”: wellness programs through, education and information, can contribute to improving the overall health of the nation, where obesity is at epidemic levels, most people are sedentary and tobacco and alcohol use is widespread.

Reason #2: Most illnesses are preventable: wellness programs help encourage and motivate employees to change unhealthy behaviors which account for 70% of all healthcare costs.

Reason #3: Healthcare costs continue to skyrocket: Wellness programs help reduce rising healthcare costs which now account for close to 16% of the gross domestic product.

Reason #4: The workplace makes sense for addressing employee wellness: employees listen to their employers and employers have a vested interest in their employee healthrelated issues.

Reason #5: Employee productivity and costs are key issues for employers: wellness programs lower employer costs, reduce absenteeism and improve employee productivity: a win-win for employers and employees.

Learn more about designing worksite wellness programs.