Wellness Programs and the Effect on the Workplace
A wellness program is the employers’ line of attack to cultivating their employees’ health. Wellness programs can range from a multitude of company- sponsored activities in a wide range of areas. Some of these areas are: dieting, exercise, checkups, quitting tobacco programs, and programs to promote physical fitness. Wellness programs can often offer financial incentives to get their employees motivated in participating in the program. (Alic, 2012)
The history of employment wellness dates back to 1879. The Pullman Company of Chicago created employee athletic association. Shortly thereafter in the 1880s the president of National Cash Register was known to meet employees for morning horseback
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A Health Risk Appraisal is a questionnaire that reviews individual lifestyle practices, some examples are: exercise, smoking, and seat belt use. This questionnaire can give human relations some idea of what health concerns that needs to be addressed. The Health Risk Appraisal can often be provided to a companies’ human relations department free of charge through is health insurance company. If a Health Risk Appraisal cannot be provided by the companies’ insurance provider it can usually be purchased at a low cost from another source. One of these sources is the University of Michigan. While doing this, human relations needs to be sure that they are following Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) and Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) regulations while conducting the Health Risk Appraisal. Instead of the Health Risk Appraisal, human relations can conduct an employee interest program to see what employees are interested in for an employee wellness program. (Wellness-program, …show more content…
Some no cost ideas are no tobacco use at work and employee walks. Other options are promote healthy options in vending machines instead of junk food options. For instance a company could charge only 25 cents for an apple and sell a cupcake for $1. An employee walking program can be set up with a pedometer challenge. The employer could provide a safe place to store bikes and encourage employees to use the stairs instead of elevators. Employers can also purchase heathy food for meetings instead of junk food and hold Weight Watchers meetings. More expensive options are to purchase gym memberships and even construct on site fitness facilities. (Wellness-program, 2015)
Advantages to Employee Wellness Programs Employee wellness programs are a great advantage to employers for many reasons. They can lower health care expenses and healthier employees have less sick days. Healthier employees achieve a higher rate of productivity and are absent less often. They also reduce injuries, workers’ compensation, and disability-related expenses. Employee wellness programs also increase employee loyalty and morale. (Wellness Programs: What are the general steps, 2015)
Disadvantages to Employee Wellness
Direct Observation during access to food. Settings varied but study was conducted over 28 days.
Employee wellness programs, also known as a “worksite wellness program”, are programs that are designed to promote and support the health, safety, and well being of a company’s employees. Wellness programs are meant to improve the health of the staff, their morale, and in turn also help improve their productivity. There are many components that make up employee wellness programs, for example; Health Screenings, Health Fairs, Fitness classes, Smoking cessation classes, and even wellness issue workshops. Employers have begun adopting these programs in hopes of helping their employees while they are at an age when health interventions can still help transform their long-term health choice. This paper will focus on trends found between employee weight and productivity, and the impacts these could have on a business overall.
The people in the workplace can be categorized into two groups: the employer and the employees. The employees work for their employer and in turn, the employer has the duty and responsibility to ensure that the minimum safety requirements are met. However, employers are not required to provide health insurance benefits to their employees. More often than not, providing health insurance benefits is very costly to the employer and in an attempt to mitigate the costs, employers’ encourage employee participation in various healthy lifestyle programs and initiatives as well as providing incentives for their participation in such programs. These kinds of actions are not always met with enthusiasm, some find it unreasonable to be expected to do so on their own time to change their lifestyle to suit their employers.
campaign and technical assistance to promote the benefits of worksite health promotion. A new CDC
Healthy People 2020 is geared towards betterment of health for the most citizens by year 2020.It is a carefully and exhaustively planned project by the different sectors of government and health agencies with the inclusion of the analyses of the determinants of health, and disparities, using different kind of public health models in order to make appropriate policies and programs that are feasible to implement and practical to abide for the benefit of the population served.
Engaging employees and families in healthy work programs, regular check-ups and illness prevention strategies are smart investments.
Encouraging employees to take advantage of low-cost or free services offered through your health plan provider. In addition, simple changes in the office may enable
If the health of employees can help or hinder a company, then why do companies still have sick days? With the “on the go” lifestyles, how can we not question the health of employees and their families. Today we have high stress jobs, rush hour traffic, and demanding schedules. Being healthy and fit is the way to conquer tomorrow.
Methodology: The collection data primary and secondary sources were used. For primary data, some interviews were conducted with employees so that a detailed overview of the programs can be analyzed. Whereas, most of the work is based on secondary research for which the relevant websites of the companies, books, and journal articles were consulted. Identification of the most appropriate wellness plan
The second company that I will cover is General Mills, they do not have as intense a program as General Electric but they have a very well rounded health and wellness program that I believe Norfolk Southern could take an example from. General Mills has a screening tool, a computerized self-assessment that “helps employees identify health risks, motivate healthy lifestyle changes, and learn about health and wellness resources” (Workplace Wellness).
When thinking of my overall health, a few aspects stand out that I think I could definitely improve on. When I think my current personal wellness I think it is fairly decent. There are definitely people out there far worse than myself. It could be better because there is always room for improvement. I’m a big fan of personal growth. To me if a person decides to stop growing or wanting to better themselves either mentally, physically or emotiontally. Then whats the real purpose for living? I am a fairly active person. I love to hike, stay fit and eat healthy. Living a healthy lifestyle isn’t hard for me which I think definitely contributes to a wellness.
The negative effects of stress in the Canadian workplace and the resulting impact on the economy are on the rise. As a result, many companies have recognized the need for and benefits of providing programs which focus on employee wellness. This paper will discuss stress in the workplace by evaluating the employee wellness program/s of one healthcare provider company.
If one wants to live an enjoyable, fulfilling life they must know what it truly means to be well. Living a wellness lifestyle means incorporating all aspects of what it takes to flourish as a human being. It goes beyond the health of the physical body and incorporates the important social, emotional, and spiritual factors that play a part in every person’s life in one way or another. Knowing how to act correctly, control our feelings, channel our frustrations, and improve in each dimension of wellness will lead to a satisfactory life. Spiritual, physical, emotional, nutritional, and social wellness define the biggest components of life and thriving in them is vital.
This study investigated the barriers and enablers of physical activity in various workplaces. Thematic analysis that ensued provided relevant clues into understanding workers’ plight in the workplace with regard to actively participate into physical activity. Sedentary behavior settled in with time, given the amount of hours workers spent at work daily. It was equally important to bring into light factors that influenced workers behaviors so they could inform recommendations about physical activity for workers’ moral, motivation, and keeping healthy.
An employee may find that their healthcare plan is provided by their employer and as such may find that even though their payment sums may be hefty, their employer may be paying even more. In a recent survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, only 30% of the cost for a doctor’s visit or family plan will be covered by the worker; therefore, the other 70% is then covered by the employer’s finances. With the average family health plan cost on the rise at $18,142, it may be a bit clearer as to why companies are searching for any means to lower this expense (Kaiser 2016). A corporate wellness program pitch loaded with quality statistics on the importance of preventative measures to effectively dodge physician bills then commodifies wellness as the straightforward answer to the issue of hefty expenditures. However, a substantial payment is not the only deterrent from seeking standardized