Medical expenses are just one aspect of an employee’s well-being, which account for 70 to 90 percent of health care expenditure. A more productive workforce is in better physical and mental condition when a business avoids health hazards and modifies its policies. Chronic illnesses caused by unhealthy lifestyle choices cost companies more than $1 trillion in productivity each year. To summarize, encouraging healthy habits can pay off big time, which is why workplace wellness is such a popular subject these days.
To keep their talent healthier, companies have connected with health experts such as doctors, experienced dietitians, and therapists to support a wide range of company-wide health programs. The main goal of these programs is to get people to take preventative steps to avoid becoming sick or getting worse and living a healthy lifestyle in the first place.
With healthcare expenses on the increase, it’s essential to tailor wellness programs to the particular requirements of the workforce and maximize employee involvement.
Cost-Reducing Efforts
According to published research, companies can reduce workers’ compensation and disability management claims expenses by 25% as a result of implementing well-implemented workplace health programs. Employers can save a significant amount of money on healthcare expenses by having healthy workers.
The idea that workplace wellness may decrease an organization’s expenses is not a new concept. For nearly a century, employers have had a strong interest in providing health-related preventative services.
According to Ho, the obesity rate in the United States is almost 30%, the cigarette smoking rate is 18%, and the exercise rate is 23%. As a result, chronic illnesses like heart disease and cancer are becoming more common, costing society billions of dollars in medical treatment. Employees that participate in wellness programs develop better habits, which leads to a happier, more productive staff.
Reducing Stress
Stress can lead to severe health issues like heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other diseases, including mental disorders like sadness and anxiety if continuously put on your body over time.
Workplace wellness initiatives may help workers cope with stress. According to a 2015 New York Times story, Aetna’s mindfulness programs have resulted in stress levels dropping by 28%, sleep quality improving by 20%, and pain decreasing by 19%.
There has been a significant impact, according to Altizer, from the popularization of Jon Kabat-Zinn’s mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). When employees are under stress, production suffers, morale suffers, and even absenteeism occurs. Stress, productivity, and leadership requirements are rising, and mindfulness might make a real and achievable contribution.
Being aware reduces stress and has been proven to increase memory, concentration, and emotional response.
Individuals are ultimately responsible for altering their behavior. Businesses have a unique opportunity to assist their workers in understanding the need to adopt healthy habits for a longer and happier life.
A Higher Rate of Return on Investment
There’s evidence that involuntary wellness programs at a major US media and education business help employees be more productive and satisfied at work by reducing absenteeism. People in business know that having more productive workers and more efficient manufacturing lines has many advantages. When companies implement productivity improvements in a corporate setting, all parties involved see and feel the results. Employee morale, engagement, and productivity go up when companies promote a “health culture,” and these companies stand to benefit financially. However, motivating employees to be productive isn’t only about making money now. Having a productive workplace also has long-term advantages, such as increased levels of engagement, better health, and better workplace culture.
Constructing a Positive Atmosphere
A company’s culture affects how its workers feel about working there. When managers promote an excellent wellness plan, employee motivation and engagement can be maintained in a supportive work environment. Companies can also introduce incentives and wellness programs to encourage and support healthy habits, which benefits the company, the individual, and the community.
In addition to flu vaccinations and health fairs, employers may use various wellness activities, including smoking cessation programs to help their employees quit. While some companies have implemented extensive wellness programs, others have seen savings or productivity gains by implementing just a few basic activities that encourage healthy habits. The essential thing is to make a firm commitment to health promotion inside your company.
Wellness initiatives, like everything else, come with a set of difficulties for businesses. There are several variables that employers have little control over, including whether or not their workers adopt healthy habits, how sick they get, whether or not they become ill, and whether or not they quit. For a wellness program to be successful, businesses must get their employees on board and involved.