When it comes to saving money on insurance costs, reducing the number of claims and preventing on-the-job illnesses and injuries, few tactics are more effective than the workplace wellness program.
However, many employers may be unsure about the benefits of such a program, perhaps forgoing this option in favor of other methods. If a wellness program is something that you are interested in, here are three reasons why it might be smart decision for your business:
1. Programs can help employees' achieve goals
The structure of a wellness program can be very flexible. For instance, your strategy doesn't have to focus on weight loss. It could instead be broader – it may even target financial benchmarks. One of the pros of any wellness program is the ability to be tailored to employees' specific goals.
"An effective wellness program can help your employees achieve their goals"
In a blog post for her website, Beth Bierbower, president of the Employer Group Segment at Humana, wrote that effective wellness programs are tailored to each company's workers. You can ask them what they want to achieve, so they can remain motivated and involved in the process. In this way, a quality wellness program helps employees' reach their goals.
2. Programs help reduce employer costs
Naturally, one of the biggest benefits for employers is a reduction in costs. With a wellness program in place, you can start to see your healthcare insurance, workers' compensation insurance and other expenses begin to decline.
According to the Los Angeles Times, this is possible thanks to the focus on many "lifestyle diseases" found among today's workers. These range from diabetes and obesity to heart disease and stress-related conditions. A wellness program can target these issues and help motivate employees to change. Companies can even provide financial incentives to encourage workers to take part.
3. Programs can identify serious diseases
While wellness programs can be designed to treat common illnesses, they have also been known to identify more serious diseases among workers. This was one topic discussed at the recent National Business Coalition on Health conference, as reported by Business Insurance.
For example, John Walsh, co-founder and president of the COPD Foundation, spoke about the importance of diagnosing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and how wellness programs can be a part of that. A wellness program can ask questions related to COPD and even screen for the condition.
"Every employer and indeed every employee in America needs to know what COPD is and make sure that they're focused on getting people diagnosed as early as possible," Walsh said at the conference, according to the media outlet.
With an effective wellness program in place, employers can not only help workers, but also their own bottom lines.
