Workplace Wellness Q&A
Increasingly, the corporate world is turning to proactive employee health and wellness programs to improve the productivity of the workforce and to help reduce rising health care costs. There are a wide range of programs and initiatives that can fall under the wellness umbrella, but all of them have the potential to alter the workplace, based on their implementation and employee participation.
Below you will find some introductory answers and suggested resources to support frequently asked questions about workplace wellness. Links throughout the answers will guide you to additional information on our Web site or from other sources. If you would like to pose any further questions, please consult our Wellness Forum.
- What is workplace wellness?
- What is the link between wellness and the workplace?
- Why is wellness in the workplace important?
- What might a workplace wellness program include?
- Can a workplace wellness program benefit employers as well as employees?
- What kind of upfront investment can I anticipate with the implementation of a workplace wellness program?
- What can I do to make my workplace wellness programs successful?
- How can I maximize wellness participation in my company?
- How can I secure support for a wellness program from senior management as well as other employees?
- Are there any legal issues associated with the implementation of a workplace wellness program?
What is workplace wellness?
Workplace wellness speaks to strategies and programs implemented at the worksite with the goal of promoting healthy lifestyles to employees and their families. These programs are designed to assist people in adopting positive behaviors with a hope of improving the productivity and morale of the workforce. Workplace wellness initiatives can include increasing employee awareness on health topics, scheduling behavior change programs, and/or establishing company policies that support health-related objectives.
What is the link between wellness and the workplace?
With the amount of time spent at the workplace today, the economic role of employers in the health of employees and the link between health and productivity, the worksite becomes an important venue for the promotion of wellness. Wellness experts suggest that effectively designed, implemented and managed employee wellness programs significantly reduce the cost of employee health care, improve absenteeism and increase productivity. While the main goal of wellness programming is to improve employee health, many employers have turned to them to help alleviate the impact of rising health insurance premiums.
Why is wellness in the workplace important?
Providing wellness information and implementing programs at the workplace demonstrates an organization’s concern for the wellbeing of its employees. Similar to the old adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” wellness programs can be used to help prevent health problems by guiding healthy habits and promoting healthy lifestyle choices. These behaviors, in turn, may help the organization to positively impact such things as health care costs, absenteeism and productivity.
What might a workplace wellness program include?
There are a vast number of workplace wellness programs of various shapes and sizes. Whether the issues involve smoking cessation, stress management, obesity or depression, workplace wellness programs encourage people to take steps that may help to prevent the onset or worsening of a health condition or sickness and to adopt healthier lifestyles. Examples of wellness programs include health education classes, subsidized use of fitness facilities, policies that promote healthy behaviors, and any other activities, policies or environmental changes that affect the health of employees.
Can a workplace wellness program benefit employers as well as employees?
Wellness initiatives can generate broad value and provide benefits to both employers and employees. For employer groups, current thinking is that wellness programming can increase employee morale and workplace productivity, as well as achieve more cost savings via reduced absenteeism, disability claims and health care utilization. In addition, a company that cares about the health of its employees is often seen as a better place to work. Such companies may save money by retaining workers and maintaining a competitive edge in recruiting new employees.
Healthy employees that proactively engage in wellness activities tend to experience improved health status, vitality and empowerment, a greater opportunity to take control of their health and medical treatment and a reduction in risk for chronic diseases. A variety of different resources also suggest that workers are more likely to be on the job and performing well when they are feeling well both physically and mentally.
What kind of upfront investment can I anticipate with the implementation of a workplace wellness program?
The extent of time and money required for the implementation of workplace wellness initiatives depends on the goals of the program or individual activities. From increasing employee awareness through a few pamphlets on a variety of topics, to funding a fulltime occupational health professional or building an onsite fitness center, there are a range of ways your company can address wellness issues.
Monetary costs, specifically, can fluctuate depending on whether the employer pays all costs, the employees pay all costs or the costs are shared by both parties. But no matter how the costs of wellness programming are structured, experts agree that the employer return on investment (ROI) will likely be greater with a more comprehensive program. WELCOA provides additional information on workplace wellness investment and resulting ROI, and suggests a helpful ROI calculator from Wellsteps.
What can I do to make my workplace wellness programs successful?
There are several key components that should be considered to ensure the success of your workplace wellness or health promotion program. In general, these include:
- Securing senior management support and employee involvement
- Developing an active workplace wellness committee
- Devising a program based on employee needs and interests
- Establishing reasonable goals and objectives
- Following a detailed action plan based on resources and budget
- Evaluating outcomes of program(s) and adjusting accordingly
How can I maximize wellness participation in my company?
Gentle persuasion and voluntary involvement will encourage continuous employee participation. To optimize workplace wellness potential, programs should have a range of health solutions that can encompass individual preferences and needs. Frequently, the presence of an incentive will help increase employee participation in wellness programs and adherence to specific behaviors. The use of monetary incentives, material goods, time off, lottery prizes and recognition are all very feasible and appropriate for use in the worksite.
How can I secure support for a wellness program from senior management as well as other employees?
A wellness program needs the support of leadership so that all employees understand its high priority and are aware of the program’s incorporation into the strategic plan of the organization. Several things can be done to extend your rationale for a wellness program and solidify the commitment of your senior managers, including circulating materials about other company wellness programs, utilizing trade or industry information that shows the success and employee involvement of other programs and building short-term cost-savings strategies into your wellness program proposal.
Regarding your fellow employees, you are likely to secure their support by providing them with the opportunity to provide input and feedback through needs and interest surveys, informal meetings and program evaluation tools. The information you gather can be used to plan programs that target those needs and interests to ensure participation, buy-in and support.
Are there any legal issues associated with the implementation of a workplace wellness program?
Employers need to consider how to design effective wellness programs that set specific health targets but are also non-discriminatory. There are several federal and state laws that impact the design of a wellness program. For example, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires employers to offer a reasonable accommodation to an employee with a known disability, and it prohibits employers from making medical inquiries or requiring medical examinations (unless job-related and consistent with business necessity).
In addition, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) makes it illegal for group health plans to base eligibility on health-related factors such as health status, medical condition, claims experience, receipt of health care, medical history, genetic information, evidence of insurability or disability. However, adopting a wellness program that offers incentives for behavior, rather than health status, would likely be in compliance with this law.
Any employer with a wellness plan or contemplating a wellness plan should consult legal counsel to determine how various state and federal regulations will impact the existing or contemplated plan.
