• the more substantial the incentives,
• the higher the success rate.

Incentives can range from tokens of achievement, such as t-shirts, water bottles and sports equipment, to more substantial financial awards, such as cash incentives or copay vouchers for the successful completion of a program.

Nationwide Insurance is seeing results from a small incentive program initiated by one of the corporation’s on-site nurses. to encourage lunchtime walking, the worker has informally launched a “shoelace program” modeled after the karate-belt color system.

Staff Members progress through the color scale until they reach “black-lace” status. the reward system has resulted in more employees making commitments to walk during their lunch hour.

At the high end of the reward spectrum, some companies pay cash to workers who meet wellness objectives. LuK, Inc. offers workers $250 for kicking the tobacco habit and remaining smoke free for 12 months.

For logging fitness points that add up to 10 miles a month, workers are eligible for health assessments, which may result in reward amounts of up to $225.

The most effective motivator, according to Gordian research, comes through linking participation in wellness programs directly to insurance premiums. Doing so clearly demonstrates to staff members the positive effects of wellness on their own health care costs.

Often, the first step in linking wellness programming to insurance coverage is lowering deductibles for wellness care or eliminating deductibles altogether. By adding this benefit, corporations can encourage workers to undertake routine screenings and other procedures to respond to health problems before they become chronic.

Early detection benefits both patient health and employer healthcare costs.

Incentivizing wellness program participation with healthcare credits

More frequently, corporations are going beyond increased wellness care coverage and looking to demonstrate the importance of wellness by linking participation to employees’ bottom lines.

Worthington Industries has lately rolled out a program that permits staff members to eliminate their portion of the insurance premium by enrolling in a Healthful Options wellness program.

During the first year of the Healthful Choices program, employees and their spouses complete Personal Health Assessments and medical screenings to determine their levels of health risks.

Nurses, dietitians and exercise professionals are available to help moderate- and high-risk participants develop individual action plans for improved health through the use of educational materials, behavior modification, telephone help from third-party program health coordinators, and formal health management programs.

By completing the assessments, staff members earn their full premium credit. Because some plans at Worthington require no employee contribution, a cash award takes the place of a credit in those cases.  

During year two of the program, the wellness bar is raised slightly. to continue to receive the wellness credit, participants in the moderate- to high-risk category will be required to work at setting goals with third-party health coordinators.

Year three raises the bar again, requiring participants to show progress in meeting objectives and to continue to work with health coordinators to reach objectives.

After year three, Worthington Industries employees will be on the wellness track. the business believes that will mean a healthier workforce and cost savings for employees and the business.

The well being of Worthington staff members is the foundation of this program, and both staff members and the corporation are expected to benefit from the long-term advantages of the Healthful Options Wellness Program.

While Worthington has taken a wide approach to wellness, other companies have found success in offering incentives in specific areas. Longaberger, for instance, offers a discount on health care policies for employees who don’t use tobacco.

A personal employee who does not use tobacco saves $7 per bi-weekly pay. for tobacco-free employees with family coverage whose families are also tobacco-free, the savings increases to $14 per pay.

The next step –  Penalizing harmful behaviors

As it stands, healthcare is the only type of insurance that does not focus on penalizing for behaviors that put the insured party at risk. With healthcare costs rising so dramatically, that could soon change.

Just as an accident likely raises auto insurance premiums, increasing premiums for those who engage in unhealthy behaviors is a possible next step in businesss’ attempts to manage healthcare costs.

Reports that employees would support this kind of action are stacking up. One Ohio business conducted an informal survey that indicated employees would consider it a morale improve if health-conscious employees were relieved of some burden of subsidizing care for employees who engage in behaviors that adversely affect their health.

Whether or not this type of program gains popularity, one thing is sure –  the need to control the rise in health care costs is becoming ever more pressing.

Take the first step

No matter what the strategy, from offering staff members health resources to providing incentives for healthy behaviors, corporations have a real opportunity to improve morale and productivity, lower rates of absenteeism and control health care costs through wellness.

The first step is committing to taking one, whatever size effort is appropriate for your organization.  Big strides begin with small steps.

As part of an early intervention program, Honda workers who are feeling pain can receive a massage of the affected area during work time.

Stretching programs are another effective tool in injury prevention. As reported by the Best Practices in Manufacturing Web site, Dayton Parts, Inc. (DPI) in Harrisburg, Pa., conducted research that revealed approximately 80% of all manufacturing injuries occurred within the first two hours of each shift.

After beginning a program that required production workers to stretch for 10 to 15 minutes at the beginning of their shifts, they saw a dramatic reduction in injuries.

While the DPI program costs about $75,000 a year to operate, joined with other corporation programs, it’s helped bring the annual cost of workers’ compensation from $700,000 to $200,000 per year.6

To help prevent lengthy absences and reduce workers’ compensation claims, Honda instituted a work recovery program. Through the program, employees who have had an injury can work in a modified job-getting better.

Staff Members in the program spend their work days receiving physical conditioning to elevate overall fitness, physical therapy to restore functionality, health education and nutrition counseling. the program is based on data that shows fewer work days are lost when an employee stays connected to the work environment.

The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, www.ohiobwc.com, provides a “10-Step Company Plan” as a guide for businesses in providing wellness programs that aim to reduce injuries. the plan includes information on safety and health programs to prevent occurrences of on-the-job accidents, including –

Worker involvement – to ensure the success of any company wellness program, staff members must participate in the safety and health-management process.

This could be done through safety and health audits, accident evaluations, or by forming safety and health involvement teams, focus groups or committees.

Orientation and training plan – Conduct orientation and training sessions to educate workers on the corporation’s safety policies.

These sessions should include procedures for the safe use of machinery and tools, chemical hazards and how to prevent contact or exposure, specific job/task safe practices, and hazard recognition and prevention.

Communication – Open communication keeps staff members informed and provides suggestions and feedback on the effectiveness of the corporation’s wellness program.

Through memos, bulletin boards and staff meetings, important health and safety information may be conveyed throughout the organization, keeping all management staff and staff members knowledgeable about the corporation’s safe practices.

The business plan also outlines incentives for post-injury procedures, including –

Medical treatment and return-to-work practices – arly return-to-work strategies help injured or ill workers return to work in a timely manner.

Corporations should establish a disability management policy to help injured or ill workers obtain quality medical treatment, making their transition back to work quick and effortless.

Timely notification of claims – Employers should document workplace injuries immediately after they occur and promptly send that documentation to a claims handler.

Rapidly providing claim information demonstrates care and concern for the injured employee, avoids delays and confusion with the claim process, and decreases the potential for abuse or needless litigation.

Record keeping – Internal documents should be kept to record work-time injuries and to assess the success of the corporation’s safety efforts.

Business audits, surveys and injury or disease reports can all be used to analyze which safety practices and policies have proven successful, and what areas of wellness need improvement.

And professionals predict that estimate is low, because it does not take into account the rapid spread of the flu.

The American Association of Family Physicians’ Web site, www.aafp.org, offers a advised adult immunization schedule developed by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

This schedule, tiered by age and chances of exposure, recommends diphtheria, tetanus, influenza, pneumonococcal, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, measles, mumps and rubella, varicella and meningococcal vaccinations.

Ideas to incorporate prevention and early detection –  

• Hold a health fair and invite organizations that provide screening services for such conditions as blood pressure, blood iron, cholesterol, BMI  and diabetes.

• Offer educational materials about well-baby care and immunizations.

• Choose health care coverage plans that include wellness check-ups and immunizations.

• Offer on-site mammograms for employees.

• Sponsor onsite flu shots to coincide with flu season.

While stress can’t be eliminated from life, or even from the workplace, coping skills could be developed with relative ease. Stress management skills lead to decreased absenteeism and more effective, more productive employees.

Because stress has been shown to contribute to such physical conditions as ulcers, high blood pressure and stroke, stress reduction has a direct impact on improving physical health.

Studies have shown that heart patients who attend stress management programs have 42 percent lower healthcare costs. Other studies have documented a 50 percent reduction in medical services use when stress management programs are employed.

Further, Employee Assistance Program (EAP) specialists estimate that 20% of any workforce is affected by personal problems that can influence work performance.

Stress reduction tactics to consider –  

• Offer on-site yoga or meditation classes.

• Organize support groups among workers.

• Sponsor stress management classes during the workday.

• Offer an worker assistance program that includes both counseling and referral.

• Offer onsite counseling for employees in the case of a work-related trauma, such as the death of a coworker.

The old proverb “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is particularly relevant to when applied to preventive measures taken during pregnancy, when several extra ounces of birth weight can save a child’s life.

During pregnancy, simple precautions can help avoid catastrophic results; giving up use of tobacco, for instance, drastically reduces the risk of miscarriage and pre-term labor.

The March of Dimes reports that when all women took adequate folic acid before conception and during pregnancy, the number of babies born with a neural tube defect could drop by as much as 70%.

The physical and emotional advantages of proper prenatal care to a mother and child are underscored by a strong corporation case for offering prenatal wellness benefits. Nationwide’s Chief Medical Director, Dr. Michael Moore, estimates costs to care for one baby delivered prematurely could approach $500,000.

First steps in fostering a prenatal program –  

• Invite the March of Dimes to present information about prenatal health at an worker brownbag lunch or breakfast meeting.

• Hold prenatal care information courses for interested employees during lunchtime.

• Give educational materials about the effects of alcohol, drugs and smoking on an unborn child.

• Offer incentives for adopting healthy lifestyles during pregnancy.

• Offer prenatal programs and education as part of the business health care package.

Instances of respiratory diseases, cancer and other diseases can be reduced through smoking cessation efforts. Smoking cessation programs can provide immense opportunities for improved health.

The American Cancer Society reports that use of tobacco employees cost businesses an average of $1,429 per smoker per year in increased healthcare costs over non-use of tobacco employees.

Starting a use of tobacco cessation program costs an typical of $45 per employee per year, saving corporations an typical of $1,383 per year for each employee who quits use of tobacco. Also, the American Cancer Society reports that smokers are absent from work 50 percent more often than nonsmokers.

They’re also 50% more likely to be hospitalized and have 15% higher disability rates. Smoking lowers onthe- job productivity as well. Workers who take four 10- minute tobacco use breaks a day work more than a month less per year than employees who don’t take smoke breaks.

Places to start with use of tobacco cessation programs –  

• Develop a “buddy” program to provide encouragement for those who commit to stop use of tobacco.

• Offer lung capacity tests at business wellness fairs.

• Consider reimbursement for tobacco use cessation tools –  nicotine gum, patches and inhalers.

• Limit use of tobacco areas in the workplace.

• Present on-site use of tobacco cessation sessions.

Nutrition directly impacts nearly every aspect of physical and mental health. A healthy diet can help protect against such conditions as heart illness, diabetes, arthritis, stroke, certain cancers and depression. Obesity, which is among the most common conditions linked to diet, affects a record number of American Citizens.

The American Journal of Wellness estimates the cost of obesity to USA  company to exceed $12.5 billion in healthcare, sick leave, and life and disability insurance.

Furthermore, one study reports that obesity raises health care costs by 36% and medication costs by 77%. to offset the health risks of obesity and poor diet, many businesses have committed to assisting workers ensure proper nutrition and undertake weight control programs.

Well-liked nutrition programs –  

• Give employees with educational materials or classes on proper nutrition provided by a registered dietitian.

• Offer on-site Weight Watchers meetings or other weight control programs.

• Provide nutritious and health conscience meal options in the cafeteria and vending machines.

• Clearly post nutrition information for all cafeteria and vending machine items.

• Offer low cost, healthful, take-home dinner options for employees and their families.

• Draw attention to healthy consuming habits by providing token incentives, such as pencils or ID holders, for achieving five fruits or vegetable servings a day for a week.

Nutrition programs in action

While many corporations address weight management through fitness initiatives, corporations are increasingly focusing on nutrition through separate programming. Recognizing the productivity increase and reduced medical expenditures that come with maintaining a healthful weight, many corporations may help pay for obesity treatments for employees.

For  instance, to improve the health of dangerously obese workers, drug maker Wyeth reportedly compensates for stomach-shrinking surgeries that carry price tags of up to $40,000.

A 2003 Society of Human Resource (HR) Management study shows that 24% of employers offer weight loss programs. In Ohio, Honda offers an on-site, registered dietitian who provides individual or group consultations on weight management. Body fat analysis and Body Mass Index  measurements are available to staff members at any time.

At Grange Insurance’s Columbus headquarters, the cafeteria chef evaluates meals and provides employees basic nutrition information, including Weight Watchers points.

Many companies partner with the American Cancer Society to offer nutrition information through the “5-ADay” program, which provides businesss free signage and educational materials about the importance of eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

The program also offers a fruit and vegetable “frequency card” that gives staff members a free portion of fruit or vegetables after he or she has purchased a preset number.

Exercise lowers weight, lowers risks of heart attack and stroke, helps to control blood pressure and diabetes, and improves mood. Studies increasingly show that exercise may also help reduce the occurrence of certain types of cancer.

Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Avoidance (CDC) recently documented another major advantage –  exercise improves the health of the nation’s medical care expenditures.3 As reported by the CDC, physically active person incur $865 less per year in health care costs than inactive individuals .

Dr. Michael Moore, vice president and chief medical director at Nationwide Insurance in Columbus, maintains that exercise is the most effective tool in health maintenance. “When you could prescribe exercise in a pill, it’d be the number-one prescribed treatment in the world,” he said.

In step with Dr. Moore’s prescription, almost one-third of USA  businesses help workers pay for gym memberships, according to an Associated Press report. Subsidizing gym memberships is just one way businesses encourage active lifestyles.

Well-liked fitness-forward initiatives –  

• Start a corporation softball or volleyball league.

• Compile and distribute information about opportunities to join athletic groups in your community.

• Offer partial or complete reimbursement for fitness facility memberships.

• Hold aerobics, karate, yoga or other types of fitness courses onsite.

• Give extended lunch hours for workers who commit to lunchtime fitness programs.

• Introduce an on-site exercise facility that is free, or available at a nominal cost, to workers and their families.

• Conduct on-site health fairs that include fitness demonstrations and promote fitness activities and resources.

A driving factor behind the push toward wellness spans organizations of all types, sizes and cultures –  that is, health care expenses are spilling over the corporate belt buckle.

The annual cost of medical services in the USA is rising at seven times the rate of inflation. and the rise in health costs is one boom pundits expect our economy to sustain.1

This trend makes it increasingly challenging for businesss to maintain current levels of insurance coverage. In 2003, health care inflation forced 65% of businesses to elevate employees’ share of medical costs.

Seventy-nine percent of big firms said they will increase workers’ share of healthcare costs in 2004.2 But with lost benefits and increased financial burdens come lost morale and productivity.

Companys are searching for another way. While corporations can’t control many of the supply-side elements contributing to rising healthcare costs-malpractice insurance rates, the nursing shortage-they can help curb demand. That’s why efforts are being redirected from disease to wellness.

The case for wellness is supported by an ever growing body of evidence demonstrating the high costs associated with controllable health risks –

• One study reports that obesity raises health care costs by 36 percent and medication costs by 77 percent.  

• Michigan officials estimate lack of exercise cost the state almost $8.9 billion in 2002, a cost estimated to be largely borne by employers through insurance premiums and lost productivity.

• the not-for-profit National Committee for Quality Assurance reports that the estimated average cost for postnatal care for women who didn’t receive prenatal care was $2,341 more than for women who had. and the indirect costs of unhealthy behavior can be just as high.

Data shows that healthier employees are more productive, spending more time at work and showing increased “presenteeism,” or productivity, while there. Furthermore, healthier employees use fewer medical services.

The five leading causes of death in the United States – heart illness, cancer, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary illness and diabetes –  are directly linked to unhealthful lifestyles. Obviously, encouraging healthful habits presents an opportunity to improve employees’ well being, reduce the need for healthcare services and help control costs.

Offering employee wellness benefits – large or small – represents an intersection between corporate social responsibility and responsibility to stakeholders. Between employee health and corporate health. It’s often the right thing to do for workers and companys.

Research by Traveler’s Corp. shows a $3.40 return for every dollar invested in Wellness Programs. for a lot of corporations, the option to offer staff member wellness benefits is easy-one where conscience and pragmatism align.

The challenge arises in choosing  the programs that will deliver the most impact based on trends in your employees’ health risks and medical claims costs.

From big companies to the corner deli, corporation owners welcome ways to increase productivity, lower absenteeism and cut costs. Similarly, wellness programs can range from modest to elaborate.

In deciding where to focus a corporation’s limited resources, looking at costs, benefits and best practices is a good beginning point. This section profiles six aspects of wellness and explores their benefits to employees and employers.

AAOHN’s survey reported that more than half of staff members (61 percent) want to receive wellness information from a healthcare expert, such as a consultant or an onsite occupational health nurse (OHN), compared to  handouts or  handouts (18 percent) or HR staff (15 percent).

OHNs can develop, implement and evaluate components of work site wellness programs such as screening programs, exercise/fitness courses, stress management, tobacco use cessation, nutrition and weight control programs, in addition to chronic condition management programs.

Plus, OHNs can help workers navigate through complicated health plans and may even serve as a triage point between workers and their personal healthcare providers.

Workers might refrain from seeing their healthcare provider when it means time away from work, inconvenient parking, waiting time in the office and co-pays.

In situations where employees are under treatment for chronic diseases like heart disease, onsite nurses can routinely monitor risk factors like blood pressure (BP) or cholesterol on a regular basis.

It’s often easier for an worker to ask an on-site nurse for information about signs or prescription medication than it is to schedule a follow-up visit to a personal healthcare provider.

Benefits realized by corporations include enhanced staff member morale and retention, a recruitment advantage, increased productivity and decreased time away from work.

In businesses with a safety department, the OHN can evaluate and address work-related health issues, including participation in workstation examinations to correct potential ergonomic problems, and proactively addressing muscle strains by developing stretching programs and involving employees in leading stretches.