By: Kandi Lannen
According to the Centers for Disease Control on workplace wellness, studies confirm that sick and unproductive employees have a significant impact on your annual revenue:
- Productivity losses related to personal and family health problems can cost employers $1,685 per employee per year.
- Obesity and related chronic diseases cost employers up to $93 billion per year in health insurance claims.
- For a company with 1,000 employees, obesity-related medical costs are estimated to be $277,000 per year.
Productivity losses related to personal and family health problems can cost employers $1,685 per employee per year.
With health care costs rising at an unsustainable, unpredictable rate, implementing a wellness program has never been more important.
A workplace wellness program is a great way to create a supportive environment and culture that can ultimately help individuals jumpstart a healthy lifestyle. It’s no surprise then, that the number of Michigan companies who are implementing workplace wellness programs to address these preventable health conditions continues to grow.
Targeted, well-defined programs engage employees in their health and, as a result, improve the company’s bottom line. The Wellness Councils of America report that more than 80 percent of businesses with 50 or more employees have some form of workplace wellness program. These range from exercise and weight management classes to stress management and smoking cessation programs.
Workplace wellness is a win-win: A healthy workforce can improve a company’s revenue by reducing absenteeism and increasing productivity. Employees may benefit from the cost savings of reduced premiums, as well as the intrinsic benefit of improved health and well-being.
About the Author: Kandi is the director of wellness for Priority Health and is responsible for helping the organization earn Wellness and Health Promotion (WHP) accreditation with performance reporting from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), which recognizes organizations whose plans demonstrate the ability to improve workforce health and reduce absenteeism. Priority Health is the only plan in Michigan — and one of only 5 plans nationwide – to earn this accreditation.
