Corporate Wellness BlogCorporate wellness and employee wellness blog

As reported by Gordian Health Solutions, the effectiveness of health promotion programs in improving health and reducing healthcare costs is directly linked to incentives -

o  The more substantial the incentives,

o  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 wellness program.

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

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

At the high end of the reward spectrum, some corporations pay cash to workforce who meet wellness objectives. LuK, Inc. offers workforce $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, workforce are eligible for health assessments, which can result in reward amounts of up to $225.

The most effective motivator, as reported by Gordian research, comes through linking participation in health promotion programs directly to insurance premiums. Doing so obviously demonstrates to employees the positive effects of wellness on their own health care costs.

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

Early detection benefits both patient health and employer health costs.

Incentivizing health promotion 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 recently rolled out a wellness program that permits staff to eliminate their portion of the insurance premium by enrolling in a Healthy Options wellness program.

During the first year of the Healthful Choices program, workforce and their spouses complete Personal Health Assessments and biometric testings to determine their levels of health risks.

Nurses, dietitians and exercise specialists 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, personnel earn their full premium credit. Because some plans at Worthington require no worker contribution, a cash award takes the place of a credit in those cases.

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

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

After year three, Worthington Industries workforce are going to be on the wellness track.  The company believes that’ll mean a healthier workforce and cost savings for workforce and the company.

The well being of Worthington workforce is the foundation of this health promotion program, and both workforce and the company are expected to benefit from the long-term benefits of the Healthful Options Health Promotion Program.

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

An individual employee who does not use tobacco saves $7 per bi-weekly pay. for tobacco-free workers 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 doesn’t 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 employers’ attempts to manage health care costs.

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

Whether or not or not this type of wellness 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

Whatever the strategy, from offering workforce medical resources to providing incentives for healthy behaviors, companys have a real opportunity to improve morale and productivity, reduce rates of absenteeism and control health care costs through wellness.

The first step is committing to taking one, no matter what size effort is appropriate for your company.  Big strides begin with small steps.

As reported by Gordian Health Solutions, the effectiveness of health promotion programs in improving health and reducing healthcare costs is directly linked to incentives -

o  The more substantial the incentives,

o  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 wellness program.

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

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

At the high end of the reward spectrum, some corporations pay cash to workforce who meet wellness objectives. LuK, Inc. offers workforce $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, workforce are eligible for health assessments, which can result in reward amounts of up to $225.

The most effective motivator, as reported by Gordian research, comes through linking participation in health promotion programs directly to insurance premiums. Doing so obviously demonstrates to employees the positive effects of wellness on their own health care costs.

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

Early detection benefits both patient health and employer health costs.

Incentivizing health promotion 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 recently rolled out a wellness program that permits staff to eliminate their portion of the insurance premium by enrolling in a Healthy Options wellness program.

During the first year of the Healthful Choices program, workforce and their spouses complete Personal Health Assessments and biometric testings to determine their levels of health risks.

Nurses, dietitians and exercise specialists 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, personnel earn their full premium credit. Because some plans at Worthington require no worker contribution, a cash award takes the place of a credit in those cases.

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

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

After year three, Worthington Industries workforce are going to be on the wellness track.  The company believes that’ll mean a healthier workforce and cost savings for workforce and the company.

The well being of Worthington workforce is the foundation of this health promotion program, and both workforce and the company are expected to benefit from the long-term benefits of the Healthful Options Health Promotion Program.

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

An individual employee who does not use tobacco saves $7 per bi-weekly pay. for tobacco-free workers 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 doesn’t 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 employers’ attempts to manage health care costs.

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

Whether or not or not this type of wellness 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

Whatever the strategy, from offering workforce medical resources to providing incentives for healthy behaviors, companys have a real opportunity to improve morale and productivity, reduce rates of absenteeism and control health care costs through wellness.

The first step is committing to taking one, no matter what size effort is appropriate for your company.  Big strides begin with small steps.

Preventing injuries is a high priority for employers, especially in factory settings like Honda. That’s why the organization offers a few programsâ.”including line-site process examinations â.”to identify potential hazards and help reduce the chance of injury.

As part of an early intervention program, Honda workforce 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 percent 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 starting of their shifts, they saw a dramatic reduction in injuries.

While the DPI program costs about $75,000 a year to operate, coupled with other business programs, it’s assisted 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, workers who have had an injury can work in a adapted jobâ.”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 worker 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 health promotion programs that aim to reduce injuries.  The plan includes information on safety and health programs to prevent occurrences of on-the-job accidents, including -

Employee involvement – to ensure the success of any company wellness program, workers must take part in the safety and health-management process.

This can be done through safety and health audits, accident investigations, 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 company’s safety policies.

These sessions ought to 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 workforce informed and provides suggestions and feedback on the effectiveness of the corporation’s wellness program.

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

The organization 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 staff members return to work in a timely manner.

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

Timely notification of claims – Companys 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 worker, 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 organization’s safety efforts.

Company 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.

Preventing injuries is a high priority for employers, especially in factory settings like Honda. That’s why the organization offers a few programsâ.”including line-site process examinations â.”to identify potential hazards and help reduce the chance of injury.

As part of an early intervention program, Honda workforce 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 percent 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 starting of their shifts, they saw a dramatic reduction in injuries.

While the DPI program costs about $75,000 a year to operate, coupled with other business programs, it’s assisted 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, workers who have had an injury can work in a adapted jobâ.”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 worker 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 health promotion programs that aim to reduce injuries.  The plan includes information on safety and health programs to prevent occurrences of on-the-job accidents, including -

Employee involvement – to ensure the success of any company wellness program, workers must take part in the safety and health-management process.

This can be done through safety and health audits, accident investigations, 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 company’s safety policies.

These sessions ought to 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 workforce informed and provides suggestions and feedback on the effectiveness of the corporation’s wellness program.

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

The organization 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 staff members return to work in a timely manner.

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

Timely notification of claims – Companys 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 worker, 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 organization’s safety efforts.

Company 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.

Dr. Moore of Nationwide maintains that immunization is the most cost-effective treatment in medicine. for  instance, vaccinating children against the influenza virus averages a savings (including health care costs, parents’ missed work, etc.) of up to $35 per vaccine recipient.

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 Doctors’ 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 avoidance and early detection -

o  Hold a wellness fair and invite companies that provide screening services for such conditions as blood pressure, blood iron, cholesterol, BMI  and diabetes.

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

o  Pick health care coverage plans that include wellness check-ups and immunizations.

o  Provide on-site mammograms for workforce.

o  Sponsor on-site flu shots to coincide with flu season.

Dr. Moore of Nationwide maintains that immunization is the most cost-effective treatment in medicine. for  instance, vaccinating children against the influenza virus averages a savings (including health care costs, parents’ missed work, etc.) of up to $35 per vaccine recipient.

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 Doctors’ 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 avoidance and early detection -

o  Hold a wellness fair and invite companies that provide screening services for such conditions as blood pressure, blood iron, cholesterol, BMI  and diabetes.

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

o  Pick health care coverage plans that include wellness check-ups and immunizations.

o  Provide on-site mammograms for workforce.

o  Sponsor on-site flu shots to coincide with flu season.

Advantages of Stress Reduction Programs

While stress can’t be eliminated from life, or even from the worksite, coping skills may be created with relative ease. Stress management skills lead to reduced absenteeism and more effective, more productive workforce.

Because stress has been proven to contribute to such physical conditions as ulcers, high blood pressure (BP) and stroke, stress reduction has a direct impact on bettering physical health.

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

Furthermore, Staff Member 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 -

o  Make available onsite yoga or meditation classes.

o  Organize support groups among workforce.

o  Sponsor stress management courses during the workday.

o  Offer an employee assistance program that includes both counseling and referral.

o  Provide on-site counseling for workforce if a work-related trauma, like the death of a peer.

Advantages of Stress Reduction Programs

While stress can’t be eliminated from life, or even from the worksite, coping skills may be created with relative ease. Stress management skills lead to reduced absenteeism and more effective, more productive workforce.

Because stress has been proven to contribute to such physical conditions as ulcers, high blood pressure (BP) and stroke, stress reduction has a direct impact on bettering physical health.

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

Furthermore, Staff Member 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 -

o  Make available onsite yoga or meditation classes.

o  Organize support groups among workforce.

o  Sponsor stress management courses during the workday.

o  Offer an employee assistance program that includes both counseling and referral.

o  Provide on-site counseling for workforce if a work-related trauma, like the death of a peer.

Advantages of Prenatal Care and Breastfeeding

The old adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is especially 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 tobacco use, for example, drastically decreases 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 percent.

The physical and emotional benefits 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 -

o  Invite the March of Dimes to present information about prenatal health at an staff member brownbag lunch or breakfast meeting.

o  Hold prenatal care information classes for interested workers at lunchtime.

o  Give educational materials about the effects of alcohol, drugs and use of tobacco on an unborn child.

o  Provide incentives for adopting healthful lifestyles during pregnancy.

o  Give prenatal programs and education as part of the company healthcare package.

Advantages of Prenatal Care and Breastfeeding

The old adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is especially 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 tobacco use, for example, drastically decreases 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 percent.

The physical and emotional benefits 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 -

o  Invite the March of Dimes to present information about prenatal health at an staff member brownbag lunch or breakfast meeting.

o  Hold prenatal care information classes for interested workers at lunchtime.

o  Give educational materials about the effects of alcohol, drugs and use of tobacco on an unborn child.

o  Provide incentives for adopting healthful lifestyles during pregnancy.

o  Give prenatal programs and education as part of the company healthcare package.