Health exams to improve employee health

Health care costs are just one of the biggest problems for employers. The cost of health care is around $13 billion for employees that are overweight. This doesn't include all the costs for smokers and employees with mental illness problems. Health exams are just one way employers can invest in their health of their employees to improve their productivity.

Every year almost 22 million days of lost work are accumulated in the United States. Employees that are coming to work sick have an effect on everyone and hours of productivity can be lost when illness spreads around the workplace.

Invite a team of medical professionals to visit your office and give out free health care exams. This way you will be able to figure out which employees are costing your company more money in health care costs and sick leave. You will also be able to figure out which employees are more productive and why they are more productive.

A great way to encourage your employees to get healthy is to hold a health fair. Local clinics, hospitals, retirement programs, nutritional centers and health clubs are great vendors at health fairs. Wellness screenings that include blood pressure, weight checks, diet and exercise, and blood sugar offer a balanced variety of ways for employees to be actively involved in their own well being without additional costs.

Another great way to help your employees improve their health is to encourage employees to participate in sponsored exercise programs or join a health club. Many athletic clubs offer reduced rates to employers who have multiple contracts. Organize company sponsored events such as walk-a-thons and volleyball or softball tournaments.

Choose healthy snack alternatives at company sponsored meetings and have water readily available for your employees. Replace some of those sugary and salty snacks in the vending machines with nuts, granola bars, and dried fruit. Offer healthy choices in the cafeteria such as salad bars, vegetarian, low fat and low sodium menu items.

Invite employees to post their health success stories along side coordinating healthy living tips on your intranet site, newsletter or bulletin board. Promote healthy activities such as taking the stairs in common areas. Keep resources for healthy living readily available in highly used areas. Set up friendly competition with games that encourage physical strength or activity in the break rooms. Offer incentives such as free pedometers, water bottles, coupons and paid time off for participation in workplace activities.

Encourage use of sick time. Suggest employees stay home when they are sick, and support that policy. Employees who feel like they will not face discipline for taking time off when sick are more willing to use it sparingly and appropriately. The risk of infecting coworkers with colds and flu viruses is not worth the limited work a sick employee will accomplish by coming in.

Develop a committee comprised of a variety of employees from managers to the secretaries to organize activities and encourage commitment of healthy living within their departments. Have your employees agree to sign a commitment form that states their dedication to the health checks. This is a great way to integrate the different departments within your company and build a team-life office.

As an employer, you may not be in a position to provide this benefit to your employees, but supporting your employees when they do have to take time off for a sickness, offering alternatives that encourage a healthy lifestyle are important to the well being of your employees and your business. Employers are realizing quickly that retaining healthy, happy employees is in itself a valuable commodity. More and more are working to offer creative benefits that will help retain quality employees without damaging the productivity bottom line.