How wellness programs, smoking cessation and fitness programs reduce costs

In these tough economic times employers and business owners alike are looking to cut costs and save money wherever possible.What more and more of the largest and most successful companies are realizing is that an investment in your employees is an investment in your company's future.Programs that are designed to help employees to live healthier lives ultimately benefit more than just the employee; the company sees a return on the investment that they made on their employees as well.There are a number of different ways that a business owner can invest in their own employees, here are just a few suggestions for how they can do just that and reduce costs.

Wellness programs

Wellness programs are programs that are designed to improve employee wellness in a variety of ways.A wellness program could include the services of a dietician or a therapist.A wellness program could include the free distribution of information in the form of written materials.A wellness program could also include something more elaborate like an on-site employee health center or work-out room.The beauty about wellness programs is that they can be tailored to any business.No matter the business' size or funding, there are wellness program options available so long as someone is willing to exert the effort to set up and maintain the program.The benefits of having a wellness program have the potential to be substantial.To give one example, some insurance companies will give reduced rates to companies that have wellness programs that are yielding positive results.Wellness programs have the ability to help employees feel like they are cared for by their employer and that in turn builds loyalty to the company.Employees who have seen positive results in their lives because of a wellness program have improve self esteem and that improvement can be made evident in the work that the employee is able to produce.

Smoking cessation

For insurance carriers, smokers are walking targets.When a business can make positive strides in helping employees to kick the habit of smoking, insurance companies take note and offer rewards in the form of lower premium payments.Just as insurance companies are anxious to provide preventative care, when a provider shows signs that they are reducing the risk of an employee accruing a lifetime of health costs, the insurance company sees the potential savings and offers motivation to the employer to continue offering smoking cessation help in the hope that more and more people will avoid accruing a substantial health bill.Additionally, a significant amount of work is missed during the day when an employee must step away from their job to take a smoking break.In combining all of the wasted time smoking and addressing health issues, it becomes more apparent just how much money is being spent and how much money could be saved when programs like this one are in place.

Fitness programs

You do not have to be a fitness expert to provide your employees with the health information and motivation that they need to make a change.Small things like organizing a company sports league or providing written information about exercises that can be done at one's desk are both excellent things that any business owner can do to help jump-start an employee's track to better physical health.Fitness programs reduce costs in that they have the ability to help the employee to be healthier and therefore take fewer sick days, be more likely to rest well and therefore get to work on time, and to nourish the body so that the mind can function at optimum capacity.