Implementing a wellness program

One concept that has been increasingly popular in recent years is wellness programs. Over 80 percent of employers with more than 50 employees have added at least some form of wellness program into their workplace. Employers used to balk at the thought of upfront costs for long-term savings, but one study shows that for every $1 put into an alternate health program at work, businesses reap the rewards of $3. That's a good start to lowering overall costs and increasing productivity at work.

Developing an effective illness prevention program within the workplace gives your company portfolio a clear and effective way to protect your most treasured asset, your employees. A few tips for implementing the most common pieces of wellness programs are listed below:

Promote prevention. With 4.1 million cases of workplace injuries and illnesses ever year, employees need to be trained on the use of common sense, good judgment and adherence to company policies. Keep your staff up to date on the in house policies and procedures.

Expect your employees to participate. The harsh reality is that many employees won't participate until given clear direction from management. Leading by example is a great way to encourage healthy living among employees.

Include mental health prevention. Not every problem at work stems from physical illness. Companies need to be more in tune with the emotional needs of their employees and offering employee assistance programs that can include on-call counselors, stress relief and grief recovery programs is one way to stay ahead of the game.

The Importance of sickness: Every year almost 22 million days of lost work are accumulated in the United States. Employees coming to work sick have an effect on everyone and hours of productivity can be lost when illness spreads around the workplace. Recognize the importance of disinfecting everything that is touched regularly and provide employees with an effective and convenient means for staying on top of it. Viruses spread through the air and by touching common surfaces.

An active workplace.Organized activities such as weight loss competitions, yoga and walking during lunch breaks have hit the workplace with a fury. It's a great way to increase the competitive edge and get blood flowing for your employees at work.

Offer health advice. Invite a local medical experts, nutritionists and personal trainers to a workplace health fair. You can provide simple screenings for blood pressure, weight and diabetes with detailed ways to encourage employees to take care of themselves without added costs to them. Many gyms offer discounted rates for businesses too.

Promote health. Keep up the advertising. Promote healthy living with quick tips at every staff meeting, in the monthly newsletter or with literature in the break room. Add healthy alternatives such as fruit and nuts to vending machines, and stop bringing the sweets to the break room. Eating healthy is a matter of habit and starting at work is a great way to go.

Walk it off. Employees who walk at least 30 minutes a day find their stamina at the desk increases, focus is more acute and they tend to be healthier, saving their employer hours of sick leave and lowered productivity due to sickness. A good walking program at work can be an excellent source of cardiovascular health, promotes weight loss, increases circulation, reduces stress, and boosts energy levels rewards the walker with an extra two hours of life for every 30 minutes walked.

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. Safety and wellness are foremost in the minds of both employers and their employees. After all, having healthy, happy employees is in the best interests of everyone.