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The Big Business Workplace Wellness

businessportrait30393821.jpgAs the owner or executive of a large business which employs hundreds of people, you are probably looking for ways to improve profits and productivity. You can do both by implementing a workplace wellness program. The return on investment of different workplace wellness strategies differ because of the needs of your employees, but here are some ideas for workplace wellness programs that may have a large return for you.

Sponsor a Workplace Wellness Fair - Conducting an annual on-site workplace wellness or health fair helps your employees become aware of what their health concerns should be and what they can do about them. At a health fair employees could obtain flu shots, cholesterol screenings, blood pressure readings, and other health assessments as well as information on healthy living. When your employees are aware of their personal health risk factors, they are more likely to do something about it rather than disregard general information on health.

Select Health Plans with Healthy Living Benefits or Discount Health Insurance Premiums - Insurance is a big part of your expenditures on your employees' behalf. Most large corporations spend upwards of $7,000 per employee per year on health insurance. You can get some of that back if your health insurance options cover healthy living. For example, some health insurance plans will cover the cost for weight management or smoking cessation on top of the regular benefits. You could also give employees who have reached certain healthy living milestones a reduction on the cost of their premiums. When your employees are healthy, they won't make nearly the number of health insurance claims which drive your costs up.

Waive Co-pays for Preventive Care Visits - One way to reduce absenteeism which costs you money is to waive or reimburse co-pays for preventive care visits to the doctor's office. You will spend a lot less on co-pays than you will on temporary hires, missed work days, and short term disability leave.

Offer Free Healthy Snacks and Subsidize Healthy Meal Choices - Keep your break rooms stocked with free healthy snacks for your employees such as fruit, nuts, granola, etc. When you employees have the option between paying for something and something free, they'll choose free and you are helping them create a healthy lifestyle, which in the long run costs you less money. The same principle can apply at mealtime when your employees have a choice of what to eat. If you have a cafeteria on-site, discount or subsidize healthy meal options.

Subsidize Registration Costs of Weight Management Programs - Obesity is the leading chronic illness today affecting the workforce. More and more people have accessory problems from being overweight such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, etc. When your employees are overweight or clinically obese, they are costing you a lot of money. They are considered higher risk and as a result, your insurance costs go up, the amount of claims on insurance goes up, and your bottom line takes a hit. However, if you subsidize the registration costs of weight management programs, you may see a drop in the number of high risk employees, which in turn affects your bottom line positively. The same outcome can come from subsidizing gym memberships, reimbursing for tobacco replacement products, etc.

Give Employees Incentives for Stairwell Use, Active Commuting, Walking Meetings, etc. - People always do more when there is a reward. Give incentives to your employees for using the stairs, walking, biking or running to work, and for taking their meetings from the conference room to a walking trail. Keeping people active is one of the keys to good health and less absenteeism.

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