The real savings of healthy employees

Any business owner will tell you that they would prefer to have healthy employees versus unhealthy employees.But the reasons for wanting healthy employees may not always be motivated by finances.The truth is that there are real cost savings of healthy employees, many of which are not obvious at first.

One saving of healthy employees is that business owners benefit from improved productivity.Employees are more encouraged to work hard when they perceive that their employer values them.Employers who value their employees and their health and who take steps to promote good health in the work place, reap the benefits.According to Partnerships for a Healthy Workforce (PHW), employees are "more likely to be attracted to, remain with, and value a company that obviously values them."This gives the business a competitive advantage especially when it comes to attracting new employees and new talents to their business.The employees who continue to work for the company are motivated to increase productivity because they have an increased desire to work hard and with improved health, stamina is also increased.When employees are healthy, they have the ability to work for longer periods of time and to be able to concentrate better on the work that they are doing.Problem solving and creativity are also improved when physical and mental wellbeing are aligned.

Employers can also see the real savings of healthy employees in the form of lower healthcare costs.The down-side to this is that those lower health care costs cannot be seen immediately.Business owners must first make the investment into their employees before a return is seen.However, time and time again it has been proven that healthier employees definitely have an impact on decreased health care costs.Again according to PHW, "Smokers generated 31% higher claim costs than non-smokers and workers with unhealthy weights had 143% higher hospital inpatient utilization than those with healthy weights."In addition to providing resources to employees to help them to become healthier, some employers are even going so far as to offer monetary incentives to employees who meet their health goals.There is also a correlation between the amount of savings possible and the scale of the program.A more involved and diverse companywide program has greater potential to see significant health insurance decreases than a more modest health and wellness program.With so many factors working in the favor of both the employee and the employer, it is an obvious choice to start investing in the health of employees.

Having a business that operates with the interest of their employees at heart is also good for your company's image.Members of the community will see your business as socially responsible if you take the time and make the effort to improve the health of your employees.Establishing a good name for yourself in the community allows your business to be seen as a neighbor in the community, a contributing factor in making your town a better place to be.Of course, the savings that can be had through investing in the health and wellbeing of your employees is in no way meant to be a replacement for health insurance and proper safety precautions.The efforts that are made in order to improve the health of your employees is definitely a compliment to being a responsible employer and ensuring that your employees are spending their time working in an healthy environment.The real savings of healthy employees are apparent in a number of different benefits, all of which cannot be fully explained in this short article.What is certain is that even a small investment in your employees can yield a substantial reward.