What makes an employee a "high-risk employee"?

The term "high risk" can mean several things, but in the work environment, what makes an employee "high risk"? Reports indicate that the sedentary careers of adult Americans put us all at risk for increased medical problems such as obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes. Creating a wellness program at work can be the key to healthier employees and lower health care costs. We will take a look at some of the common risks in the workforce and how programs are being designed to keep healthier, happier employees, minimizing financial and personnel losses to businesses.

Smoking.
We all know them. They are our friends, our neighbors, our colleagues, but do we know how much the smoking employee costs the business each year?Smokers pay more for health insurance and by some accounts, cost the economy over $97 billion a year in lost productivity. According to recent studies, the monthly cost for an insurance policy for a 44 year old non smoker is $292.That same policy for a smoker is $338 a month.This additional cost for employers who are already struggling to maintain a sound bottom line in an aching economy is difficult to swallow.

Gradually, we have seen private businesses, and now even state governments begin to charge the employees extra for health insurance if they smoke, and many have joined the growing trend to eliminate those employees who are not willing to quit.As harsh as it seems, most of these companies also offer cessation programs and incentives for their employees to quit and give a decent amount of time for smokers to meet their goals.

Obesity.
Even though insurance rates do not increase based only upon the weight of an employee, it is certainly a deciding risk factor in the cost of insurance premiums.Based on the results of several studies, two thirds of American adults are over weight and those extra pounds have both female and male obese employees costing their employers more money.Obese employees may be more likely to take sick days and, annually have cost private employers an estimated $45 billion in lost work time, medical costs and over twice the amount of workman's compensation claims.

Excess weight increases the risk for over 50 different health problems ranging from depression, back pain, respiratory issues and the national leading causes of death, heart disease, stroke and certain types of cancer.Employers recognize these issues and have recently started looking for ways to improve the health and well being of their employees.

Mental health.
On a completely different level, caring for the health of an employee does not always include germs or viruses, but often is related to the mental well-being of employees.Emotional health of employees, once a conversation not suitable in the corporate world, is getting more attention as a real issue.Many employers, realizing that prevention and intervention are more productive than dealing with the aftereffects, have increased their mental health coverage and programs.Companies are more in tune with the emotional needs of their employees and have begun offering employee assistance programs that can include on-call counselors, stress relief and grief recovery programs.Extended insurance benefits provide more help for outside therapy sessions and diagnosis.The cost of implementing preventative measures is proving to be much cheaper than the perceived cost of losing a valuable employee.
Regardless of the cause of illness, employers are realizing quickly that retaining healthy, happy employees is in itself a valuable commodity.More and more employers are working to offer creative benefits that will help retain quality employees without damaging the productivity or the bottom line.