Small
business owners who invest in wellness programs may see monetary
benefits as well as a more productive staff. Research suggests that for
every $1 spent on worksite health promotion programs, a company can see
an average of $2.43 in savings related to fewer sick days and health care costs. The savings also include the added benefits of:
- Improve morale
- Improve communication among work groups
- Decrease absenteeism
- Increase employee loyalty to your organization
- Significantly impact a company’s bottom line
- Reduce alcohol and drug use risk factors
Wellness programs
do not mean hiring a boot camp trainer or investing in expensive gym
equipment. Many programs offer ideas as easy as:
Offering healthy alternatives in your vending machines,
Educating your staff on fast-food facts and
Offering pedometers with a competition.
Reach outside your
business and maybe start or join other small businesses with teams
create more of a teamwork environment that extends into the office.
Think beyond baseball and golf – very popular but there is so much more.
Make sure to do
some research and possibly outsource a wellness program trainer.
Employers should be aware that wellness programs need to follow federal
and state laws in terms of reasonable accommodation, privacy,
confidentiality of personal health information, and protection of
off-duty conduct. To get your started on your research:
