Health Promotion Programs are excellent for waistlines and your bottom line
In today’s hectic world, most of us are spending more time at work, and have increasingly less time to look after our health. for a long time, corporations have understood the benefits associated with keeping workforce well – increased productivity from reduced absenteeism and reduced disability claims.
For these reasons, coupled with the fact that many companies realized double-digit health care costs last year, companies should consider Health Promotion Programs as a way to keep staff members healthy.
But just how important are these programs to employees? How often are they willing to participate in programs designed to positively impact their wellness? Who do personnel trust to provide them with important information about their health?
Answers to these questions and more were lately garnered from a research study commissioned by the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses Inc. (AAOHN).
The AAOHN survey questioned 500 personnel nationwide about their perceptions of Health Promotion Programs. More than three-quarters of all participants indicated these programs are a good way to improve their overall health, and almost 60% consider these offerings an incentive to remain with their current company.
Staff Member retention and turnover impact the bottom line, so building wellness programs into the work site culture is a valuable way to help retain talented personnel as well to enhancing personal health and workplace productivity.
Health Promotion wish list
Employees appear to have their own agenda when it comes to their health. With new pressures resulting from an unstable economy, national security threats and work/balance issues, it’s not surprising that 85% of survey respondents cited stress management as a priority topic for work site wellness.
In addition to stress, other preferred topic areas include health screening programs (84 percent), exercise/physical fitness programs (84 percent), health insurance education (81 percent) and disease management workshops (80 percent).
In addition to lifestyle and personal health issues, those asked expressed concern about work-related health issues, including strains and injuries resulting from lifting or task-oriented muscle repetition, exposure to harmful substances, personal injury, vision changes because of computer work and workplace violence.
Starting a Health Promotion Program
With such a broad range of health concerns, a key goal for businesss is finding a way to proactively address the health needs of the largest number of staff, and effectively change unhealthy behaviors, promote wellness and ward off illness and illness.
Printed materials like brochures, posters, fliers or brochures present an easy solution. But it’s important to remember that different people require different formats for learning.
A good rule of thumb – provide information in a selection of learning formats such as videos, flyers, health-related quizzes, display boards, lunch and learn presentations and reimbursement or incentive programs.
This assumes you’ve overcome the first hurdle – getting people to sign on to a wellness program. While survey respondents indicated wellness programs are important, just six out of 10 (60 percent) announced that they participated in the wellness programs at their corporations. the other 40% cited lack of interest and lack of time as deterrents.
This points to the need for a extensive, structured health promotion program using a creative approach, with an incentive for participation and effective program advertising.
By investing in an organized wellness program headed by a licensed healthcare specialist like an onsite nurse, businesses can give workforce the access to the medical information they want, and increase participation and generate interest at the same time.
The result – staff members become savvier healthcare consumers who feel more in charge of their personal health. And healthier staff members make for a healthier bottom line.
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