Company Wellness Programs

Health and Wellness Fair activities put the spotlight on Employee Health Promotion

A Health and Wellness Fair is a brilliant way to shake your workers out of the doldrums and into better awareness of their health and wellness. A Health and Wellness Fair brings your organization together to discuss Employee Health Promotion, examine Medical Insurance and “cafeteria” plans, explore health savings accounts, publicize corporate Health Promotion Programs and share success stories and challenges.

Some common Health and Wellness Fair desired outcomes include:

better awareness of the health services and resources available to staff members, both from their employer and from local, state, regional and national health services;
increased motivation for improving health behavior
increased participation in worker Health Promotion Programs, commuter and carshare programs and health savings accounts
better awareness of individual health status through health screenings, Health and Wellness Fair activities, displays, handouts, and demonstrations, and
better information on what staff members are seeking from their employer’s health management initiatives, and which staff members are interested in participating.

Planning a Health and Wellness Fair

Planning a Health and Wellness Fair is a lot like starting an Company Health & Wellness Initiative on a smaller scale. Just like an Company Health & Wellness Initiative, your Health and Wellness Fair will need publicity, logistical planning, programming, targeted goals, in-house marketing and of course, executive approval. Festive touches like free food, kid-friendly activities, live music, art displays, talent shows and other community-minded fun will help cement the appeal of your Health and Wellness Fair and ensure that the Health and Wellness Fair becomes a welcomed, annual event.

You can find some Health and Wellness Fair planning tips at the Family and Consumer Sciences site of Texas A&M University. These Health and Wellness Fair tips are aimed more at community and non-profit organizers, but you can discover many useful Health and Wellness Fair ideas at the site.

Health and Wellness Fairs and Company Health & Wellness Initiative Recruitment

Many Employee Health Promotion planners find that Health and Wellness Fairs are the primary reason why staff members sign up for walking Health Promotion Programs, health savings accounts and other pro-worker corporate Health Promotion Programs.

Don’t forget – not only do staff members value these programs highly, but the increased energy and decreased sick leave associated with Health Promotion Programs also saves your company money. The Health Promotion Statistics are clear – healthier corporations work harder and pay less in Medical Insurance premiums.

Company Health & Wellness Initiatives: The Grand Slam

Company Health & Wellness Initiatives are as close to a grand slam proposition as you’ll find, according to most researchers and Company Health & Wellness experts.

But if you have skeptics in your organization who are questioning the time and expense of starting an Company Health & Wellness Initiative, you may be wary too. Aren’t worker Health Promotion Programs subject to the adage “There’s no such thing as a free lunch”?

Company Health & Wellness Initiatives Don’t Have To Be Expensive

Fortunately, worker Health Promotion Programs don’t require a big investment. Like any other corporate project, mismanagement and “death by committee” can inflate the cost of worker Health Promotion Programs, but it’s hard to spend too much time and money on them. After all, worker Health Promotion Programs are mostly informational in nature. Flyers, e-mails, maps, and Employee Health Promotion Health and Wellness Fairs can only cost so much. There’s no expensive, specialized Company Health & Wellness Initiative machinery.

Employee Health Promotion statistics on successful programs are particularly persuasive. Unlike many cost-saving measures, worker Health Promotion Programs actually add to worker satisfaction – but they also reduce Medical Insurance premiums and worker absenteeism.

What are some common worker Health Promotion Programs?

Company Health & Wellness Initiatives run the gamut, depending on your workplace demographic, from physical activity for health patients to nutritional initiatives that encourage workers to replace unhealthy snack foods with healthy fare like dried fruit and shelled nuts.

Following are some examples of worker Health Promotion Programs:

• ergonomic safety
• cardiovascular disease education and testing
• worker safety
• health risk assessments
• walking wellness programs
• drug testing

Maintaining Employee Health Promotion during Cold Season can be a challenge for any company. The average adult can get up to four colds in one year, and hundreds of thousands are hospitalized every year for flu complications. From December to March, there are more staff members out of the office due to illness, and others who barely made it to the office and can hardly think over their constant coughing and sneezing.

Employee Health Promotion: Prevention is the Key

Prevention is the key to maintaining good health in the workplace and increasing overall Employee Health Promotion. Fighting infection after the cold and flu epidemics hit is a losing battle and can best be combated with early action, such as implementing a corporate Company Health & Wellness Initiative in the office for good health year-round.

Keeping the Office Germ-free During Cold Season

The typical office is the perfect breeding grounds for influenza or the cold virus. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases says that there are higher chances for the spread of infection during winter because people spend more time indoors. In an office, this risk is increased by cubicles, bringing many people into a close space. On-Site health screenings conducted regularly as part of an overall health management program will increase the chances of Employee Health Promotion year round, and especially during Cold Season.

Education Can Increase Employee Health Promotion During Cold Season

Educating staff members about various ways to stay healthy during Cold Season may help prevent the spread of any sickness to the entire office. Hand washing is a crucial component in maximizing Employee Health Promotion, as bacteria collects on keyboards, mouses, around the water cooler and next to the community coffee pot. As staff members shake hands, infection may be passed, multiplying the chance of getting a cold or coming down with the flu. Hand washing and anti-bacterial cleaners for surfaces can help reduce the spread of sickness.

Employee Health Promotion is possible during Cold Season. With Employee Health Promotion, your office can reach one step closer to immunity from sickness during Cold Season.

Employee Health Promotion Study Shows Millions Lost Due to Illness

Employee Health Promotion was shown to be a huge economic boon for corporations in a recently-released joint report by  the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Nearly three million productive staff members in labor markets worldwide add up to a lot of money. The Employee Health Promotion study estimates that China will lose $558 billion, India $237 billion, and Russia $303 billion in national income from 2005 to 2015 due to only three chronic diseases: heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

Lack of Employee Health Promotion A “Huge Expense”

The American Center for Disease Control also reports that chronic disease accounts for approximately 75 percent of yearly worker medical care costs in the American, which constitutes a huge expense for corporations. And the Public Health Foundation of India estimates that its country will lose 18 million potentially productive years of life by 2030, a statistic no nation can afford, let alone a developing one.

Company Health & Wellness Initiatives the Answer

A sustainable solution to these challenges cannot be solved by medical benefits alone. Workplace commitments to Employee Health Promotion are also crucial. Companies are advised to implement on-site health screenings for their staff members, as well as look into a comprehensive health management program. These and other precautions are good secret weapons against the economic pitfall of unhealthy staff members.

Is It Necessary to Incent Businesses to Initiate Company Health & Wellness Initiatives?

Company Health & Wellness Incentives may seem like an effective way to get staff members excited about Employee Health Promotion – but is it wise?

This helps and encourages businesses to understand the importance of maintaining a healthy workers, not only for the welfare of its staff members, but as well as the welfare of the corporate bottom line … then, yes, it could be necessary.

Tax Breaks as Company Health & Wellness Incentives

In 2007, two senators decided to band together to create the “Healthy Workforce Act.” This act is designed to encourage businesses to keep staff members healthy and prevent disease. The senators believed that having a country focused on “well care” versus “sick care” would decrease the overall costs of medical care for everyone. They decided to start with America’s workers.

The legislation, introduced by Iowa Senator Tom Harkin and Oregon Senator Gordon Smith, states that corporations would receive a Company Health & Wellness incentive – a fifty percent tax credit – if they offer to their staff members a Company Health & Wellness Initiative that meets the following criteria:

1) A health education and awareness component, which could include health risk assessments and health screenings.
2) A behavioral change component – such as counseling, seminars, or self-help materials to empower staff members to lead healthier lifestyles.
3) A supportive environment component – including offering meaningful incentives to participating staff members, such as a reduction in medical premiums or allowing staff members to engage in walking wellness during the workday.
4) The creation of an worker engagement committee – which would tailor the Company Health & Wellness Initiative to the needs of the workers at a particular company.

If this law gets passed, many businesses will be scrambling to offer Company Health & Wellness Initiatives in hopes of receiving the Company Health & Wellness Incentives.