A Health Promotion Program is an organized program to assist and support employees in establishing healthier life choices. This can include increasing worker awareness on health topics, scheduling behavior modification programs, and/or establishing corporation policies that support health-related objectives.
Programs and policies that promote increased exercise, tobacco use avoidance and cessation, and healthful food selections are a few examples.
Dimensions of Wellness
Health Promotion is more than fitness. In addition to fitness, the dimensions of optimal health include
• Spiritual Wellness
• Emotional Wellness
• Social Wellness
• Intellectual Wellness
These dimensions are often depicted as a “life wheel” with examples of health components that include –
• fitness,
• nutrition,
• purpose in life,
• financial planning,
• social connections and support systems,
• stress management,
• mind-body health,
• career planning and
• continued learning.
The key for individual health is keeping the “life wheel” in balance. A extensive wellness program addresses most, when not all, of these dimensions.
Why Corporate Wellness?
Employees spend a excellent deal of time on the job, and the fact is that our traditional work-week is increasing. Truly, the typical American now works about 47 hours per week.
Plus, technologies like modems, laptops, cellular phones, voice and email have blurred the work-life boundary. These realities cut down on the amount of time that the typical individual can devote to wellness pursuits, and yet staff members are expected to be at top performance when at work.
A recent study by the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses found that corporate health promotion or health promotion programs are successful in assisting workers make positive health changes because of several factors like convenience, environmental support, and colleague or social acceptance.
What’s the Link between Health Promotion and the Workplace?
Programs and policies that promote healthful behaviors can make a big difference on employee wellness AND have an impact on the corporation’s bottom line. Studies have shown that for every dollar invested by companys in employee wellness/wellness programs, there were savings ranging from $1.49 to $4.91 with a median savings of $3.14*.
In organization terms, that’s more than a 3 – 1 minimum return on investment – a number that is hard to ignore, and a best practice that should warrant serious consideration from organizations.
Indeed, a employee health promotion literature review posted in Wellness Practitioner Journal found –
• 19 studies found a 28.3% reduction in sick leave
• 16 studies demonstrated a 5.6 – 1 return on investment
• 23 showed a 26.1 percent reduction in healthcare costs
• 4 found a 30 percent reduction in direct medical and workers’ compensation claims
There is little doubt that a comprehensive health promotion program targeted to meet a corporation’s specific needs can reduce costs by lowering absenteeism, lowering healthcare expenditures, lowering worker turnover, and increasing productivity.
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2003
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