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| INDUSTRY STATISTICS
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A University of Michigan study found
that companies can save up to $5 in direct and indirect costs
for every $1 invested in disease prevention. Improved Employee
health also reduces absenteeism and increases worker productivity.
Steve Hart, “FIT AND TRIM: HEALTHY STRIDES: COMPANIES
FIND BENEFITS IN PAIRING EMPLOYEES WITH HEALTH COACHES TO REDUCE
ILLNESS AND STRESS, CUT MEDICAL COSTS.” Press Democrat
[Santa Rosa, CA], February 10, 2008 (Factiva) |
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Last year Sabre, saw
its health-care costs increase only 1% (the nationwide average
was 9%). Its secret? A companywide health-and-wellness program,
in which more than 80% of its U.S. employees participate. The
wellness program started in 2004 and includes fitness, nutrition,
stress relief, and weight loss challenges all of which have
created noticeable shift in attitude among workers.
Adam Rombel, “Wellness programs play bigger role in
benefits plans.” Business Journal [Syracuse, NY], November
16, 2007 (Factiva) |
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“After all,
insurance premiums and absenteeism by sick workers set businesses
back $15 billion a year. And yet 70% of health-care costs stem
from preventable chronic diseases. Take diabetes, which costs
nearly $92 billion a year: 91% of cases could be avoided by
better eating. Smoking- related illnesses rack up an additional
$75 billion a year.”
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as quoted
in Lisatakeuchi Cullen, “The Company Doctor.” Time
Canada; 6/25/2007, Vol. 169 Issue 26, p42-42, 1p, Business Source
Premier |
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As health insurance
premiums soar, more corporations are turning to employee wellness
programs. Health coverage is the fastest-growing cost for employers,
with insurance premiums rising 87% almost 5 times the rate of
inflation since 2000, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Steve Hart, “FIT AND TRIM: HEALTHY STRIDES: COMPANIES
FIND BENEFITS IN PAIRING EMPLOYEES WITH HEALTH COACHES TO REDUCE
ILLNESS AND STRESS, CUT MEDICAL COSTS.” Press Democrat
[Santa Rosa, CA], February 10, 2008 (Factiva) |
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“At General
Mills Inc. comprehensive wellness programs dating back to 20
years have resulted in medical claims that “track below
national trends and other major employers” and show “dramatic”
reductions in heart disease. Results “are hard to attribute
to a single program- it is all about the overall culture of
wellness, starting with our CEO. We found out what really matters
is senior leadership modeling.”
Timothy Crimmins, vp-health, safety, and the environment,
Golden Valley, Minn., as quoted in Louise Kertesz, “Corporate
wellness programs help shape a better bottom line.” Business
Insurance; 4/9/2007, Vol. 41 Issue 15, p15-16, 2p, Business
Source Premier |
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More employers are
turning to wellness programs to help slow down the rising tide
of health-insurance premium costs, which are expected to increase
to double digits again in 2008. Adopting a wellness program
was the most highly used method to control rising health-care
costs by New York employers (61.7% did it) in 2007, according
to the Compensation Data 2007 New York annual survey of 211
employers Kansas City, Kan. based compensation and benefits
survey-data provider Compdata Surveys conducted the survey.
Adam Rombel, “Wellness programs play bigger role in
benefits plans.” Business Journal [Syracuse, NY], November
16, 2007 (Factiva) |
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“Providing health
and wellness opportunities for our employees was an easy decision
for our leadership team to make. We believe that helping our
employees maintain a healthy work/life balance better equips
them for their roles at Yum. Our employees think so too, as
we have received very positive feedback. Bringing awareness
around healthy living and allowing employees the opportunity
to take ownership of their health through screenings, exercise,
diet, and nutrition has generally improved the overall quality
of their lives and well-being.”
Rusty Hagemann, senior director of corporate services for
Yum Brands, as quoted in “Elissa Elan, “Sick of
high health care costs, businesses offer wellness programs.”
NATION’S RESTAURANT NEWS, December 11, 2006, 39. |
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“Companies that
have adopted corporate wellness programs are seeing increased
productivity levels among their employees and are profiting
from them as a result. We are going to see more and more corporations
looking for robust programs investing more in health and productivity
management.”
Leslee McGovern, senior director of brand management, Sodexho
USA, as quoted in Elissa Elan, “Sick of high health care
costs, businesses offer wellness programs.” NATIONS RESTAURANT
NEWS, December 11, 2006, 6. |
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Study after study
shows workplace fitness helps decrease absenteeism, increases
productivity, reduces turnover, and ultimately produces a healthier
workforce that requires significantly lower medical costs.
Cora Daniels, “The Fittest Companies in America.”
Men’s Fitness; Feb 2008, Vol. 23 Issue 11, p92-97, 6p,
2c, MasterFILE Premier |
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"Helping our
employees get fit and healthy is a competitive advantage. It
reduces our absenteeism rate as well as our absenteeism—our
employees are more engaged when they are at work because their
bodies feel good.”
Martha Delehanty, vp of human resources, Verizon, as quoted
in Cora Daniels, “The Fittest Companies in America.”
Men’s Fitness; Feb 2008, Vol. 23 Issue 11, p92-97, 6p,
2c, MasterFILE Premier |
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