Tuesday, October 20, 2015

For A Stronger Work Environment You Need Healthier Employees

By George Means


Most of us work to live, versus live to work. We all have different jobs. Most spend their days in an office, a few are luck to work outside. Most of us work a nine to five. Then there are daytime jobs and also nighttime. Irrespective of the job conditions and timing it is an accepted fact that the health of the employee is very important factor.

The big question arises, is it cost effective?

A case study can be found by looking at Amway. According to this company it gets back two dollars for every dollar spent on employee's health. How do they justify that? Most employees who have participated in their wellness plan have lowered their medical and drug claims by eight percent. Many of them become slimmer and fitter. A lady employee claimed that in 18 months, she reduced 85 pounds. Her coworkers claim she has more energy and a better outlook at work. Most companies agree that it takes up to three years to realize cost savings from a program that employees undertake. They say it takes time for employees to learn new behaviors.

It is also come to notice that the health expenditure of those employees who do not take part in such fitness program rose up to 23 percent.

Another company, Flexco, located in Illinois, has established a program to encourage employees to eat better and exercise. This program become very successful and the company was able to gain an amount close to a hundred thousand dollars just by reduced premium costs. That definitely affects the bottom line. Furthermore, such companies are even willing to spend for the employees.

As an incentive, the employees earn wellness points when they join this program. With these points, they can reduce their share of the annual health care costs up to $850. This acts as an incentive for the employees to get enrolled in this. It also helps that the employee is volunteering to get in the program rather than being forced to get in.

They can combine this program with the overall goals of the company. This integration helps the company overall. It would help the company to attain its overall business goals, if its employees are willing to stay healthy and active. Furthermore, it also enhances the working atmosphere of the company. Many employees change their minds about preventative care when it spots a problem before it gets worse.

These two examples show that it makes a lot of sense to encourage employees to stay healthy, whether you do it through the company or you encourage them to do it on their own. Other companies have had success giving their employees free membership to weight watchers online. Healthier employees tend to miss less work. You also get a better work environment.




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