1. Small Steps to Healthier Employees
Worksite Wellness
Small Steps to Healthier Employees
Brought to you by: Poms & Associates Insurance Brokers, Inc. 1

2. Health Care Facts
The United States spends more on health care than any other country in the world annually.*
Many health problems are a direct result of an unhealthy lifestyle (smoking, lack of exercise, poor diet, excess stress, etc.)
* Source: The World Health Organization 2

3. Health Care Facts: Lifestyle Choices
Unhealthy employee behaviors cost U.S. employers an average of $670 per employee each year. Obesity accounts for about $400 of those costs.*
Alcohol and drug abuse costs the American economy $193 billion per year in lost productivity, health care expenditures and crime.**
Tobacco use costs employers billions of dollars each year in medical care, workers’ compensation, disability benefits and lost productivity.
* Source: Society for Human Resource Management
** Source: The National Drug Intelligence Center 3

4. Health Care Facts: Preventable Illness
Researchers have estimated that preventable illness makes up approximately 70 percent of the burden of illness and the associated costs in this country.*
* Source: The Wellness Councils of America 4

5. Worksite Wellness = Solution

6. Definition of Workplace Wellness
Workplace wellness programs are long-term strategies for reducing benefit costs through sustained improvements in workforce health.
This may include:
Education classes
Subsidized use of fitness facilities
Internal policies that promote healthy behavior
Other activities, policies or environmental changes that affect the health of employees
Worksite wellness programs are designed to promote healthy lifestyles for employees and their families. These programs can be simple or complex, and can require a minimal investment of time and money, if done correctly. More substantial programs often use more resources, yet there are many benefits to supporting and encouraging employee health and safety – and they typically outweigh the costs. 6

7. Benefits of a Wellness Program
Lower health plan utilization, which in turn lowers health benefit costs and increases bottom line
Improved employee health
Improved productivity as healthy employees tend to perform better
Reduction in sick leave absenteeism
Improved reputation as a company who cares about their employees – aids in recruiting and community perception
Improved employee morale and stronger employee retention
Rising health care benefit costs are a significant concern, and poor health habits and unnecessary medical care costs consume portions of many companies’ corporate resources, as well as employee paychecks. Since employees spend many of their waking hours at work, the workplace is an ideal location to address health and wellness issues. 7

8. Worksite Wellness Trends

9. Worksite Wellness Trends
The most common wellness initiatives include:
Onsite flu shots
General health and safety communications for employees
Weight management programs
Health fairs
Health risk assessments
Smoking cessation programs
However, it is important to learn about your employee group and develop programs that address their particular goals, risks and needs. 9

10. Worksite Wellness Trends
Many companies are offering incentives to participate in wellness programs, such as:
Cash
Gift certificates and merchandise discounts
Days off
Lower medical premiums
FSA , HRA or HSA credits 10

11. Creating a Workplace Wellness Program11

12. Creating a Workplace Wellness Program
Gain Upper Management Support
Management must understand the benefits of the program for both the employees and the organization, and be willing to put funds towards its development, implementation and evaluation.
To capture senior-level support:
Link health promotion to business goals, values and strategic priorities.
Discuss the specific benefits to the company as employees become healthier (health care costs will decline, productivity will improve, etc.).
Engage mid-level management to participate to show that the program is for everyone.
The Wellness Councils of America (WELCOA), an organization dedicated to the promotion of worksite wellness, has identified the seven best practices for employers to follow when building a comprehensive, effective worksite wellness program within an organization. Visit for more information. 12

13. Creating a Workplace Wellness Program
Create a Wellness Team
Your team should be individuals who will have a role in program development, implementation and evaluation.
Role of a wellness team:
Help to garner “buy-in” from both management and participants.
Develop a program that is responsive to the needs of all potential participants.
Responsible for overseeing all of the company’s wellness efforts, including implementation and evaluation of various programs and activities. 13

14. Creating a Workplace Wellness Program
Tailor Your Initiatives to Employee Needs
Gather data to help assess your employees’ health interests and risks.
Data can be collected in the following ways:
Employee interest surveys
Health risk assessments
Claims data analysis to determine current employee disease risks
Biometric testing 14

15. Creating a Workplace Wellness Program
Create an Annual Plan
An annual operating plan should include a mission statement for the program, along with specific, measurable short- and long-term goals.
Written plans can provide:
Link between wellness initiatives and the company’s needs and strategic priorities.
A means to evaluate the effectiveness of the program.
Direction as the program grows and changes. 15

16. Creating a Workplace Wellness Program
Annual Operating Plan
A successful operating plan should include the following:
Vision statement outlining what you are trying to achieve with the program
Goals for the program
Program objectives and health initiatives to support them
A timeline
A budget
Communication plan
Implementation plan
Evaluation – how will the success of the program be measured 16

17. Creating a Workplace Wellness Program
Choose Appropriate Programs and Initiatives
Select health initiatives that are relevant to the data you collected.
Should address risk factors of employees
Should be in line with what management and employees want from the program 17

18. Creating a Workplace Wellness Program
Create a Supportive Environment
Provide employees with ongoing encouragement, support, opportunities and rewards.
Offer healthy food choices in your vending machines
Implement a no-smoking policy on your premises
Offer flexible scheduling arrangements that allow workers to exercise at their convenience
Reward healthy achievements 18

19. Creating a Workplace Wellness Program
Consistently Evaluate Outcomes
Take a close look at your goals and objectives, and determine whether you have achieved the desired result.
Evaluation allows you to celebrate achieved goals and discontinue efforts that are not as successful.
Surveying employees again can be effective – after participating in the wellness program thus far, they can provide feedback about what they liked, what they would change, etc. 19

20. Creating a Workplace Wellness Program
Getting Started…
Utilize some of our tools to get your program started:
Live Well, Work Well newsletters
Workplace Wellness educational articles
Prevention newsletters
Health and Wellness posters
Live Well, Work Well flyers
Poms & Associates Insurance Brokers, Inc. would be happy to provide these materials to help support your wellness initiatives. 20

21. Creating a Workplace Wellness Program21

22. Creating a Workplace Wellness Program
If your budget is tight but you want to start a wellness program, consider utilizing these resources that we can provide:
Employer’s Guide to Promoting Wellness in the Workplace
Needs and Interest Survey
Getting Your Program Started Guide
Wellness Program Work Plan 22

23. Creating a Workplace Wellness Program23

24. Workplace Wellness Programs
Let Poms & Associates Insurance Brokers, Inc. help you create a workplace wellness program today – we have all the tools you need to do so!
© , 2011 Zywave, Inc. All rights reserved. 24