6 Advantages of Wellness Programs

These programs are highly beneficial not just to employees, but to companies as well.

Corporate wellness programs are more advantageous if they are designed to meet a specific goal, for example; disease intervention and prevention. If health programs are successfully implemented, companies will enjoy a wide range of benefits, such as:

1. Reduced Healthcare Costs

Implementing wellness programs can help minimize corporate healthcare expenses where employers usually pay for the medical expenses and health insurance of their employees.

In the US, employers must follow the rules implemented by the Healthcare Reform Act in 2010. This bill requires the companies with more than fifty employees to provide their workers with health insurance policies. Employers who don’t follow the law will be penalized and companies will be punished if their employees asked for financial help from the government to pay for their health insurance.

Corporate wellness programs can make employees healthier and more active and therefore lessen the overall costs of medical services. Companies can also benefit from cheaper disability costs and health insurance premiums, and reduce in the number of health insurance claims.

2. Healthier Employees

Corporate wellness programs typically provide healthcare initiatives including exercise programs, medical help, and nutritional advice. These healthcare initiatives help in minimizing diseases and illnesses.

Programs can also help to fight chronic conditions like hypertension, high cholesterol, and obesity and so employees are less prone to sickness.

Additionally, employees are mentally and physically fit if wellness programs are made available for them. Such programs can help them fight stress and increase their morale. As employees become happier, they become more productive too.

3. Reduced Absenteeism

Due to healthier employees, absenteeism is also reduced. Employees are more likely to enjoy coming to work and to interact with their coworkers in a more social environment. This positive working environment means that employees are more motivated to work, saving companies money due to a reduced number of sick days.

4. Improved Employee Retention and Recruitment

Corporate wellness programs have a significant effect on employee retention.  Skilled and efficient employees are somewhat hard to find, so companies should implement wellness programs to keep them for good.

When a wellness program is made available to employees, they’ll start to feel that the management truly cares for them. As employees become healthier and happier within their working environment, they’ll be more likely to stay with a company due to increased job satisfaction.

5. Improved Productivity

Healthier employees are able to complete more tasks on a daily basis and their improved health allows for better concentration and higher energy levels, which means consistent good performance and productivity.

6. Improved Health Behaviors

Behavior change is the core of all corporate wellness programs and employees can change their behaviors if they have the right skills, tools, motivation, social support, and education. Corporate wellness programs aim to help them adapt and keep these healthy behaviors for good.

Employees with healthy behaviors are less prone to chronic diseases and are therefore less of a cost for companies. However, not all wellness programs can help to develop such behaviors and so it is important employers look for wellness programs that follow efficient behavior change models and promote behavior change.