Wellness Initiative Consultation

Why wellness? Approximately two-thirds of all deaths in adult aged 25 years and older in the United states today can be attributed to cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. The primary causes for these conditions are four preventable risk factors - tobacco use, poor eating habits, inadequate physical activity and being overweight. In addition, mental disorders are the third most limiting health condition in terms of performing major daily activities, following stroke and cancer.

What does this mean? A well designed Employee Wellness Program can directly affect employee absenteeism, health care costs, workers’ compensation claims and premium, lost productivity, and disability. It also makes financial sense. A study done by the University of Michigan found that for every dollar spent on offering wellness; an average of $3.50 was saved.

    Potential Benefits of an Employee Wellness Program
  1. Decreased Employee Absenteeism
  2. Lower healthcare and insurance costs
  3. Increased employee retention
  4. Improved employee moral
  5. Fewer work-related injuries
  6. Fewer worker compensation and disability claims
  7. Attractiveness to prospective employees
  8. Positive community image
  9. Increased productivity
  10. Increased motivation to practice healthy behaviors
  11. Increased motivation to teach about health

That being said wellness makes sense. The problem is how you accomplish implementing a wellness plan successfully. Strategic Business Services makes this daunting task look easy. Strategic Business Services in conjunction with many of the area insurance carriers and wellness vendors have developed the Nine Steps for Implementing an Employee Wellness Program. They are:

     Step 1: Obtain administrative support      Step 2: Identify resources      Step 3: Identify a leader      Step 4: Organize a committee      Step 5: Gather and analyze data      Step 6: Develop a plan      Step 7: Implement the plan      Step 8: Evaluate and adapt the program      Step 9: Sustain the program

Is this as easy as it looks? No. It takes a commitment to make it happen. It takes teamwork and a strong leader to encourage and support the program. It takes time and planning to develop a strong wellness program. But with those necessities in place, it is within reach and can be accomplished.

Strategic Business Services is here to assist you through this process and help coordinate the process.