What do corporate wellness programs offer

When employers consider the use of e-cigarettes, which is increasing, as well as other tobacco products, nearly one out of four U. Although usage has dropped significantly, the adverse impact of tobacco use is so strong that employers continue to see financial and non-financial reasons to pursue cessation programs.

A tobacco cessation program can and should be multi-faceted, but the main goal is to provide tobacco smokers the support and resources they need to quit.

Weight management programs specifically focus on helping employees achieve a healthy weight. Through a combination of digital and human interventions that primarily focus on exercise and nutrition, weight management programs hope to reduce the health risks of employees. Since most individuals are not at a healthy weight, the benefit has to potential to be useful to a broad audience. Wellness challenges are a set of activities and contests to encourage employees to engage in healthy behaviors.

They are also a great team building tool that helps improve employee engagement and a sense of belonging within the organization. Wellness challenges can be designed to address a broad range of topics, including physical , mental, financial, social, and environmental well-being, and with the advancement of wearable devices and mobile apps, the technologies needed to make tracking easy and simple now exist in a way that was not available ten years ago.

Employee Wellness Program. Dimensions Of Well-Being. Physical While commonly thought of the aesthetic of being fit, physical well-being actually encompasses the smooth running of all physical bodily functions.

Purpose Being and feeling well includes having values and beliefs that provide purpose in life, which allows an individual to feel at peace and in harmony with themselves and others.

Intellectual Intellectual well-being refers to the active participation in scholastic, cultural, and community activities. Types Of Wellness Program. In this list:. Who should invest in biometric screening programs? Likely, no one. There is an overwhelming body of research that suggests biometric screenings do not deliver the results that employers previously believed. In fact, the Society for General Internal Medicine even put annual physicals, which contain elements of biometric screenings, on a list of things doctors should avoid for healthy, asymptomatic adults.

This is because they do little to avert death or disability from acute problems and also tend to be ineffective in helping with chronic conditions without significantly useful interventions.

In some cases, additional testing from false positives can even put employees at risk and waste money. Who should invest in disease management programs? Mostly medium to large organizations. Disease management programs are targeted, often focusing on a specific chronic condition that may be particularly prevalent with an employee population.

Because these programs tend to be costly, companies should only invest in these programs if they identify enough employees suffering from a specific condition to justify the resources. Small employers tend not to have enough individuals with the same chronic condition to justify the expense. Who should invest in financial wellness programs?

Many surveys have shown that employees are universally struggling to achieve financial well-being on their own and are stressed out about money, leading to lowered productivity at work.

All employers would be wise to help them combat this problem. However, hiring financial professionals can come at a steep price tag, making this type of program more suitable for companies with larger wellness budgets. For an affordable likely free option, employers should contact their k plan administrator. These organizations often offer free financial wellness seminars.

Who should invest in fitness classes? Organizations with appropriate open spaces to hold classes. Weather permitting, companies can opt to hold these classes in the parking lot or a nearby park.

Additionally, there should be a showering facility on-site if the classes will be held prior to the end of a workday. Companies with a significant remote population should consider carefully before offering this perk as their remote employees will not have access to classes. In this case, it might be wiser to provide all employees with fitness reimbursements to exercise on their own time. Who should offer flexible work schedules? Most organizations.

Flexible work schedules are also a cost-effective solution. While some organizations rely heavily on shift work e. Remote work may also help employers save on office expenses, from rental payments and furniture to healthy snacks in the kitchen.

However, it is important that organizations implementing these arrangements actively work to combat employee loneliness, as studies are exploring the link between flexible and remote work and the adverse impact it may have on social well-being. Who should offer flu shots? Every group that can meet the minimum size requirements to have a clinic should consider doing so.

However, similar to other on-site offerings, companies with a significant remote population should consider having equivalent benefits for off-site employees. If budget considerations prevent offering this wellness benefit, employers should consider educational campaigns to encourage employees to get a flu shot at their local pharmacy or physician's office. Who should offer free health food? Healthy snacks can be purchased in bulk and do not have to be expensive.

Who should offer gym reimbursement? However, this can be a significant investment and therefore might be more suitable for medium and large employers. Some health plans might have gym or fitness reimbursement built-in to their policies, which can help subsidize the cost. Gym reimbursement works especially well for organizations with remote employees as it does not limit access. Who should offer health coaching?

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What's this? Connect with CDC Media. CDC Quick Links. Stuttering in children: How parents can help. Evoking calm: Practicing mindfulness in daily life helps. Finding balance: 3 simple exercises to steady your steps. Staying Healthy Do employee wellness programs actually work? August 16, What does the research say? Despite these significant though small differences, those with a wellness program and those with no wellness program had similar self-reported health behaviors and outcomes such as amount of regular exercise, sleep quality, food choice, and 24 others results on 10 health measures such as blood pressure, cholesterol, and body mass index use of medical resources including medical spending and medication expenses absenteeism and job performance.

Is this the end of employee wellness programs? Reasons for this include: The results might have been different if the study had been performed at a different type of workplace, with different types of wellness programs and different types of workers. The worksites without a wellness program had relatively high rates of self-reported health behaviors.

Workplaces with lower rates might benefit more from a wellness program. The study lasted only 18 months. A longer-term study might find more benefit for the wellness program.

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