High rates of employee turnover and the costs of sick days are increasingly taking bites into corporate profits. the high cost of recruitment programs only adds to the challenges that these problems in sum cost the typical company.
A lot of corporations are locating the solution to these challenges by increasing job satisfaction, team building, and the implementation of programs that yield a reduction in these costs.
It’s become increasingly clear to most managers that a well designed wellness/fitness program with a strong nutritional and fitness lifestyle emphasis will directly meet this need.
Management’s objectives for a productive health promotion program must be viewed through the perspective of increased staff member productivity, reduced absenteeism due to health related causes, improved staff member morale, reduced utilisation of business subsidised health benefits, enhanced team cohesion and effectiveness and a decrease in turnover due to lack of job satisfaction.
It is obvious that an improvement in any of these areas will have a positive impact on the financial status of any organisation.
The benefits from an employees point of view could be seen in improved health, increased energy levels, decreased body fat, a more youthful fit body, an increased ability to handle job related stress, greater feelings of confidence and morale and more social connections at work contributing to greater feelings of satisfaction with their work and workplace.
To be most productive a health promotion program needs to achieve both managements and employees goals, and this can be accomplished through a program that’ll provide the individual employee with an awareness of their current physical condition and attitudes to fitness and well-being, and the advantages of attaining a fitter, healthier lifestyle, and a plan that’ll allow them to achieve the necessary changes to their physical condition that can be applied about their life and work.
The Bottom Line – Health Promotion Programs
Reduced Absenteeism – Dupont reduced absenteeism by 47.5 percent over six years for the participants of their corporate fitness program, (Health Behaviour, March 1992).
Lowered Health Care Costs – Steel case showed a reduction in medical claim costs of 55% for corporate fitness program participants over non-participants over a six year period – an typical of $478.61 for participants vs. non-participants who averaged $868.88, (The Am. Journal of Wellness, Sept/Oct, 1991).
Decreased Turnover – Turnover among fitness program participants at the Canadian Life Assurance Corporation was 32.4 percent lower over a seven year period compared with non-participants (Canadian Journal of Public Health, Jan/Feb, 1988).
Positive Return on Investment – BC/BS of Indiana found that its corporate fitness program had a 250 percent return on investment; $2.51 for every $1 invested over a five year period (American Journal of Wellness, March, April, 1991).
Corporate Wellness Companies