David BellerP. Yang-Yang Chen

Daniel Mandel

1. Overview

2. Current Status

3. Implementation – Leading practices

Workplace WellnessA variety of measures to proactively encourage improved health outcomes, including education, services and incentives

Companies are expanding their concept of health to include a broader sense of mental wellness with increasing focused on the prevention of health problems

Six dimensions of Wellness ?

The Business CaseReduced medical costs and disability costs.

Reduced costs of employee healthcare benefits and avoided disability payments.

Reduced Absenteeism.Studies show that programs can reduced missed days.

Enhanced Productivity. Healthier workers are more productive. Enhanced Recruitment and Retention. Provide an incentive to remain with the current

employer, and keep morale high.

The Business CaseCSR

•Fair employee treatment•Reputation•Surveys

RECRUITING / RETENTION

•Attract Talent•Keep morale high•Incentive to remain with the current employer•Increased Loyalty

COSTS

•Reduced medical and disability costs•Reduced Absenteeism•Enhanced Productivity

Key DriversIncreased healthcare costs The cost of health benefits rising

10-15% per year.

Expanded definitions of health Including emotional and physical

health with influences at home and work.

Expanded healthcare options The mainstreaming of alternative

medicine.

Key Drivers (cont)Globalization and employee

diversity. Increased diversity of employees'

ages, races, religions, and cultures, with a growing range of health and wellness issues.

Increased focus on prevention. Proven effectiveness of preventive

programs. Importance of weight

management. Extensive social, personal and

economic costs of obesity and overweight

Key Drivers (cont)Incentives designed to

promote health. Emergence of economic incentives

as a tool to encourage behavior change.

Focus on mental health. The awareness about the scope

and seriousness of mental health issues is growing.

Changing issues in disability More companies are recognizing

the need to accommodate employees undergoing treatment or recovering from disease and illness.

ExamplesSERVICES

Screening programs Exercise Opportunities Counseling and Consultation Alternative health plans

EDUCATION / PROMOTIONHealth education Encourage healthy diets Promote healthy-baby practices Resource library with books and articles on self-

help topicsEconomic Incentives-- sharing of costs

savings from health coverage

Source: Business for Social Responsibility, Health and Wellness Issues Brief

Influences for Workplace Wellness Both regulation-driven and internally driven

Foreign regulationsUnited Kingdom: The Management of Health and

Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992

Australia: 1997 Workplace Health and Safety Regulation

Canada: Workplace Safety and Health Regulation 2007

Bidding on government contracts may require a workwell evaluation

Status of U.S. RegulationsThe U.S. has made less progress than other

countries. U.S. governmental regulation has centered around safety rather than general workplace wellness.

For example, OSH and EPA regulations relate to workplace safety (mostly in the construction industry).

Public and Nonprofit InvolvementThe lack of U.S. regulation has not stopped many public and nonprofit organizations from becoming involved in advancing the issue: California Task Force on Youth and Workplace Wellness

Launched by the State Legislature in 2002 Mission: Promote physical fitness and nutritional health in CA’s

schools and workplaces Goals include targets regarding the reduction of obesity rates

Center for Disease Control’s Worksite Wellness Initiative Designed as a resource for program planners in state and federal

government Features a lactation support program, garden market, wellness

committees, and discussion boards

State Government Efforts Mississippi Department of Health’s “What is Workplace Wellness” Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Wellness at Work

Program

Who’s designing the health promotion programs?

Many large corporations have the necessary capacity and resources to provide workplace wellness programs for their employees

However, smaller firms may lack the resources or expertise to do soLeading to a growing

need to increase the availability of disease prevention and health promotion programs.

 UC Irvine’s Health Promotion Center seeks to develop 5 health promotion programs targeted for CA small and medium-sized businesses employing between 2 to 500 workers. 

Growing Consultancy BusinessAs firms go off site for their wellness training

needs, consultancies are starting to make a profitable business out of helping companies implement workplace health programs.Consultants’ services center around assistance with

assessment, implementation, and evaluation of wellness program

In addition, these firms also provide lecture series, training, handbooks

 Nonprofits can also serve as a great resource

for providing examples of good programs.

What does a model wellness program look like?

It’s important to take an integrative approach to employee wellness.

Any comprehensive workplace wellness program ideally consists of three key components:

1. Prevention2. Recognition3. Assistance

And may require creating a more comprehensive program which includes:

•Employee lifestyle change•Clinical prevention services for employees and their dependents•Ergonomics•Occupational safety•Organizational climate/social support•Worksite violence prevention•Compliance with occupational safety and health regulations

Steps for increasing the success of a workplace wellness program

According to the "Healthy People 2010" Report, produced by a consortium of health officials from federal, state, and local governments joined with community groups, academics, and others:

By 2010, 75% of U.S. employers will offer a comprehensive employee health promotion program that includes the following elements:

1. Health education: skills development and lifestyle behavior changes along with information dissemination and awareness building, preferably tailored to employees’ interests and needs.

2. Supportive social and physical environments: includes an organization’s expectations regarding healthy behaviors and implementation of policies that promote health and reduce risk of disease.

3. Integration of the worksite program in an organization’s structure.

4. Linkage to related programs, such as employee assistance programs and programs to help employees balance work and family.

5. Screening programs, ideally linked to medical care to ensure follow-up and appropriate treatment as necessary.

6. Follow-up interventions: used for supporting individual behavior change.

7. An evaluation and improvement process to help enhance the program’s effectiveness and efficiency.

Workplace Wellness AwardsWho’s recognizing corporations’ efforts to incorporate workplace wellness?

C. Everett Koop National Health Award Awarded annually by the Health Project 2010 Recognizes employee programs that reduce healthcare costs by encouraging healthy behavior Recent corporate award winners include Citigroup, FedEx, Johnson & Johnson, Northeast

Utilities, and Union Pacific Railroad Corporate Health and Productivity Management Awards

Awarded annually by the Institute for Health and Productivity Management Recognizes employers’ leadership in demonstrating improved relationships between health and

productivity through intervention initiatives, cultural and environmental changes, and measurement of outcomes

Past winners include DaimlerChrysler, IBM, and Motorola Secretary’s Innovations in Prevention Awards—U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Series launched by the Secretary of Health and Human Services in 2003 Recognize businesses and organizations that are leading efforts to promote healthy lifestyles in

their communities Past award recipients include Johnson & Johnson and Union Pacific Railroad

 Wellness Councils of America Well Workplace Awards

Three levels of awards given annually: gold, silver, and bronze Recognizes companies meeting WELCOA’s criteria for a healthy workplace Recent award winners include Anheuser-Busch, Fujitsu, Merrill Lynch, and Motorola.

Leading Practices

COMPANY EXAMPLES

GoogleIndustry: TechnologyRevenues: $10.6 billionEmployees: +9,000 ?

Industry: TechnologyRevenues: $10.6 billionEmployees: +9,000 ?

Clif BarIndustry: FoodRevenues: ~$100 millionEmployees: approx. 200

Industry: FoodRevenues: ~$100 millionEmployees: approx. 200

Novo NordiskIndustry: PharmaceuticalRevenues: $6.86 billionEmployees: 23,000+

Industry: PharmaceuticalRevenues: $6.86 billionEmployees: 23,000+

More examples…

More examples (con’t)

More examples (con’t)

Position

PositionWorkplace wellness efforts are a promising

form of corporate social responsibility– serving the double bottom line by producing monetary value for corporations as well as social values for employees and others.

U.S. companies have been slow to implement workplace wellness programs.

By studying best practices and tapping into the research of nonprofits and relevant organizations, companies can design programs which fit their business models.

RisksNanny corporationsPrivacy IssuesGoing too broad: sacrifice other HR servicesSelf-esteem and stigmatizationLimits diversity of employees

ResourcesBusiness for Social Responsibility, Health and Wellness

Issues Brief (https://www.bsr.org/CSRResources/IssueBriefDetail.cfm?DocumentID=50304)

The Institute for Health and Productivity Management (www.ihpm.org)

Healthy People 2010 objectives (www.healthypeople.gov/)

http://www.wellnesstaskforce.org/