Why Workplace Wellness?
With the largest generation of millennials fully employed, it’s time to invest in employee health. This requires each wellness program in a business to be catered to the unique environment and people of the business. Corporate wellness can be seen as integrating programs into a business that encourage good nutrition habits as well as healthy physical activity. Wellness programs can reduce stress, increase comradery, and reduce healthcare costs. Why would it be important to invest in corporate wellness? Your answer is here.
According to the CDC Foundation, businesses spend 225.8 billion dollars on employee injury and illness. Health Affairs states in 2010, a study found that for every dollar spent on a wellness program, employee healthcare costs dropped by $3.27. The costs that come from employees’ absence from work decreases by $2.73. To keep it simple - if a business invests in its employees now, it will be saving money with healthier employees in the future.
Aside from talking numbers, there is a larger reason to bring wellness programs into the workplace. Wellness programs encourage permanent change of unhealthy behaviors. This in return keeps productivity and comradery high not just for a month, but for the entirety of the individual’s career. With the right wellness program, an employee can change their habits and patterns to decrease their risk for heart disease, cancer, asthma, stroke, and heart disease.
Wellness programs require participation from all employees within the business - including the c-suite executives. Teamwork makes the wellness wheel go round. A study done at Brigham Young University shows that social interaction and positive reinforcement decrease depression and increase productivity. I don’t know about you but some days I could use a little more happiness a little less distraction in my office. Wellness programs allow employees to create a relationship that natural work environments may not allow.
Many employees may find themselves at work but not fully working to their potential. This could be from sickness, stress, lack of sleep or other outside factors. According to the National Alliance on Mental Issues, 1 out of 5 adults suffer from mental illness. So let’s talk about it and let’s start working on the problem! Wellness programs encourage businesses to look at the whole employee and not just a number. Employee wellness is not just in diet or physical activity but also in mental wellness.
According to the 2018 Employee Health Benefits Survey, 53% of small firms and 82% of large firms offer wellness programs in at least smoking, obesity, and behavioral life coaching. Dietitians are essential for the job. Dietitians provide evidence-based nutrition strategies that employees will use to change unhealthy behaviors into lifelong habits. With a dietitian at the hands of employees, workers are able to have direct nutrition counseling affects real change.
Hmmmm ... If only you knew dietitian.
Your Dietitian Friend,
Lindsey