20 Jan Why is Worksite Wellness Important?

Because it works!

Why should my business develop a worksite wellness program? How much will it cost? Here’s what a worksite wellness program can do for an employer:

• Reduce absenteeism
• Improve productivity and presenteeism (when employees are at work but are not as productive as usual due to stress, depression, injury, illness)
• Control increasing health care costs
• Reduce injuries
• Improve employee morale and retention

Healthy employees miss fewer days of work, so they are more productive and have fewer health care costs. Employee turnover is expensive; a wellness program is an added benefit that can encourage employees to stay.

Chronic diseases (such as heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis) which are largely preventable through attention to healthy lifestyles and preventive services, cause 70 percent of all deaths each year and account for 75 percent of our $1.4 trillion annual healthcare costs. If these things don’t change, by the year 2011 our nation will spend over $2.8 trillion annually on healthcare.