Benefits Of Employee Wellness Programs

The Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010 to make sure that most people had medical insurance. With this new healthcare system came the responsibility that individuals would have to take initiatives to try to stay or get healthy. The preventative care portion included in the Affordable Car Act is a big item and very important in health care reform and very positive for the American people. Wellness in the workplace has become a very important issue to help reduce companies medical cost, and to help employees get on track to know their numbers, get healthy, and have a positive healthy mental attitude. Many employees do not understand or know how to get healthy and live a healthy lifestyle. With the rising cost of healthcare relating to

The Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010, with the intent of ensuring that most people in the United States have medical insurance. With this new healthcare system came the responsibility that individuals would have to take initiatives in an effort to stay healthy or at the least, increase their level of activity and health awareness, making them more responsible for their own wellness. The preventative care portion included in the Affordable Care Act is one of the fundamental items of the law and is a particularly meaningful, very positive attribute in health care reform for the American people. Wellness in the workplace has become an essential issue to help reduce companies’ medical cost, and to help employees get on track to know their numbers, get healthy, and have a positive healthy mental attitude. Many employees do not understand or know how to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle. With the rising cost of healthcare, especially relating to people not taking care of their bodies, wellness in the workplace has become even more critical. Author Lori Breiner (2007) “believes wellness in the workplace has economic benefits for organizations, because if workers are healthy, they miss less time from work.” Breiner’s theory would suggest that better health increases productivity and profits in the workplace.

Discuss the critical components necessary for implementing a worksite wellness program at your hospital, and what steps you would take to get a new program

Foremost, the healthier a society is, the more productive employees are, which boosts revenue. When an employee’s health is in question, an employer may actually lose 77 percent of productivity, making the loss greater than that of health care expenses. These numbers go up with the combination of lack of exercise, 96 percent loss, and unhealthy eating habits, 93 percent loss, said a study from Brigham Young University, according to an article in a 2012 Education Letter. The study included “those who did not believe their workplace environment would support them in becoming physically and emotionally healthier were more likely to

General motors have a great wellness program that keeps their workforce healthy. They use a program called LifeSteps which helps employees identify controllable health risk.

When a business hires an employee they are looking for a person to do a job to the best of their ability and poor health could hinder those efforts. When a person is inattentive and lackadaisical during a work day they are wasting that companies time. Employers should be encouraged to set into place requirements for exercise and healthy eating of all their employees to ensure the utmost productivity of that company. Companies with cafeterias could make sure that only or mostly heathy food is served for breakfasts or lunches. They could also have exercise classes available for employees at lunch time, if they have the space. Or they could try to arrange a discount deal for employees at a nearby gym. This way they would be encouraging employees to be healthy and also helping to keep the business

K. Speroni in “Designing Exercise and Nutrition Programs to Promote Normal Weight Maintenance for Nurses” discusses challenges to exercise and healthy eating for nurses, along with the design and implementation of an evidence-based wellness program at Inova Loudoun Hospital in Leesburg, Virginia. Obesity is a nationwide problem and the necessity to integrate healthier lifestyle habits into daily living applies not only to patients but also to nurses. With the average age of nurses approaching 50, it is important that nurses have both the physical health and stamina to meet workplace demands, and the ability to model healthy behavior. Although organizations are increasingly offering workplace wellness programs, many are not evidence based.

Triumph Industries Inc. should be aware that according to Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) signed in 2008, generic screening is not allowable. This act protects Americans against discrimination based on their genetic information when it comes to health insurance and employment [5].

Health and wellness in the workplace is crucial to business success. Increasingly, it is recognized that the workplace itself has a powerful affect on people’s health. When people are satisfied with their job, they are more productive and tend to be healthier. When employees feel that the environment at work is negative, they feel stressed. Stress has a large impact on employee mental and physical health, and in turn, on productivity. Companies that promote healthy lifestyle habits for employees to improve their health, often take the success of the company to heart and are likely to be absent less often for health related reasons.

“Optimal health” and “wellbeing” is a primary focus within the Eudaimonistic Model according to Edelmann, C. & Mandle, C. (2013). Furthermore, our 2020 program goal is to create a healthier workforce by increasing the proportion of worksites that offer four options (Walk Wisconsin, nutrition education/NuVal system, The Healthy lunch club, and weekly nutrition and health challenges) for employers to implement at their workplace that target nutrition or weight management program, to improve employees directly connects to the Eudaimonistatic Model, by “exuberant well-being indicates optimal health” as evidence of “physical, social, psychological, and spiritual aspects of life and the environment” (2013). Together employers as well as employees achieve numerous positive outcomes including: employee satisfaction, retention, engagement, and team empowerment, to continue to make a difference on not only themselves, but also through professional affirmations.

Concerning for the employees health isn't a bad thing, in fact it can help us reduce the risk of diabetes. Many of the U.S. citizen lifespan is getting short because of diabetes. But this is true many citizen aren't active to workout or eat a balance diet. As studies shows that from the first document is that, the rate of diabetes in Americans have increased over 176% in 30 years. Even, if the first document is accurate about diabetes, their is no relevant possibility the companies making their employees exercise is a good option.

Health and wellness in the work place is a vital part to a company’s success. Employees who are healthier and more productive are less likely to call out from sickness. There are not many companies that have affordable health care coverage for employees. More companies should make healthcare affordable for their employees and their family. Research has been done on how effective health and wellness programs can be in the workplace. Throughout the reading these points will be discussed. The effectiveness of health and wellness in the workplace will also be spoken of. Health and wellness activities in the workplace will be a positive move for companies and employees.

Research indicates that employers can increase employee retention, increase employee productivity, and reduce employee healthcare costs by implementing a workplace wellness program.

Setting the stage for starting a workplace-based wellness program will be the most difficult part. The program can be achieved by getting upper management support and forming a wellness/health services unit to help plan, promote, implement and maintain the program.

You can call it Workplace Wellness, Corporate Wellness, or Workplace Health but whatever you call it, it’s pretty much the same thing. The workplace has some type of program set up to promote healthy lifestyle choices. It promotes healthy behavior and healthy outcomes. The programs offered can range from smoking cessation to full out wellness centers composed of gyms, exercise classes in addition to wellness coaching related to weight management, on-site fitness programs, health-related benefits, and mental well-being. Some workplaces offer incentives for being an active part of their health programs.