Manage Your Health Chapter 4-6

An employee can help reduce the cost of health cost by doing several things. There has been an outcry from organizations due to the rising number of competitors with high expenses catering for health benefits during employment periods and on retiring. The employee can be of great help by being participative in the programs set by their employers to benefit more from other advantages far from health costs (Kerzner, 2013). Some of the choices an employee may consider to help control health costs are by boosting consumerism, use technology to manage benefits, and indulge in fitness and health programs.

Allow employees to register for company-sponsored classes and programs to help them manage their weight, reduce stress, stop smoking, and manage other health

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.

In recent years, health has become an increasing concern as obesity rates climb around the world, and especially in the United States. According to the World Health Organization (2015), obesity rates have doubled since the 1980s and will continue to rise if this trend continues. There are many factors that contribute to this obesity epidemic, which include larger portion sizes, more processed foods, changes in technology, and fewer jobs that require manual work. As waist sizes are growing, so are concerns for the future of our world and action is being taken by many companies to improve the health of their employees. In recent years laws have been passed through the Affordable Care Act to promote wellness programs 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 started?

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.

Therefore, the benefit to employers to help employees manage their diabetes effectively is improved workforce productivity and reduced medical costs. One way that employers can help this is to partner with local health providers and insurance providers to create and offer lifestyle management programs and education to those employees that have diabetes or prediabetes.

Company wellness programs may be the answer to help company managers and employees live an overall better lifestyle. Wellness “is understood to reach physical health to encompass a more holistic mind-body approach that also considers good mental and emotional health” (Walsh, 2015). The purpose of the wellness program is to go further than the physical appearance and help from the inside out. Helping the inside of the body to become healthier is more beneficially to us. I propose to research the increase in productivity within the workplace as well as the overall health impact wellness programs have on employees.

Employers are implementing policies requiring employees to adopt a healthier lifestyle as not doing so can cause a significant increase in cost to the company and the employee. Companies will often offer a monetary incentive to motivate employees to change their habits, which reduce benefit cost while increasing employee performance and company commitment.

My company, for example, will soon begin open annual enrollment for benefits. During this time all employees are offered the chance to discount their portion of health care costs by participating in wellness activities. These activities include, blood pressure screening, cholesterol screenings, weight and measurements as well as a survey to determine our habits. The company doesn’t demand that a person lose weight or watch what they eat. However, they do offer resources to help maintain your health.

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

There are a vast number of types of workplace wellness programs. In general, workplace wellness programs encourage people to take steps to prevent the onset or worsening of a health condition or sickness and to adopt lifestyles that are healthier. Businesses may implement many types of workplace wellness programs, from onsite gyms to simple workplace wellness newsletters. While some corporations have instituted very comprehensive workplace wellness

6.0 Preliminary Project RequirementsThe main features of the Recreation and Wellness Intranet Project will be to inform employees about health issues and allow them to: 1. Register for company-sponsored recreational programs 2. Register for company-sponsored classes and programs to include weight loss, stress reduction, smoking cessation and other health related issues. 3. Track data on employee participation. 4. Offer incentives for employees to join programs and do well. 5. Other features as they are suggested by our employees and health insurance providers, if they add value to our business.

In the article, there are six options what company can do to help their employees to stay healthy and at the same time cut their costs.