Employee Health Promotion Creates Wealth

Employee Health Promotion Programs Create a Superior Work Environment
With constant chatter about the declining state of the economy, businesses are searching for additional methods to increase productivity and lessen ongoing costs. Employee health promotion is one of the easiest and most proactive ways for a business to decrease employee healthcare expenses. The price of healthcare often costs a company a large percentage of its profits, however with preventative measures, numerous companies have been able to decrease healthcare spending, hospital visits, and productivity losses due to sick employees.

Many companies have created employee health promotion programs. Some of the more popular activities provided within these programs are smoking cessation programs, shared information about nutritional guidelines, and programs to encourage employees to exercise. While a number of larger businesses may offer a gym membership or even an on-site fitness facility, smaller businesses can encourage employees to remain active by such counting steps per day or allowing fifteen minute breaks to go for a walk.

Wellness fairs are an effective way to teach employees about keeping themselves healthy. Often included in wellness fairs are the teaching of stress relieving techniques such as easy desk exercises, tips about healthier lunches, and information about support groups for smoking cessation, weight loss, or stress relief. Wellness fairs also include free incentives such as free fifteen minute chair massages, blood pressure checks, blood glucose checks, and contests with prizes. While it may seem considerably stressful for an employer to lessen productivity for one day so that employees may attend a wellness fair, the knowledge that the employees will gain and the long term benefits to the company will completely outweigh any minor losses for one day.

While many companies have recognized the importance of employee health promotion, there are also quite a few employers who have failed to understand the benefits or implement programs for their employees. In order to retain higher quality employees, one needs to become a more desirable employer and provide health programs that will encourage and keep employees in better shape physically and mentally.