"Companies that are committed to wellness believe employee health
is a competitive advantage," adds Jim Hummer,
president of
Cleveland-based Whole Health Management, which operates health
centers for corporate clients.
A competitive advantage that can generate big dollars for
sponsoring companies. According to the Wellness Councils of
America, an
Omaha,
Nebraska, company that is a leader in work-site
wellness promotions, bottom line results include:
- $1.42 returned for every dollar invested in wellness by
Dupont.
- $3.40 returned for every dollar spent on wellness by Travelers
Corp.
- $1.68 returned for every dollar spent by
Las Vegas,
- Nevada-based Reynolds Electrical & Engineering.
Another case in point: A nine-year study of some 18,000 domestic
employees who participated in J&J's wellness programs showed
that the company saved an average of $225 per employee per year.
The healthiest approach
Corporate wellness programs vary widely. Some programs consist of
monthly health-related speakers - perhaps a cardiologist talking
about diet's impact on
heart disease, for example. Keeping stacks
of health-info brochures on hand is the only follow-up.
Other companies - "a fast-growing number," says Ceridian's Bragen -
are taking steps to provide employees with more formalized, ongoing
offerings. And at least some companies are so persuaded about the
benefits that they are dangling tasty incentives in front of
participating employees.
At Provo, Utah-based Nu Skin Enterprises, a developer of
nutritional products, about 1,200 employees (of 1,500 total)
actively participate in a comprehensive program that involves lab
tests, personal exercise and diet plans, and occasional, 15-minute
one-on-one chats with staff wellness coordinator Brian Hunt.
"Conservatively we believe we are getting a twofold return on every
dollar invested in employee wellness," Hunt says.