Offering a Wellness Program Makes Sense

Wellness programs make sense. For years, large employers have realized this and have reaped the rewards of comprehensive wellness programming. Elaborate incentive strategies, online portals, and on-site fitness centers and cafeterias have proved to increase employee well-being and company productivity.

Although the direct impact of wellness programming on health insurance premiums remains foggy, the impact on overall employee health, engagement, productivity and morale has been well documented. Not to mention that adding wellness to a benefit package is a powerful tool to attract and retain highly qualified employees.

Small and midsized employers, however, struggle to offer this benefit due to the frustration, time and cost of trying to make a large employer program work for them.

There are options, however:

1. Offer to reimburse or reward employees for participating in programs on their own, such as community events, weight loss programs or tobacco cessation programs.
2. Designate a staff member or committee to implement programming. Incorporate programs such as Live Healthy America that have everything needed for a small business to participate.
3. Partner with a wellness vendor to coordinate and run your program for you. There are programs designed for small and midsized groups that rival wellness programs of even the largest employers, including a customized online platform, health risk assessment, employee assistance program, health coaching, on-site programs and more. Programs such as Focus OneWellness, offered by Focus OneSource, also include the services of a wellness professional to relieve the burden of the business owner or staff to plan and implement programming, for minimal cost.

An employee benefit that provides resources for employees and their families, increases productivity, aids in retaining and recruiting valuable employees, helps to contain health care costs, and improves employee morale isn’t too good to be true. It just makes sense.