Employee Wellness Program

Employee Wellness Program

Progressive companies of today are continuing with employee wellness program. Corporate-sponsored healthcare programs as gaining in popularity and as being well suited to increase the mental and physical health of employees.

Wellness programs primarily focus on four areas:
1) fitness projects,
2) screening and testing,
3) stress management, and
4) nutrition and wellness education.

Benefits of these programs may include reduced absenteeism, increased employee productivity, and enhancement of the corporate image. Almost 60% of organizations with more than one hundred employees offer some type of wellness training.

Although many company-sponsored wellness programs exist, little research on health promotion in the workplace has been published. However, several popular periodicals offer valuable company-specific information describing their wellness programs.

Baxter also features an on-site corporate fitness center. A division of Motorola, Wireless Data Group supports their wellness program by offering training called “Let’s Get Physical” with a sports-centered approach.

Coors Brewing Company established a comprehensive wellness program including health risk assessment, nutritional counseling, stress management training, and programs for smoking cessation, weight loss, orthopedic exercise, and aerobic exercise.

Between 1988 and 1989 the company’s healthcare cost rose 5.9% while other industries averaged more than 18%. Coors has wellness as a stated company priority.

Control Data implemented a wellness program to assist in reducing healthcare costs and improving productivity. The “STAYWELL” program goal is to encourage workers to stop smoking, develop proper eating habits, reduce stress by attending training, and improve physical health.

It is apparent that a wide variety of programs exist and that many corporate wellness programs include stress management training as a component. However, it is not apparent whether or not wellness programs are the comprehensive umbrella under which most stress management training exists.