Drug Education and Intervention in the Workplace

Major advantages of healthy staff members include:

• Decreased Medical Care costs
• Reduced Injuries
• Diminished Absenteeism
• Boosted Morale and Loyalty
• Higher Productivity
• Diminished Use of Medical Care Benefits
• Diminished Workers’ Comp/Disability
• Positive Image in Community
• Lowered Turnover
• Improved recruitment for able employee

What is NOT Having a Company Wellness Program Costing Your Business?  

Let us look at the health risk factors that are contributing to chronic diseases for adults:

• 59% of American adults are overweight or obese
• More than 60% of Americans do not get regular exercise
• Greater than 75 percent of adults do not consume the minimum recommendations for fruits and vegetables
• Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death and the leading cause of death in smokers
• 26% of staff members stated they were often or very often burned out or stressed by their occupation  

Medical Care expenses are On the Rise:  Medical Care costs are at a record high of $1.7 trillion with no signs of holding steady, let alone going down.  The average expense of annual health care spending is over $5,000 per person and with dependents almost $10,000.  Recent data shows that health care related expenses now cost North Carolina organizations thousands of dollars per employee, each year.

Most Illnesses Can Be Avoided:  Although it sounds unbelievable, experts state that preventable illness makes up 60 percent – 70 percent of the entire burden of illness in the U.S..   In North Carolina, it is estimated that more than 53 percent of all deaths are preventable, and that 2/3 of all preventable deaths are due to tobacco use, physical inactivity, and poor diet.

Stress Levels are Increasing:  As employer resources dwindle and corporations adopt less-costly work practices, the effects of absenteeism and productivity lost have a more powerful effect.  In a recent nationwide poll, 78% of the population described their jobs as stressful, and most felt that stress levels have increased over The previous 10 years.  Moreover, high levels of employer stress are able to adversely affect a employer by increasing injuries, absenteeism, and healthcare costs while decreasing work rate.  Simple solutions such as stress management education, flexible work schedules, quality social interaction, and increased participation in employer decision-making are able to improve stress levels in the workplace.

What is the Initial Cost and Time Investment for a Workplace Wellness Program?

The cost is dependent upon the type of Corporate Wellness Program implemented.  There are several options to reward employee health with pros and cons of each.  The program design is dependent upon the goals/objectives of the wellness program, the business resources, and the area resources available.  

Improving nutrition, expanding physical exercise levels, managing stress or addressing work life balance concerns, and decreasing/eliminating tobacco use, are primary strategies for preventing many of the most common preventable chronic diseases. The possibilities of how your company addresses these concerns are endless and can range from expanding employee awareness, which may include purchasing a few handouts on a variety of topics, and measuring walking distances around your facility, to instituting company support such as funding a full-time occupational health professional or building an workplace fitness center.  

When well-planned and based on your goals, any of these programs can help you succeed.  Refer below to Worksite Health Promotion Program Design Options for additional ideas.