Drug Education and Intervention in the Workplace

A Worksite Health Promotion Program is an accross the board program to assist and support staff members in adopting healthier lifestyles.  This may include increasing employee awareness on health subject matters, scheduling behavior modification programs, and/or adopting organization policies that support health-related objectives.  Programs and policies that reward increased physical exercise, tobacco use prevention and cessation, and healthy food selections are a few examples.  

Dimensions of Wellness

Wellness is much more than fitness alone.  In addition to physical fitness, the ranges of good health include:

   • Spiritual Wellness,
   • Emotional Dimension of Wellness,
   • Social Wellness,
   • Intellectual Dimension of Wellness

These ranges are often depicted as a “life wheel” with examples of health components that include fitness, nutrition, purpose in life, financial planning, social connections & reinforcement systems, stress management, mind-body health, career planning and continued learning.   The key behind individual health is keeping the “life wheel” in allignment.  A comprehensive workplace wellness program addresses most, if not all, of these ranges.

Why Workplace Wellness Programs?

workers spend much time on the job, and the reality is that our traditional work-week is growing.  In fact, the everyday American now is at work about 47 hours per week.  In addition, innovations such as modems, laptop computers, cell phones, voice and email have made vague the line between life and work.  These realities diminish the amount of time that the average individual is able to devote to health & wellness pursuits, and yet workers are predicted to be at top performance when at work.

A current study by the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses saw that workplace wellness or Employee Health Promotion Programs are efficacious in helping employees to make positive health changes due to several factors such as convenience, environmental support, and co-worker or social acceptance.  

What’s the Connection between Wellness and the Workplace?

Programs and policies that promote healthy behaviors are able to make a tremendous difference on employee wellness AND have an influence on the organization’s bottom line.  Studies show that for every dollar invested by employers in Worksite Health Promotion Programs/wellness programs, there were savings from $1.49 to $4.91 with a median savings of $3.14*.  In organization jargon, that’s more than a 3:1 minimum return on investment – a number that is hard to disregard, and a best practice that ought to warrant serious consideration from employers.  In fact, a Worksite Health Promotion Program literature review posted in Health Promotion Practitioner Journal observed:

   • 19 research studies found a 28.3 percent decrease in sick leave
   • 16 research studies established a 5.6:1 ROI
   • 23 showed a 26.1 percent reduction in health care expenditures
   • 4 saw a 30 percent decline in direct healthcare and workers’ compensation claims

There is little doubt that a comprehensive wellness program designed to meet a business’s specific needs can save money by decreasing absenteeism, decreasing health care expenditures, decreasing employee turnover, and expanding work rate.

• The United States Department of Health & Human Services, 2003