The Healthy Employee

EXERCISE. CAN REDUCE COSTS… AND EVEN A WAISTLINE OR TWO.

Corporate Cost of Health

Add it up for your company.  Healthcare costs, absenteeism, reduced productivity.   Research shows that 50% of these costs (or more) are a result of lifestyle choices. People aren’t eating right, aren’t getting regular moderate exercise, aren’t getting enough sleep, aren’t finding ways to deal with stress.   The key word is CHOICE.  And these costs are having a significant impact on your bottom line. 

Exercise by itself can make a difference for the business

Some real-world experience:

• Reduced Health-Care Costs- At Steelcase Corporation, medical claim costs were 55 percent lower among corporate fitness program participants than non-participants over a six-year period.
• Reduced Absenteeism- DuPont saw a 47.5 percent reduction in absenteeism among participants in its corporate fitness program over a six year period.
• Increased Productivity- 80 percent of Union Pacific Railroad's employees said the exercise program was helped them become more productive at work, and for 75 percent, the regular exercise was helping them achieve higher levels concentration.
• Positive Return on Investment - Over five years, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Indiana realized a 250 percent return on its corporate fitness program investment—$2.51 for every $1 invested.
• Source: MeritCare Health System, American Journal of Health Promotion, Health Values, Health Behavior and the Canadian Journal of Public Health

Show employees How

It makes business sense.  Teach people to exercise at work – what to do, how to be very efficient using only 10 minutes in the office/at a desk (no gym required).  It’s actually pretty simple. And there are companies who can put a coach on-site very cost-effectively to get a program started and keep it going.  Go to www.beproactive.com - look at the website or give them a call. 

Expect employees to participate IN HEALTH PROGRAMS

If you make it clear that you value your employees, that you think their health is important, and that you expect them to make an effort to be healthy, you will be surprised how many of your employees are willing to engage.  People really do want to do the right thing.  They just don’t know how.  They don’t think they can/should do anything at work.  They feel silly if they are the only one.  Check out these websites for ideas, for ways to approach the issue, information. 

www.beproactive.com

www.welcoa.org

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1350231

http://www.health.harvard.edu/special_health_reports/Exercise.htm

WHAT THE HECK IS WELLNESS ANYWAY???

WELLNESS DEFINITIONS ARE ALL OVER THE MAP

Everyone has their owndefinition – that’s the challenge.  And the definitions can be narrow or ridulously broad.  I find it a bit frustrating when I talk with people - I’m never sure what they think wellness is.   

Here is a sampling of the definitions I have found.   As I mentioned above, there’s a continuum from narrowly focused on  disease management to very broad quality of life definitions that can come across as “touchy-feely” and soft.  As you read these, do you think any one of them is right? Do any of them align with the way you think about it?  Or do you have other ideas - which I would honestly like to hear.  Is it any wonder that people are confused or that the CFO or the bankers think that we are losing focus by talking wellness???

            WELLNESS IS…..

            Wellness – it’s about  proper and prompt disease management

            Wellness is about disease prevention and early detection.  And then prompt treatment, disease

            control/disease management

            It’s a plan to focus on health risk identification and risk reduction

            Wellness is the absence of disease

            Wellness is more than the absence of disease – it’s about being healthy.

            Wellness is a  holistic concept– mind, body, and spirit.

            Wellness – it’s about quality of life

            Wellness is about making good lifestyle choices – eating right, exercising, managing stress and

            not doing stupid things like smoking or abusing substances.

            Wellness is an active process through which people become aware of and make choices toward a

            more successful existence

            Wellness is a balanced healthy lifestyle – physical wellbeing (diet, exercise, stress          

            management, adequate sleep), emotional/mental health, personal satisfaction.

            Wellness has six dimensions  (according to the National Institute of Wellness)--

            physical, spiritual, intellectual, social, emotional, occupational

                                                                                          

CORPORATE FOCUS – COST CONTROL AND PRODUCTIVITY

I think companies should focus on dimensions of wellness that are broader than just disease management for employees.  Why?  Because there are dimensions of wellness that impact productivity and employee use of the healthcare system beyond just disease.  Find out what is costing you money.  Look at the healthcare expenses and also analyze what is impacting productivity and presenteeism.   Things like stress and back pain are probably costing you a lot of money in doctor visits, prescriptions AND lost work days and reduced effectiveness while at work.    And don’t just tell people you have a wellness program.  Not sure that anyone really cares.  Tell them what part of wellness you are focusing on and why.  I think that will help make the programs more relevant and more effective.  After all – we are running a business, right???

WELLNESS PROGRAMS CAN HAVE VERY POSITIVE ROI

It requires focus, commitment, and action from the company and from the employee.

Talk to experts.  Visit www.beproactive.com. 

BACKS AND BUSINESS - ACHING BACKS CAUSE PROFIT PAIN

BACK ACHES COST BUSINESS ALOT

Next to the common cold, back pain is the leading cause of lost work days  - an estimated 100 million working days are lost each year due to back pain.  It’s the most common cause of job-related disability. Companies feel it right where it hurts - the bottom line. Mayo Clinic estimates the annual cost of back pain – over $10 billion in lost productivity, medical benefits, and workers compensation.

Modern life is not actually designed to keep a back healthy. People spend mucho time sitting ( at work, at home) and unless they are exercising to strengthen their core, back and stomach muscles grow weak. Most don’t exercise enough, many don’t exercise at all.  Some enjoy sports – but that can involve regular thumps and bumps. And try lifting a 3 year-old into a child-seat.

SO WHAT’S A BUSINESS SUPPOSED TO DO?  JUST KEEP PAYING MEDICAL CLAIMS?

Manage it.  Regular exercise can really make a difference. Some very basic exercises can help reduce back pain and restore our backs to good health.  Take a look at these websites to get some ideas: 

www.beproactive.com

http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/7165/8254.html

http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/article2024.html

www.take5moment.com

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/31/an-olympians-cubicle-workout/?emc=eta1

Rather than just telling people they should exercise, you as a company could provide an exercise coach/fitness professional to run “strengthen your back” seminars throughout the workday 2 or 3 days a week.  On an ongoing basis.  Not just for a few weeks.  This is not a short term problem and it is not a short term solution.  

Stop saying that it isn’t practical.  It really wouldn’t cost a lot – and there would be benefit short and long term.  The actual “back strengthening” workshops don’t have to be long – just 15-20 minutes on a regular basis a couple of times a week.  They could be scheduled during people's regular coffee break times, before and after work, around lunchtime.  The workshops don’t require a gym or don’t need special equipment - office or conference room chairs and desks/tables work fine.  And the exercises can be designed to help people strengthen their core, strengthen their back without needing to shower.  If they are wearing business casual clothing that is comfortable, that will work. 

SMALL STEPS, SMALL INVESTMENTS CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN EMPLOYEE BACK HEALTH

I’ve said it  before--it’s not rocket science.   Many of your employees actually will participate.  Why?  Because their backs hurt routinely and would love to find something/anything that could reduce or eliminate discomfort.  Their backs will benefit from short exercise programs on a regular basis.  And they will get a boost of energy from the little exercise and stretch break that can actually make them more productive. I would love to hear from you about if you think this could make sense for your organization.  Get in touch with the folks at Proactive Partners to talk about some interesting approaches to the issue.  Visit www.beproactive.com

YOU NEED HEALTHY EMPLOYEES TO WIN

employees – your human capital

I don’t care if you are a small business owner or leader of a large corporation, you know that talent is what separates you from the competition. I know I have spent a lot of money on search firms to find the perfect person, spent a lot of money on training and development for everyone in the organization to have the skills to compete, spent lots of money on meetings and communication to get the organization focused and motivated. Talent – a significant and important investment.

UNHEALTHY EMPLOYEES – A PRODUCTIVITY AND COST NIGHTMARE

Sad to say that most of our employees are not at peak health.  That’s not to say that they’re sick – they just aren’t at their peak. They don’t exercise regularly, are stressed, eating poorly, probably not sleeping enough. The impact of these behaviors – sometimes it’s just not feeling 100% (know anyone why feels tip top every hour every day?). But frequently the result of these behaviors is high blood pressure or diabetes or being overweight or fatigue or backaches/neck pain/joint pain.  Or maybe a combination of these.  Get the facts/data from your benefits department -– lots of your employees are being treated for these conditions every day. And they are the people you are counting on – key sales managers, your top client relationship manager, the treasury associate who works you’re your lead bank every day. And because they aren’t 100% healthy, it means they really aren’t at their best.  You are losing effectiveness and productivity.  And it’s costing you cash - 70% of all healthcare costs in the U.S.are attributable to preventable risks and unhealthy choices including diet and lack of exercise.  (Source:  Wellness Council of America and The Center for Healthcare Economics)

EMPLOYEE TRAINING FOR HEALTH

There is value in teaching people to be healthy – reduced healthcare costs and improved productivity.  You can actually help employees get exercise everyday and you don’t need to build a gym or let them come in late so they can get to a healthclub - they can get exercise in the office at their desk while they work – see www.beproactive.com or http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/31/an-olympians-cubicle-workout/?emc=eta1

MAKE YOUR HUMAN CAPITAL ASSET PRODUCTIVE.

A resource to help you do this - www.beproactive.com

And check out these sites for interesting information on health and performance

http://www.sportsgeezer.com/sportsgeezer/

http://www.take5moment.com/

http://www.corporateathlete.com/training-ec.html