Employers need to recognize that wellness starts at work

HEALTH

We all know that moderate exercise, proper diet and not smoking are essentials for good health, right? How many of us follow through on it? According to a 2016 study published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings, only 2.7% of Americans meet this fairly low standard of healthy living. And yet collectively, employers spend upward of $8 billion a year on wellness programs. As is evident from the Mayo statistic, these programs underperform by most measures.

This disconnect between the near-universal adoption of workplace wellness programs and their demonstrably lackluster results leads to some fundamental questions. Is the workplace an appropriate venue for wellness programs, and, if so, is it the best venue?

While many wellness efforts have been unproductive, invasive and demoralizing, I offer a line-in-the-sand position: The workplace is not just an appropriate venue for wellness but actually the very best one — provided that leadership is willing to make a long-term commitment to wellness programs. Here’s why.

— A CRITICAL WORKPLACE ISSUE: Studies have shown that well-being — a combination of physical, mental and spiritual health — is of primary importance in the workplace. Consider employee engagement, which is greatly affected by workers’ physical health and well-being. While we can argue about the best ways to maximize productivity, it’s hard to dispute that the physical, mental and (yes) emotional conditions of employees are very much the business of the company, given that they greatly impact performance, morale and absenteeism. Plus, let

us not forget that companies pay a significant portion of employees’ health insurance costs, which are directly affected by employee wellness.

— WHERE THE ACTION IS: In the U.S., for instance, the workplace contains the largest single daily gathering of people. Moreover, Americans often spend more time working than doing anything else, including sleeping. While at work, employers have employees’ attention and the means of communication and program delivery. This makes the workplace an optimal opportunity for wellness efforts.

— LOWER HEALTH CARE COSTS: Other than the debilitating practice of reducing employee coverage and increasing the shares employees pay for their insurance, improving employee wellness is the only way employers can lower health insurance premiums.

— WELLNESS DONE RIGHT IS EFFECTIVE: We should not waste time and resources on stupidly designed and implemented programs, such as those that are under fire by the critics. There is a better way. Companies that focus less on reducing their costs and focus more on linking employee values with company goals have had success by almost any measure.

— A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE: Gallup estimates that lack of employee engagement costs American businesses $550 billion a year and that healthy, engaged workers provide a distinct competitive advantage by arriving at their jobs ready to work.

So let us move the discussion away from whether workplace wellness programs are appropriate and toward how they should be carried out.