There is an ongoing debate to determine the effectiveness of employee health programs. Should companies invest in their workers’ wellness?

Though the opposing side views company involvement with personal health as invasive, employee wellness programs show benefits for both the employer and employee.

Here are five reasons why business owners should take considerable care in regards to their employees’ health.

1. Reduce Health Risks

Wellness programs build platforms around the idea of instilling positive health habits and behaviors. Two common and familiar actions to practice include eating healthy foods and exercising.

Unhealthy work environments sometimes cause unhealthy diets and lack of activity. Fortunately, it only takes six weeks to improve health risks, such as a heart attack, drastically. Practicing proactive wellness habits in the office helps create longevity in the life of employees.

2. Productivity Increase

Memory and focus skills prosper from physical activity, increasing worker productivity. By increasing activity levels, employees can annually produce an average of 10.3 more hours of productivity. That can save a company $353 every year for every healthy and physically active worker.

Higher productivity levels also result in more engagement from individuals and morale boosts. The results of wellness programs are proven effective. Seventy-seven percent of employees participating in health programs at work said they see the positive influence such programs have on the company culture.

3. Lower Health Care Costs

Almost 100 different studies have primarily focused on and studied the financial influence of health and fitness programs in the workplace. If a company adopts a successful wellness program, health care costs have the potential to decrease.

To paint a better picture, when companies choose to invest in wellness programs, their return on health care costs are three times higher than when they decide not to invest. For every dollar spent on a health plan, a business saves $3.27 on health care cost reduction.

4. Tax Incentives

Do you own a small business in Massachusetts, Indiana, Mississippi, or Kentucky? If you do, you’re in luck. These states have recognized the critical need for healthy employees and the positive impact that has on the economy. They support the implementation of wellness programs into small businesses by offering tax credits on money spent towards this arena.

 

Encouraging these programs in businesses also helps decrease employee absenteeism. Increasing healthy behaviors eliminates causes of absenteeism, such as lack of stress control, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high glucose, and obesity.

5. Improve Recruiting

As we learned earlier, healthy habits result in higher productivity levels. When companies are on the hunt for the ideal candidate to hire, a high productivity level is a crucial asset.

High productivity rates are a direct reflection of a healthy lifestyle.  Companies that include wellness programs in their hiring packages as a unique perk are more likely to attract top talent. Businesses who deliberately show potential hires that employees are not only cared about but invested into, as well, will more likely trump money-focused competition.

Establishing a wellness program can be time-consuming, though. With help from StaffScapes, together, we can create a better HR environment, avoid pitfalls and let you focus on what you do best.

We’d love the opportunity to examine where you are and where we can go together. For more information, call our PEO experts today.