Why should my business develop a worksite wellness program? How much will it cost? Here's what a worksite wellness program can do for an employer:

Reduce absenteeism
Improve productivity and presenteeism (when employees are at work but are not as productive as usual due to stress, depression, injury, illness)
Control increasing health care costs
Reduce injuries
Improve employee morale and retention

Healthy employees miss fewer days of work, so they are more productive and have fewer health care costs. Employee turnover is expensive; a wellness program is an added benefit that can encourage employees to stay.

Chronic diseases (such as heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis) which are largely preventable through attention to healthy lifestyles and preventive services, cause 70 percent of all deaths each year and account for 75 percent of our $1.4 trillion annual healthcare costs. If these things don't change, by the year 2011 our nation will spend over $2.8 trillion annually on healthcare.

    

Encouraging the physical health or fitness of employees is another important aspect of worksite health promotion. Employees who are overweight and eat poorly are often lethargic, unhealthy and prone to illness and accidents. In addition unhealthy employees accumulate significantly more sick hours than their healthy coworkers.

Worksite health promotion should include assisting all levels of employees to take care of themselves physically. Employees who are physically fit and eat properly will make better decisions, miss less time from work and experience a much lower rate of illness and accidents.

Employees who start maintaining a healthier lifestyle will notice remarkable improvements in their mental alertness, disposition and stamina in a relatively short period of time.

Employers who believe in worksite health promotion should also implement avenues to assist employees suffering from problems of abuse or addiction. Employees suffering from addictions often find that the negative effects on their personal lives eventually start to appear at their workplace.

Some companies may choose to implement a zero-tolerance policy for drugs, alcohol or smoking. Others will take a more proactive approach to worksite health promotion; they may offer on-site counselors who are able to encourage employees to quit smoking, gambling, drinking or using drugs.