Employee wellness programs help reduce absenteeism.
Rising health-care costs have led employers to find new and innovate ways to reduce the amount they spend on those costs. One of the methods adopted by a number of employers, both large and small, is the implementation of workplace wellness programs. After implementation, many employers find that wellness programs have positive effects in other areas, including absenteeism.
Workplace Wellness Programs
Wellness programs focus on increasing the overall health and well-being of employees through preventative care and quality-of-life-boosting activities. Some of the initiatives that fall under wellness programs are smoking-cessation programs, free or on-site health screenings, company-sponsored fitness programs, reimbursements for health- and fitness-related activities, healthy food options, nutritionist and diet services, stress relief programs, and drug and alcohol programs.
Reduced Absenteeism
There is a proven correlation between the implementation of an employee wellness program and a drop in absenteeism. As far back as 1990, David Bonner of the "Greensboro News and Record" conducted a meta-analysis based on the results of research articles that showed that wellness programs result in a reduction in employee absenteeism. In 2008, Great Britain's Health Work Well-being Executive commissioned a study from PriceWaterhouseCooper that examined the positive effects of wellness programs on a variety of corporate areas. According to the study, of the 55 employers who responded to the survey, 45 reported a reduction in absenteeism and sickness that they directly attributed to their wellness program. The average reduction among respondents ran between 30 and 40 percent, with some employers reporting reductions as high as 97 percent.
Chronic Illness
Wellness programs achieve this reduction in absenteeism in several ways. One is by the prevention and control of chronic illness through a proactive combination of diet, exercise and behavioral modification. A 2008 study commissioned by the World Economic Forum showed that 40 percent of total amount of time lost by the working-age population (15 to 69 years of age) in 2005 was due to chronic illness. These illnesses include such preventable conditions as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and other obesity-related health issues. By improving the overall health and fitness of employees, wellness programs keep these illnesses at bay and eliminate related absenteeism.
Minor Illnesses
Serious chronic illnesses are not the only cause of absenteeism. A great deal of time is lost on the job due to minor illnesses such as the common cold and other upper respiratory infections. The increase in fitness that results from wellness programs helps employees avoid taking time off to recover from these bugs. A study published online by the "British Journal of Sports Medicine" in November 2010 showed that, among a group of 1,002 adults, those with a higher fitness level had less severe symptoms that lasted a shorter amount of time.
Indirect Effects
Wellness programs also reduce absenteeism and boost productivity in indirect ways. The Health Work Well-being Executive study also found that employers saw a reduction in occupational accidents and a boost in morale. Employees did not lose as much time recovering from accidental injury. They were also less likely to take "mental health days" because they were happier with their job and their employer.
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