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The Real Benefits And Costs Of An Employee Wellness Program

November 28, 2022, by New City Insurance

upset employee in the officeNearly half of all US businesses offer some type of health promotion or wellness program, according to a study published in the American Journal of Health Promotion. Wellness programs are often offered to employees as a preventative measure to reduce illnesses while improving the overall health of the workforce. This can be achieved through communication, education, and a supportive work environment.

Today, employee wellness programs are in virtually every industry and offer both employers and employees a range of valuable benefits. Of course, it is also important to consider the costs associated with starting and running these programs.

Assisting Employees in Adopting and Managing Healthier Behaviors

Employee wellness programs go by several names, such as corporate health solutions, workplace wellness programs, and employee well-being programs. Regardless of the term used, these programs share a common goal which is to help improve the health and wellness of the workforce.

These initiatives aid employees in adopting healthier lifestyle habits to avoid illness, overcome chronic conditions, and maintain holistic health. Healthy habits in employees often result in positive health outcomes, greater engagement, and higher productivity. Employee wellness programs are often tailored to work sites to take into account the unique needs of workers in a particular industry.

What Should an Employee Wellness Program Include?

There is no one-size-fits-all for employee wellness programs. When building an employee wellness program for a business, consider the following ideas:

employees with dumbells in office during fitness session

  • Provide fitness breaks – Offer employees periodic breaks to stretch their legs and get in a quick workout. This could range from a short walk around the building to a series of standing exercises at their desk.
  • Invest in ergonomic furniture – The right office chair can make all the difference in the comfort and physical health of employees. Invest in quality ergonomic furniture for the workplace to reduce physical strain on employees.
  • Offer healthy foods – Instead of having chips and other unhealthy food options in the break room, cafeteria, or vending machine, supply workers with healthy options.
  • Become pet-friendly – Mental health is just as important as physical health. Allowing your employees to bring their pets to work can boost happiness and morale.
  • Consider health incentives – Many employees respond well to health incentives outside the workplace, such as discounts on gym memberships or coupons for local health food stores.

The Costs of Creating and Maintaining an Employee Wellness Program

The cost of starting and maintaining an employee wellness program can vary significantly from one business to the next. Employers must consider what types of incentives and opportunities they want to provide to their workforce.

For example, employers that choose to offer their employees a discount on a gym membership must consider the cost of a gym membership and the number of employees likely to participate. Partnering with a local gym could help save money on membership fees.

Biometric screenings are a popular wellness program option designed to measure health risks. Common biometric measures include cholesterol, blood pressure, blood glucose, cancer screening, and body fat (BMI). Biometric screenings are fairly affordable but can provide great insight as to what employees require the most assistance.

Some companies will also want to look into the cost of other employee wellness incentives, such as health coaching companies. Hiring a health coach to meet with employees to work on issues like weight, nutrition, and smoking can be a great investment.

The Advantages of Implementing an Employee Wellness Program

Many employers wonder if the advantages of implementing an employee wellness program are worth the cost. In the majority of cases, the answer is yes. Here are some of the top benefits of putting an employee wellness program into action:

Companies Experience Higher Productivity Rates

man maximizing productivity meterOne of the biggest benefits that companies can achieve when they introduce an employee wellness program is higher productivity rates. According to a study by the University of California, Riverside, corporate wellness programs have been found to save businesses money by reducing health insurance costs and absenteeism.

The results of the study also found that a wellness program resulted in higher productivity in all participating employees. This significant improvement was approximately equal to an additional productive workday per month for the average employee.

Employees Are More Engaged in Meetings, Less Disruptive, and More Role Focused

Employee wellness benefits have also been found to improve engagement, help workers maintain greater focus on their job responsibilities, and are less disruptive in the workplace.

According to the Go Five-Year Study, employees who were highly engaged in rewards and wellness programs offered by their employers over the course of several years were found to be more productive and had fewer unhealthy days.

Employee wellness programs are designed to boost employees’ physical, emotional, mental, and financial health. In turn, employers experience reduced absenteeism and employee turnover. Reducing workplace disruptions resulted in lower stress levels, higher employee engagement, and workers who are more focused on their key tasks.

Decrease Your Employee’s Monthly Health-Care Premium Costs

healthcare cost conceptHealth-care costs continue to be a concern among employees struggling to make ends meet. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey, employers pay about 83 percent of their employee’s health insurance premiums for single coverage and about 73 percent for family coverage. Just 27 percent of small business employees do not pay any percentage of their health-care premiums.

Investing in an employee wellness program is an effective way to help reduce the monthly health-care premium costs of employees. These programs strive to reduce health-care costs by providing employees with interventions that help them manage their level of risk and adopt healthier lifestyle habits. Decreasing monthly premium costs may also result in fewer insurance claims that need to be filed.

Reduce Absenteeism and Improve Employee Health

Another major benefit of employee wellness programs is reduced absenteeism. There are many reasons why employees may choose to not come to work, such as stress, anxiety, depression, illness, lack of motivation, injury, physical disability, or anger toward the company.

Oftentimes, employee absenteeism is linked to an employee’s mental and physical health. Implementing an employee wellness program can help improve employee health by providing workers with incentives. In addition to wellness incentives like ergonomic furniture, pet days, and retirement plans, consider giving benefits-based incentives like:

  • Paid vacation days
  • Discounts on health insurance premiums
  • Contributions to investment savings accounts
  • Lower insurance co-pays or deductibles
  • Contributions to health savings accounts

Start Building an Employee Wellness Program That Works for Your Organization

employee health insurance conceptA well-designed and implemented employee wellness program has the ability to not only help employees but also save employers money. According to a brief by the RAND Corporation, the return on investment (ROI) for disease management programs is $3.80, meaning a return of $3.80 for every dollar an employer invested in the program. The ROI from lifestyle management programs is 50 cents, resulting in a total ROI of $1.50 from both employee wellness programs.

The experienced team at New City Insurance helps businesses build customized wellness plans designed to drive engagement. New City wellness plans include incentive rewards, data-proven wellness strategies, and an online platform and mobile app to help employees stay on top of their health. To consult with a New City wellness professional, request a consultation online or call 888.210.2765.

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Filed Under: Wellness Plans

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New City Insurance
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Carol Zhang
Carol Zhang
04:29 06 Mar 22
As a rapidly expanding national media organization, the employee benefits strategy and administration that New City has provided us during our growth has been invaluable. They have been proactive about informing us of the different benefit strategies available to us as we grow as well as managing the additional compliance laws and reporting requirements at each stage of our growth.
Claudia Villalobos
Claudia Villalobos
20:14 03 Mar 22
New City Insurance made navigating through all the health insurances super EASY. Their documents are highly informative, professional, and easy to work with. Thank you for making the process of choosing a health plan so simple. You guys are THE BEST!
Philippe Salas
Philippe Salas
17:02 22 Feb 22
I never expected to have a good time talking to an insurance salesman, but let me tell you Brendan was quite the treat. He was very helpful explaining the options and has a wonderful sense of humor. I hope to speak with him every time I call.
Jennifer Polito
Jennifer Polito
17:15 09 Feb 22
Super easy enrollment process. Fast and friendly customer service. If you are looking for an insurance company that is there for you every step of the way I highly recommend New City Insurance.
Rocky Salas
Rocky Salas
23:46 07 Jan 22
So friendly, I hope to speak to him again in all my future insurance needs.
Rocky Salas
Rocky Salas
23:38 07 Jan 22
So friendly and soft spoken. I hope to speak to him again in all my future insurance needs.
Jose Brena
Jose Brena
13:20 06 Jan 22
Eric Calciano has been extremely helpful in finding and selecting the right insurance coverage for our company. With many options out there Eric assisted us on getting a low cost provider saving more than 20% than from our competitors and providing excellent coverage for our employees.
Anastasia Beaverhousen
Anastasia Beaverhousen
17:05 28 Dec 21
Signing up for insurance was quick and easy. Felicity Sundsboe
SFCC
SFCC
22:08 29 Nov 21
Jeff Stoltey and his team provide excellent customer service. Jeff has always provided my company SFCC with straightforward options. I went to a larger insurance company only to RUN BACK to Jeff at New City Insurance. I recommend them to anyone needing insurance without hesitation.
Kevin Luby
Kevin Luby
19:13 22 Oct 21
Quick, easy & informative. We were able to secure quality insurance for our small business on a tight deadline. Thanks for the help New City.
Theresa Ruybol
Theresa Ruybol
19:30 01 Jul 21
Eric was so great with us. He was very patient and kind as we are a newer smaller organization who is growing rapidly. With that said, we had made our inquiry, he had great rapid response and mostly had to wait on me. Any request that we made and/or questions we had, he was great answering and helping us understand. Then when we were ready for all documents and to move forward, Brendan helped with getting that together and the two of them worked their magic on New City's end to notify me of what was needed, assist me in that process and confirming that all was complete and approved for the coverage. I just want to say thank you all again so much, as insurance has always been confusing to me, and you all made that process go a lot smoother.Thank you
Andrea Ordendorff
Andrea Ordendorff
21:06 07 May 21
I've been working with both Clayton and Brendan for well over a year. As the purchase of our dental practice was delayed well over 14 months they both patiently supported me and continued to make themselves available. When we were officially ready to sign up they made the whole process seamless and super easy. This team is highly knowledgeable, professional, supportive, and efficient! I can't thank them enough for everything they've done.
T W
T W
22:32 30 Aug 20
I love New City Insurance. I never had a good experience dealing with insurance brokers until I started working with Brendan. He’s awesome! He is patient with me and takes the time to answer all my questions. I’m very grateful for all his help and hard work!
Mary Jane Deyette
Mary Jane Deyette
00:57 11 May 20
Jeff Stoltey is so awesome...even thru my company had only two employees, he took the time each year to research and find the best plan for us. The only reason I am leaving New City Insurance is because we no longer have any employees. Thank you Jeff
Alma Ortiz
Alma Ortiz
22:25 23 Feb 20
Brendan was awesome! I couldn't figure out how to pick my plan and he returned my call on a weekend to help me. Outstansing service!
jessica kavanagh
jessica kavanagh
19:53 13 Feb 20
Brendan was so helpful I definitely recommend him if you’re in need of good help and getting it done promptly. Thankyou so much again.
Tricia DeYoung
Tricia DeYoung
19:49 13 Feb 20
I was very thankful I inquired about this info. with Brendan. He was very helpful so I understand the benefits available much better now. Thank you Brendan.
B Bayer
B Bayer
17:43 24 Sep 19
NCI handled almost everything from start to finish. Clayton and Brendan made the plans easy to understand and walked me through the application process. They got me my ID numbers before my cards arrived so that I could keep an appointment I had already scheduled. My last broker wouldn't have done that. 5 stars!
Jessica Lehr
Jessica Lehr
03:36 07 Jun 19
Our staff was interested in a health plan, but we didn't know how beneficial a solid employee benefits package would be for our business to expand. We'd lose prospective employees because they had more options for their medical insurance which was sometimes more valuable than more pay. The New City team was amazing and gave us as many affordable options as possible so that everyone had their needs met.
Mike McClay
Mike McClay
19:36 03 May 19
My employer uses New City as their insurance broker, and I'm always amazed when I call in for assistance by how knowledgeable and attentive their staff is with my requests. Their online benefits platform makes selecting insurance plans pretty darn easy. I would highly recommend their services.
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