On the Road to Wellness

The rationale for employee health

It seems so logical: if you improve the health and well-being employees, their quality of life will improve, healthcare utilization will decrease, disability will be controlled, and productivity enhanced.

But until recently, advocates of worksite health promotion (WHP) and health and productivity management (HPM) initiatives have been hard-pressed to produce an economic argument for wellness programs.

Fortunately, the scientific evidence showing a link between employee health and profitability is mounting. We know, for instance, that:

• Many illnesses are preventable and many risk factors (i.e. smoking, inactivity, diet) can be modified

• Modifiable health risks—which are often associated with higher healthcare costs—can be improved through employer-sponsored health promotion and disease preventions programs

• Improvements in a population’s health risk profile can lead to reductions in healthcare costs

• Worksite health promotion and disease prevention programs can save money and produce a positive return on investment.

Employee mental health is of particular interest to businesses. Extreme stress often manifests itself in physical conditions, such as gastrointestinal problems and headaches.
Individual stress can also negatively affect organizational climate. The costs of increased stress are measurable at the individual and organizational level.

If stress and stress-related health issues are addressed properly, more time and attention can be devoted to work tasks. Further when workers utilize HPM programs, some portion of debilitating illness can be averted, and in many cases worker health is enhanced.

A business case for increased funding of health promotion and disease prevention programs can therefore be formulated with a productivity improvement rationale.

Ron Goetzel, PhD, is a research professor and director, Institute for Health and Productivity Studies, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, and vice-president, consulting and applied research, Thomson Healthcare.