"Warm up for work" Program run by a Prime Health Group exercise physiologist

EHS Today recently reported on a survey undertaken by Buck Consultants called “Working Well: A Global Survey of Health Promotion and Workplace Wellness Strategies”.

The global study analyzed responses from more than 1,100 organizations representing 10 million employees in 45 countries.

It found that improving productivity by keeping employees healthy and working is emerging as the top business objective.  As a result, company wellness programs are very popular for businesses worldwide.

Don R. Powell, PhD., president and CEO, American Institute of Preventive Medicine, pointed out that successful employee wellness programs receive an average return on investment (ROI) of $3.48 to 1 due to reduced health care costs and $5.82 to 1 due to reduced absenteeism, making them worth considering.

“HR managers should consider issues such as maximizing employee participation, involving dependents, teaching wise consumerism as well as online employee wellness programs that manage chronic diseases,” Powell said.

Not surprisingly, the Wellness Study found that across the world, the top work health concern was stress.  Although, in the US the top health concerns were lack of exercise and poor nutrition.

At the Health and Productivity Forum in February 2009, Ron Loeppke from Alere discussed the relationship between health, productivity and business strategy.  He discussed the results from the largest multi-employer study which confirm that the health of the workforce is inextricably linked to the productivity of the workforce and, therefore, to the health of the bottom line. In the study, productivity losses from absenteeism and presenteeism, combined with direct medical costs, amounted to four times the direct medical costs alone.

But how important are wellness programs in Australia?

A recent article in the Sunday Herald Sun (Jan 3, 2010), mentioned how the majority of Victorian workers are in need of medical attention with builders and drivers being labeled the state’s unhealthiest employees.

According to results from the WorkHealth occupational check-up program, more than half of the 14,000 employess that have been tested  are at “high risk” of serious health problems. Incidentally, more than 50 per cent of people who registered for the WorkHealth program since July 2009 rated their health as “excellent”.

Workers found to be at greater risk were in the transport, storage and construction industries, with more than 2 in 3 staff found to be in high risk categories.  This includes conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.

Karyn Foote from Prime Health Group, an Endorsed Service Provider with WorkHealth  says “Our clients are now combining workplace health assessments, with health & wellness initiatives and online wellness programs. This combination is engaging those staff that typically don’t participate in health and wellness activities, resulting in better staff retention and a happy, healthy and productive workforce”.

For more information about getting a health assessment for your company visit Prime Health Group or contact WorkHealth.