Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Will Healthier Workers Make For A Better Workplace?

By George Means


Most of us work to live, versus live to work. We all have different jobs. Most spend their days in an office, a few are luck to work outside. Almost everyone works the normal office hours. A few take the night shift. Irrespective of the job conditions and timing it is an accepted fact that the health of the employee is very important factor.

Does this work?

An example is the multinational Amway, which employs 3900 people. It saves 2 dollars on costs for every dollar it spends on healthcare prevention. How does this work? Most employees who have participated in their wellness plan have lowered their medical and drug claims by eight percent. Some have lost weight. One woman who works for Amway lost 85 pounds in 18 months. This has given her an abundance of energy which naturally had reflected in quality work and increased production for the company. It is a recognized fact that such workforce oriented fitness program take as long as three years to start giving returns. This is because of the time taken by people to change their habits.

on the other hand, if people don't join the program their costs typically increase by almost a quarter.

Another company, Flexco, located in Illinois, has established a program to encourage employees to eat better and exercise. This program become very successful and the company was able to gain an amount close to a hundred thousand dollars just by reduced premium costs. The change actually became a financial winner. They are able to add extra benefits like paying healthcare deductibles which can attract new employees.

This program uses points to help employees track their progress. Points can be used to buy things or reduce health care costs. This acts as an incentive for the employees to get enrolled in this. Using the carrot versus the stick helps enrollment.

This program can be incorporated in the overall strategy of the firm. This would benefit the company in many ways. It would help the company to attain its overall business goals, if its employees are willing to stay healthy and active. Furthermore, it also enhances the working atmosphere of the company. Many employees change their minds about preventative care when it spots a problem before it gets worse.

It is evident from all this that it is the it would be definitely beneficial for the company in the long run, if they encourage the employees to stay fit, either on their own, or with the help of the company. Some companies even offer free membership to their employees in fitness centers and health groups. The examples shows that you can significantly lower the bottom line when you have healthier employees. This also makes the workplace more congenial.




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