Solutions for Employers:
The only way to combat the consequences of poor health in the workplace is to be proactive and implement a prevention system that will lead employees to make positive lifestyle changes. Employers and employees need to share the responsibility equally and together they must create a culture of wellness that permeates throughout the organization. Through this process, they can begin to reduce health risk factors and the associated costs.
In order for a wellness program to be successful, it must:
- Be customized for the company and individualized for each employee,
- Be systematic in approach,
- Assess participants and identify modifiable health risk factors,
- Utilize health education to target the identified health risks,
- Provide a blend of high-tech and high-touch services to employees that also target the identified health risks, and
- Continually evaluate and monitor progress, making necessary changes in the process.
The good news is that 75% of all health care costs are linked to conditions that are preventable. If a company can implement a system that provides preventative health initiatives to their employees, they can begin to reduce costly health risk factors that lead to chronic disease. Over time, a company can create an environment where prevention is the name of the game and healthy employees are the norm.
