Wellness Programs

[Guest TS]

Please share with me your ideas on Employee Wellness Programs - (i.e. on site chol. screening/blood pressure/health fair)

[Guest Rodney Irwin]

message to T.L. ....

Wellness programs are a very strong vehicle for a company to show it's

concern for the employee's

quality of life. Our product provides

a good building block on which to

start. Please visit our website at

www.corporatevitamin.com

Rodney Irwin

[Guest Patricia Ibbs]

I have found them very popular with employees. You can run one with no cost involved--the American Cancer Society, local hospitals, Red Cross, etc., are happy to come on-site to test and educate employees.

I think it works well with a benefits display also.

[Guest nac]

There's all kinds of things you can do at little or no cost but with high perceived value.

Sponsor Weight Watchers or Smokenders at work - all they need is the space.

Have your local mammogram van come in.

Do you have an EAP? They may be able to run lunchtime seminars for you at a fairly low cost; it may already be built into your pricing.

Check with your health plan insurer - do they have any wellness programs already in place? All you'll need to do is distribute the material. They'd also set up blood pressure and cholesterol screenings on-site for you.

[Guest SportsMed]

SportsMed has a very successful Corporate Wellness Worksite Wellness Program. It is a very comprehensive program. We evaluate your total employee population and give you a break down of your employees total health. If interested in our program please Email me.

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SportsMed

[Guest nb]

TS, I guess I'll throw my contrarian view onto the table. Wellness programs can be set up and customized at almost anysized company with little or no cost. Or, your organization can foot the bill for an elaborate program.

Our organization decided to enter the Wellness arena for a variety of reasons. There have been minimal costs associated with the program, by that I mean we have written very few checks for "Wellness" items. However, our hidden costs have been much higher then anticipated. It seems to take a substantial amount of time for administration of our wellness program by the employees who are responsible.

Just providing a little space, just allowing a payroll deduction for a benefit, just storing equipment when not in use, just a "few meetings" to do your planning and organize the program..... quite a few "justs".

[KIP KRAUS]

I agree with nb. The plan that I was envolved with had few takers on smoking cessation or weight loss program reimbursements.

In addition, while I agree that healthy lifestyle programs have the potential to cut down on medical costs and absenteism, I have never seen hard specific dollar savings that could be directly associated with the money spent on such programs. My theroy is that people are exposed to so much healthy lifestyle advertising that if they are motivated they will make the changes on their own, and no employer sponsored programs are going to make a diference. These programs are nice perks, if you can afford to spend the money, but in my opinion not cost effective. If someone can show me the cold hard dollar fact savings directly related to these programs, I'd be sufficiently shocked. Come people, I know you're out there. Show use the data.