The Problem
A typical day in the modern workplace environment requires very little movement or activity of any kind. After all, with today’s technological advances, most employees’ daily activities now involve sitting and typing - hardly good fitness routines. This lack of motion and activity leads to weight gain, resulting in poor employee health and increasing corporate health care expenses.
Most importantly, sedentary lifestyles are producing drastic consequences across the lifespan of many workers. The Federal Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported in 2004 that poor diet and lack of physical activity were responsible for 400,000 preventable deaths each year; physical inactivity and obesity may soon overtake tobacco as the leading preventable cause of death.
Health concerns are not the only negative side effects from the disease of inactivity; desk-bound employees experience low morale, high turnover and greater absenteeism. Additionally, evidence shows that there is a direct correlation between fitness levels and productivity output. Obesity is estimated to cause 39 million lost work days and 239 million restricted activity days. Inactivity is directly correlated with decreased alertness and energy and the inability to work under stressful conditions.
The other correlate to this escalating health crisis is the tremendous increase in health care costs that are caused by obesity and related illnesses. Medical costs for employees who are obese or overweight are estimated to be 36% higher than those of normal weight employees. American industry loses $32 billion every year because of employees’ absenteeism or premature deaths that are associated with cardiovascular disease. Billions more are lost as a result of illness, lowered productivity and resulting disability.
The Solution
In this section of the Mayors Wellness Campaign (MWC) toolbox, we present a number of options to encourage wellness and physical activity in the workplace. The case studies presented here were taken from a cross section of companies of varying sizes, climates, cultures and business types. Many of the enclosed ideas are basic programs that could be undertaken at any sized company and modified for different locations.
Encouraging physical activity in the workplace is not only good for employees; it can significantly benefit a company’s bottom line. Companies of all sizes and types have implemented employee nutrition and physical activity programs with positive effects on employee health and financial benefits to the firm. The World Health Organization reports that workplace physical activity programs in the United States can reduce short-term sick leave by 2 to 6 percent, reduce health care costs by 20 to 55 percent, and increase productivity by 2 to 52 percent. Recent estimates commonly indicate a potential return on investment from $1.49 in benefits per dollar spent on the program to as much as $13 per dollar spent.
About Programs in this Toolbox
There are numerous companies nationwide that have excellent wellness programs for their employees. The programs that are highlighted should not be viewed as the only options for employee fitness programs, but rather a sampling of initiatives that can be informative to New Jersey employers. Please be sure to check the MWC webpage (www.mayorswellnesscampaign.org) for new ideas and programs.
In order to ensure efficacy in presenting each case study included in this document, we devised a five-prong evaluation model to determine the best practices in each category: Walk/Bike to Work, Wellness at Work, Intracompany Competitions, and Financial Incentives. We selected case studies based on five criteria:
Included here are key case studies, evaluation methods, and additional offerings that may be helpful for you in planning a wellness initiative in your workplace. Regardless of the program you choose to implement, it is imperative that you explore potential options for your employees. Obesity and inactivity are problems that can no longer be ignored, and employers are key partners in the effort to ensure a healthy future for our communities. Although numerous vendors provide employer-based programming, we have not reviewed or compared them and include only a single example for discussion, which should not be perceived as an endorsement. If you are aware of additional programs and vendors that you would like to share with other municipalities, please complete the new program form included with the binder and return to the MWC for posting on the website.
Endnotes
Anderson, D.R., Whitmer, R.W., Goetzel, R.Z., Ozminkowski, R.J., Dunn, R.L., Wasserman, J. et al. (2000). The relationship between modifiable health risks and health care expenditures: A group-level analysis of the HERO database. American Journal of Health Promotion, 15(1), 45-52.
Efurt, J., Foote, A., & Heirich, M. (1991). Worksite wellness programs: Incremental comparisons of screening and referral alone, health education, follow-up counseling, and plant organization. American Journal of Health Promotion, 5(6), 438-448.
Goetzel, R. Z., Juday, T.R., Ozminkowski, R.J. (1999). What’s the ROI? American Worksite Health Promotion, Summer, 12-21.
Goetzel, R.G., Anderson, D.R., Whitmer, R.W., Ozminkowski, R.J, Dunn, R.L., Wasserman, J. et al., (1998). The relationship between modifiable health risks and health care expenditures: An analysis of the multi-employer HERO health risk and cost database. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 40(10), 843-854.
Koretz, G. “Employers Tame Medical Costs: But Workers Pick up a Bigger Share.” BusinessWeek, January 17, 2002.
Strum, R. (2002). The effects of obesity, smoking, and drinking on medical problems and costs. Health Affairs, 12(2), 245-253.
