Experient Health Highlights Importance of Choosing the Right Wellness Program in Latest Blog Post
Richmond, VA (PRWEB) August 04, 2014 -- Many U.S. employers implement wellness programs, but the success of the program is dependent on both employee engagement and support from all levels of management.
In a culture where wellness is often emphasized, approximately half of U.S. employers with 50 or more employees sponsor some type of workplace wellness program, according to a RAND survey that Experient Health, the Virginia Farm Bureau's health insurance arm, reported on its latest blog post.
However, in order for these programs to ensure success, it takes a joint effort from both the employees and management to create a workplace wellness program that’s fitting for the company, Experient Health wrote.
Experient Health launched its blog series last year to help keep the community educated on ways to stay fit and healthy as a first line of defense for preventative medicine.
"As the issues of rising health care costs and increased absenteeism due to health problems grow, wellness programs are seen as an effective method of improving employee health and morale and decreasing health-related costs for employers," Experient Health wrote.
The first step? Determining needs and resources.
"Assess your workplace to determine your employees’ health problems and fitness levels, as well as their interest in different types of wellness programs," Experient Health suggested. "Consider using surveys, focus groups and health risk assessments to learn more about the health status and interest areas of your employees."
To ensure the support of management, inform managers about the program early on and encourage them to participate. Communicate the program’s goals and benefits clearly and often.
"Gaining upper-level management support will give you an easier access to sufficient resources and staff time to develop and implement your wellness program," Experient Health wrote. "You also need support from upper management in order to set an example through their participation in the program. The participation of direct managers throughout your organization is also important because they will be able to encourage more engagement among all your employees, increasing the ROI of your program through widespread participation."
Once a company has determined its needs and emphasized the importance of management support, a company can then specify the type of program it is interested in incorporating into the company.
Programs can include areas of focus including disease prevention, fitness, smoking cessation, alcohol and substance abuse counseling, nutrition education, entail health help, weight loss and stress management.
For more information on these types of programs and legal compliance to consider before offering them, visit Experient Health online or contact a Benefits Consultant today.
Experient Health is a Virginia Farm Bureau Company headquartered in Richmond, VA.
Stephanie Heinatz, Consociate Media, +1 (757) 713-2199, [email protected]
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