Employee wellness programs provide excellent ROI
What's the hard return on employee wellness programs?. Berry LL, Mirabito AM, Baun WB. Harvard Business Review. 2010. 104-112.
Aim
To understand the business case for investing in employee health as well as factors contributing to successful programs.
Looked at
Reviewed existing research and studied 10 organizations across a variety of industries with employee wellness programs.
How?
Site visits were made to each company and over 300 people were interviewed regarding what in the program worked, and what didn't, and the overall impact on the organization.
Results
It was concluded that a successful work place wellness program involves:
i) Wellness leadership at all managerial levels
ii) Alignment to the company's identity
iii) Quality programs that are engaging and comprehensive
iv) Accessiblity to employees through convenient location and low or no costs
v) Partnerships with internal and external partners
vi) Good communication
Effective employee wellness programs were found to have the following benefits, which led to a good return on investment:
- Lower costs through reducing health risks and the likelihood of disease, which then leads to less healthcare claims
- Greater productivity, and less absence and presenteeism
- Higher morale amongst employees, which generates increased trust and pride and a 'bond' between employers and employees
What does this mean?
A successful employee wellness program can not only provide a strong return on investment, but a wider range of benefits for the company, such as improved morale and productivity.